Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI) at the University of Maine offers unprecedented opportunities for graduate students to experience a truly interdisciplinary learning experience through a $20 million, 5-year grant from the National Science Foundation’s EPSCoR program. The SSI’s mission is to create integrative research and strong stakeholder partnerships that generate improved solutions to intersecting ecological, social and economic challenges in and beyond Maine.
The University of Maine is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to maintaining an intellectually and culturally diverse faculty and staff.
Doctoral Research Assistantship in Sustainability focusing on Watershed Processes
Water resources research activity in the SSI involves participation of professors and research scientists from the Senator George J. Mitchell Center , School of Biology and Ecology, and the Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Earth Sciences, Wildlife Ecology, and Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences in interdisciplinary projects focused on watershed planning and management. Projects in the SSI portfolio that will benefit from a better understanding of watershed processes include: Mapping a Sustainable Future, Safeguarding a Vulnerable Watershed, and Sustaining and Restoring Urban Stream Resources in Maine…descriptions of which can be found here. Specifically, this doctoral degree candidate will study headwater drainage basins flowing into Maine’s famously productive rivers and coastal estuaries. The work will focus on the physical characteristics of landforms and tributary networks in small watersheds influenced by varied geomorphic histories and land uses. This research is intended to describe how human-induced changes to the landscape affect processes that govern water quality and habitat in streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries. Results from the work will be integrated with concurrent research related to land-use planning, impaired streams, and lake watersheds. The information and products derived from this work will assist government and NGO efforts to protect or restore aquatic systems while considering the socio-economic needs of Maine citizens.
Qualifications: A Master’s degree related to watershed science, competitive academic record and an interest in collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving. Preferred skills include: field experience related to geomorphology, coursework in hydrology, working knowledge of ARCGIS software and familiarity with LIDAR data analysis. Support includes an assistantship stipend ($20-25,000/yr), a tuition waiver, a partial subsidy for health insurance and funds for field research and spatial data analyses.
Application Procedures: Please submit the following information to Dr. Sean Smith at sean.m.smith@maine.edu with subject line “SSI assistantship.”
1. A letter detailing your interest in this position and the goals of the SSI in general;
2. A resume;
3. Photocopies of GRE scores and transcripts; and
4. Name, phone number, and email address of three references familiar with your academic, research history.
Deadline: Review of applications will begin in the Spring 2012 semester and continue until the position is filled. On campus interviews are required. Travel stipends are available.
