See below for current Graduate Research opportunities within the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability. We encourage you to periodically check this page for new positions. Thank you for your interest!
Position: The Landscape Modeling Lab at CSU seeks a Master’s student to begin in May 2025 to work on a USDA-funded project investigating wetland dynamics, carbon processes, and ecosystem resilience in the playa lakes of the U.S. High Plains through remote sensing, fieldwork, and geospatial analysis.
Description: Research in the lab centers around remote sensing of landscape-scale wetland dynamics in both interior and coastal systems to identify processes related to ecosystem resiliency and long-term landscape change.
Qualifications: Candidates must be able to conduct independent field research, lead teams of inexperienced researchers, and work outdoors in hot, physically demanding environments. A valid driver’s license and the ability to navigate remote rural areas are required, along with strong project management and organizational skills. Desired skills include experience in wetlands, vegetation, or carbon research; remote sensing analyses; statistical programming; data science; and reproducible workflows. A strong background in environmental science, ecology, geography, or remote sensing is also highly valued.
Salary: Students will be supported with at least 1.5 years of GRA and 0.5 years of GTA at $32,000 per year. Tuition and health insurance are included during GRA/GTA appointments.
To Apply: The lab welcomes applicants of all demographics and nationalities. Please email a single PDF to Jessica O’Connell ([email protected]) with a cover letter (max 2 pages) detailing your interests, goals, start date, research and fieldwork experience, leadership skills, and driver’s license status, along with your CV and references. Learn more at www.landscapemodeling.net.
Position: The Agricultural Sustainability and Climate Impacts (ASCI) Lab at Colorado State University is seeking a motivated PhD student to conduct research on the interactions between agriculture and climate change. This will begin in the summer or fall of 2025.
Description: The ASCI Lab researches various topics related to agricultural sustainability, climate change impacts, and climate change adaptation using spatial data science. Current projects include examining the sustainability of irrigated agriculture, modeling agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, using innovative statistical and machine learning methods to quantify climate hazards, and understanding the influence of agricultural land use change on climate.
The selected PhD student will work with Dr. Nathan Mueller to develop their PhD research project on adaptive crop migration, land use change, and climate feedback. The student will leverage machine learning methods and work collaboratively with researchers in the AI-CLIMATE Institute at Colorado State University, the University of Minnesota, and Cornell University.
Qualifications: An undergraduate degree in a relevant agriculture or environmental science discipline and a strong interest in agricultural sustainability and climate change are required. Preferred qualifications include:
- Prior research experience in agricultural science, environmental science, climate science, or a closely related field, especially in areas such as cropland migration or cropping pattern shifts.
- Familiarity and experience with scientific coding tools such as R, Python, or MATLAB.
- Strong quantitative skills, demonstrated through coursework or experience in statistical analysis.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- A proven track record of academic excellence.
- The ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team environment.
Salary: The PhD position will be funded by a Graduate Research Assistantship during the first three years and a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) during the fourth year (note: GTA positions are only available if enrolled in the Ecosystem Sustainability PhD program). As a GTA, the student will be responsible for working 20 hours/week during the Fall and Spring semesters as a teaching assistant for assigned courses (to be determined) in CSU’s Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability.
To Apply: Interested applicants should formally apply through the CSU Graduate School. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Questions? Contact Dr. Nathan Mueller: [email protected]