Ph.D. Positions in Environmental Engineering at George Washington University
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at George Washington University invites applications for two Ph.D. student positions in Environmental Engineering, starting in Fall 2023 or Spring 2024. The students will conduct NSF-supported research on understanding the mechanisms of fouling on polymeric membrane surfaces with the goal of improving the robustness of membrane processes in desalination and water treatment applications. The Ph.D. students will be fully supported with salary, tuition, and health insurance. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to visit Dr. Xitong Liu’s research group website https://blogs.gwu.edu/xitongliu/ and send the following materials as a single PDF file with the email subject “Ph.D. application” to Dr. Liu at xitongliu@gwu.edu:
1) a curriculum vitae showing GPA, educational background, and a list of journal publications;
2) copies of all transcripts;
3) TOEFL transcript (if applicable);
4) GRE transcript (optional).
The application link can be found below. The deadline will be extended for students applying for Fall 2023 entry. The review process will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled.
https://graduate.seas.gwu.edu/doctoral-admissions-requirements
Self-motivated candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Material Science Engineering, or closely related fields are particularly encouraged to apply. A Master’s degree with research experience is highly desirable but not required. Previous research experiences with membranes, polymers, water chemistry, and/or colloids and interfaces will be favorable. Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as the ability to work independently will also be highly valued in the review process.
George Washington University is a private research university located at the heart of Washington D.C. GWU is an “R1” university (very high research activity) under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is located in the recently built 500,000 sq. ft. Science and Engineering Hall which houses a Class 100 nanofabrication clean room and advanced microscopy suite. Recent graduates from the GWU Environmental Engineering program work as faculty members in major research universities, engineers in consulting firms, and co-founders in startup companies. The GWU Foggy Bottom campus is a 20-min walk to the National Mall, Washington Monument, and Smithsonian museums. Washington D.C. has world-class attractions, high-quality performing arts, and numerous parks and gardens for outdoor activities.
PI bio: Dr. Xitong Liu obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Nanjing University. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from Johns Hopkins University and received postdoctoral training at Carnegie Mellon University. He is a recipient of the Inaugural ACS ES&T Engineering Best Paper Award, GWU-KU collaboration award, the ACS Petroleum Research Fund Doctoral New Investigator Award, the C. Ellen Gonter Environmental Chemistry Award, and the American Chemical Society Graduate Student Award. His research has been published in journals including Environmental Science & Technology, Langmuir, and Journal of Membrane Science. His research group studies environmentally relevant interfacial phenomena and aims to develop durable, selective, and cost-effective separation technologies for water purification and recovery of critical materials.