Professor Katherine Dowdell in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Utah (https://www.civil.utah.edu/) is seeking a PhD student to work on research in the areas of drinking water engineering and microbiology beginning in Fall 2025. Research projects will seek to improve human health by studying the factors that influence drinking water microorganisms and pathogens source-to-tap. Research activities will include sampling full-scale drinking water systems, using culture-based and molecular methods to quantify drinking water microorganisms, and working in interdisciplinary teams to address pressing drinking water challenges. Work will include laboratory-based and field-based studies. Email Prof. Dowdell (k.dowdell@utah.edu) with questions or to apply. The Dowdell Laboratory welcomes researchers of all backgrounds and identities and encourages anyone interested to apply.
Application Instructions
Interested applicants should send their CV, transcripts, and a representative publication or example of scientific writing to Dr. Katherine Dowdell (k.dowdell@utah.edu). Materials will be reviewed immediately, and successful candidates will be invited to apply for admission. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 4, 2025. For general information, please refer to https://www.civil.utah.edu/graduate-admissions/.
Required Qualifications
- BS in Environmental Engineering or related field
- A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
- International applicants must submit proof of English Language Proficiency. Details can be found here: https://admissions.utah.edu/apply/international/english-proficiency/
- An interest in drinking water microbiology and a strong desire to learn
Preferred Qualifications
- MS in Environmental Engineering or related field
- Previous experience in drinking water or environmental microbiology research, such as experience with water sampling, plate culture, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction, and/or general water quality analyses
- Previous experience preparing scientific research articles
- Demonstrated proficiency in working on interdisciplinary teams
- Experience analyzing data in R and RStudio