A Graduate Research Assistantship for Partial Nitrification/Denitrification Anammox Research in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech
May 19th, 2023
POSITION DESCRIPTION
A Ph.D. student will be supported by this United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded project to improve our knowledge and understanding of how a novel partial-nitrification/denitrification and anammox (PANDA) technology can be taken advantage for reducing environmental impacts of fish production by decreasing water demand, effluent pollutants, oxygen demand, greenhouse gas emissions, as well as operational costs.
The assistantship will cover stipends, tuition waiver, and insurance. The successful candidate will work in Dr. Zhiwu (Drew) Wang’s research group (https://www.wang.bse.vt.edu/). The VT-BSE graduate program ranked as the #12 best biological/agricultural engineering program in the U.S. VT’s ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities is #62.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATION
The successful candidate is expected to be creative, self-motivated, possess good research attitude, encompass dynamic problem-solving skills, and have a strong desire to solve real-world problems and collaborate in a multidisciplinary environment with both industrial and academic partners. The candidate is expected to communicate research results through high quality peer-reviewed journal and deliver presentations at national/international professional meetings. Specifically, the successful candidate
Must have (or must earn prior to the application deadline) a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in chemical engineering, biological systems engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated excellent scientific writing and communication skills (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, competitions, etc.).
For international students, TOEFL score is required. For admission, we expect a minimum TOEFL score of 90 (IBT) or IELTS score of 6.5 for admission. GRE may be waived.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
If the program is of your interest, please email Dr. Zhiwu (Drew) Wang at wzw@vt.edu. A full application as a single PDF document package must include (1) A statement of research addressing how your background fit in the position description and candidate qualification described above (1-page limit), (2) an update CV with a full list of publications (if any), (3) all official transcripts, (4) TOEFL or IELTS score(s) (for international candidates), and (4) three reference letters including names, emails, affiliations, and work phone numbers of the referees. The order of the documents in the combined PDF must be followed. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please include “USDA PDNA Graduate Research Assistantship” + “Your Name” as your email subject. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Interested candidates should send an enquiry email only once. Best fit potential candidates will receive the responses and video conference interviews will follow.
Successful candidate will need to apply to the Graduate School of Virginia Tech. The deadlines for admissions in Fall 2023 are April 1 (international) and August 1 (domestic), and Spring 2024 are September 1 (international) and January 1 (domestic). Summer admission might be possible. Please visit the website below for more details.
(https://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/how-to-apply.html)