Positions: Postdoctoral Scholar and PhD Student in Wildfire and Drinking Water Treatment
Location: Montana State University- Bozeman, Montana
Job Description: The Department of Civil Engineering at Montana State University has funded positions available for a Postdoctoral Scholar (24-month commitment) and a PhD Student to begin January 2023, or as soon as suitable candidates are found.
The scholar and student will work to assess the impacts of recent wildfires in the Pacific Northwest on water supplies and drinking water treatment. The goals of the project are to work with drinking water systems to increase resiliency to wildfire. Specifically, the research will: 1) Characterize post-fire source water quality to understand the propagation of the fire signal from headwaters to downstream supplies; 2) Evaluate the risks to drinking water by examining predicted post-fire water quality model outputs compared to key treatment thresholds; 3) Perform experimental treatability evaluations to identify key challenges and vulnerabilities faced by water providers and potential tools to increase fire preparedness among water systems; 4) Work with municipalities and socio-economists to investigate the impacts of wildfires on water security for communities in the Pacific Northwest for different hydroecological regions with varying water system capabilities and resources.
This research is part of a larger project: Ensuring Water Security with Increasing Wildfire Threats in the Western US. The scholar and student will work as part of a large, trans-disciplinary team of scientists, including forest hydrologists, biogeochemists, ecologists, and socio-economists from Oregon State University (OSU), Washington State University (WSU), and the US Forest Service (USFS). This collaboration will provide unique perspectives and opportunities to engage in research that will help inform policies for managing and protecting source water quality, watershed health, and drinking water treatment.
Preferred candidates will have an MS (PhD Candidate) or PhD (Post-doc) in Environmental Engineering or a related field and strong laboratory, analytical, and communication skills. Experience working with water municipalities and performing bench-scale or pilot scale experimental studies is desired. Successful candidates will show a strong interest in conducting collaborative research and the desire to contribute to large teams with diverse backgrounds.
Application procedure: Interested applicants are encouraged to apply for this position by sending all application materials to Dr. Amanda (Mandi) Hohner (amanda.hohner@montana.edu). Applicants should submit: (a) a CV that includes the names of at least three professional references, their e-mail addresses, and telephone contact numbers and (b) a cover letter or email describing their interests and experiences in the topic area, goals, and how they meet the required position qualifications. Dr. Hohner’s lab strives to create a diverse and inclusive environment and candidates from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Application review is ongoing and will continue until filled.