A fully funded PhD position is available at New Mexico Tech to study interactions between watershed hydrology, stream flow, and riparian vegetation using coupled numerical models. The position is part of a tri-state collaboration involving PIs from Idaho, Nevada, and New Mexico and the successful candidate will collaborate with a cohort of 6 PhD students working on various aspects of watershed modeling and visualization (“virtual watershed framework”). The primary contribution from NMT will be to model and analyze the cascading effects of land use and climate change on flow and riparian vegetation establishment patterns. We welcome applicants with a background in surface water hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, riparian ecology, or related fields.
Please contact Dan Cadol ([email protected]; 575-835-5645) with questions or to apply. The position could start as soon as Aug 19, 2013, with an alternate start date of Jan 3, 2014, depending on the quality and availability of applicants. Applicants should send 1) a letter of interest and qualifications, 2) a resume that includes contact information for three references, 3) GRE scores, and 4) transcripts. New Mexico Tech is home to one of the oldest hydrology programs in the US. Located in Socorro, an early Spanish settlement on the middle Rio Grande, one hour south of Albuquerque, it is an ideal location to study arid-region riparian zone issues. The primary test bed watershed for the project will be Valles Caldera National Preserve and the surrounding headwaters of the Jemez River, a scenic area of ponderosa forests and alpine meadows in north-central New Mexico that has been affected by large forest fires in 2 of the past 3 years.
