Civil Engineering and Construction Department – Georgia Southern University
Job Description – Ph.D. Student
The Environmental Engineering program from the Civil Engineering and Construction Department at Georgia Southern University (GS) is currently hiring a Ph.D. student to lead an EPA funded project investigating sustainable approaches for nutrient recovery from wastewater using advanced hydrogels. The desired candidate should have knowledge and experience in resources recovery, water/wastewater treatment, and sustainability assessment. The ideal candidate should be capable of conducting independent research and must have excellent communication skills. The candidate should also have field and laboratory work experience, knowledge of common water laboratory analytical procedures, and should be able to drive to the field sampling sites. A full assistantship, including tuition and a monthly stipend, will be provided for three years based on the candidate’s qualifications. A one-year extension may be considered depending on performance. Highly motivated applicants should submit a CV, transcripts, a cover letter, and a list of references as part of their application package. Application documents should be sent directly to Dr. Francisco Cubas via email: fcubassuazo@georgiasouthern.edu.
The project: The research project aims at investigating a sustainable approach to recover nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater. The approach relies on novel 3D-printed alginate hydrogels infused with natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) and a synthetic microalgal-bacterial consortium targeting nutrient separation from solution. The project has three components: 1) laboratory studies to complete hydrogel development and optimization; 2) a pilot-scale study to evaluate nutrient recovery efficiency across various nutrient-rich water sources; and 3) contextual analysis and assessment leveraging AI and sustainable design tools to understand the technology efficiency. The selected candidate will work with a diverse group of researchers from GS, Auburn University and the Bachan Institute of Science.
Please contact Dr. Francisco Cubas for additional information.