PhD Research Opportunity. Adaptive governance: water, land use and climate change
One PhD position is available in Fall 2012 with the Rissman research group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as part of a new five-year project funded by the National Science Foundation's Water Sustainability and Climate (WSC) program. The geographic setting for this project is the Yahara Watershed, an urbanizing agricultural watershed in southern Wisconsin, containing the city of Madison. Here and elsewhere, human needs for freshwater are growing as changes in climate, landscapes, the built environment and institutions alter water flows and quality in sometimes unpredictable ways. These changes affect ecosystem services related to freshwater, such as flows of freshwater for domestic, agricultural, industrial, recreational and other uses; regulation of floods; water quality; and aspects of human health. To strengthen conceptual frameworks and improve predictive capacity, our interdisciplinary project will integrate biophysical and social-economic aspects of regional water systems. We ask: How will ecosystem services related to freshwater vary and how can they be sustained in regional watersheds as climate, land use and land cover, land management, the built environment and human demands change? In what ways are regional human-environment systems resilient and in what ways are they vulnerable to potential changes in climate and freshwaters? How have interventions to enhance ecosystem services produced expected and unexpected social and ecological outcomes? This position will focus on regional governance; adaptive management and decision making under uncertainty; spatial analysis and geovisualization; and the historical development of policy, politics, science and conservation interventions. Applicants should have a prior degree in natural resources, geography, political science, planning, environmental policy, or related field. Previous research experience, social science background, and experience with coupled social and environmental systems are preferred. Experience with quantitative research methods is preferred. Experience with ArcGIS, spatial analysis, statistics, and geovisualization desired. Strong GPA, GRE scores, and oral and written communication skills are required. Applicants bringing diverse backgrounds and perspectives to the research program are encouraged to apply. The PhD position will start Fall, 2012. Review of applications will begin January 2, 2012 and continue until an applicant is selected. To apply, email to <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] the following in a single PDF document: cover letter, CV with undergraduate/graduate GPA and GRE scores, unofficial undergraduate/graduate transcripts, and contact information for three references. Prospective PhD students should refer to the webpage for further information on applying to the UW-Madison. Dr. Adena Rissman Assistant Professor Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin-Madison <http://forestandwildlifeecology.wisc.edu/facstaff/rissman> http://forestandwildlifeecology.wisc.edu/facstaff/rissman
