5 Five Fully Funded PhD Positions focus on areas Watershed Modeling and Pollutants in Stormwater

职位描述

5 Five fully funded PhD Positions focus on areas watershed modeling and pollutants in stormwater at Florida International University; Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campuses in Miami, Florida.

FIU was established in 1965 and has grown to become one of the largest universities in the United States by enrollment. It’s known for its urban setting, which offers unique educational and cultural experiences. FIU prides itself on its diverse student body, reflecting Miami’s multicultural environment. This diversity is celebrated through various cultural events, student organizations, and programs aimed at inclusivity.

FIU’s location in Miami provides students with unique opportunities for cultural immersion, international business experiences, and environmental studies, given Miami’s coastal and tropical environment. The university’s commitment to research, diversity, and community engagement makes it a distinctive choice for higher education in the southeastern United States.

Five fully funded PhD Positions and multiple PhD fellowships: Multiple PhD positions are available in Ebrahimian’s research group at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida International University (FIU). One position will be primarily based in the Department of Earth and Environment. These are fully funded (tuition, stipend, and health insurance) positions starting as early as Spring 2025. Successful applicants will also receive travel support to attend national conferences. Projects are federally funded and focus on areas including, but not limited to, watershed modeling (hydrology and water quality), and identification, characterization, distribution, and fate of emerging and traditional pollutants in stormwater (e.g., microplastics, sediments, and nutrients) from urban and coastal watersheds.

Additionally, projects will explore flood and pollution mitigation strategies using gray and green stormwater infrastructure. Research methods include sensor-based field monitoring, laboratory experiments, hydrologic and water quality modeling, image processing, and AI (machine learning and deep learning) techniques. Successful applicants will work with a cross-disciplinary group of engineers and scientists from the Institute of Environment and Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences in collaboration with various governmental and non-governmental organizations and industrial partners.

offer要求 [offer requirements]

General requirements: All positions need an MS degree with research thesis but exceptional candidates with BS degrees (e.g., those with high GPA and journal publications) will also be considered. Professional writing, presentation, and communication skills are also required.

Position 1: Watershed modeling

Requirements: Demonstrated experience in watershed-scale, hydrologic and water quality modeling using SWAT and other tools considering surface water and groundwater interactions. GIS and programming (e.g., Python) skills. MS and BS in civil/environmental/water resources engineering or related areas.

Position 2: Green stormwater infrastructure

Requirements: Ability to work in the field and proficiency in using tools for field installations. Demonstrated experience in water and soil sampling, sensor-based monitoring, and associated data analysis related to surface water, groundwater, and/or soil systems (preferably green stormwater infrastructure). Understanding of unsaturated zone hydrology, soil hydraulic characteristics, and pollutants in stormwater runoff. MS and BS in civil/environmental/water resources engineering or related areas.

Desired (but not required) skills: Experience with microplastics in water and/or soil systems. Programming and stormwater modeling skills. Experience in surface/subsurface hydrologic modeling. 2

Position 3: AI-based particle image processing

Requirements: Strong programming skills in Python. Strong background in deep learning and machine learning methods. Demonstrated experience in particle image processing, pattern recognition, and/or application of deep learning/machine learning in image-based geo-environmental or material problems. MS and BS in geo/materials sciences/engineering or related areas.  Desired (but not required) skills: Understanding of unsaturated porous media characteristics in green stormwater infrastructure or other geo-environmental problems.

Position 4: Microplastics in stormwater

Requirements: Demonstrated experience in microplastic sampling, processing, and detection methodologies to assess source, distribution, or fate and transport of microplastics in freshwater systems. Laboratory work experience for sample processing and microplastics analysis using analytical techniques, including FTIR/Raman spectroscopy, epifluorescence microscopy, and particle size characterization. MS and BS in bio/geo/chemistry sciences or related areas.  Note: This position will be primarily based at FIU’s Department of Earth and Environment.

Position 5: Greenhouse gas emissions from soil-water-plant systems

Requirements: Deep understanding of greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide and methane) emission processes, dynamics, and drivers in soil-plant systems. Demonstrated field, laboratory, and/or modeling experience with the measurement and/or analysis of GHG emissions from soil-plant systems. Introductory GIS and programming (e.g., Python) skills. MS and BS in geo-environmental engineering/sciences or related areas.  Desired (but not required) skills: Experience with field measurements of GHG emission from green stormwater infrastructure. Expertise in analysis or simulation of unsaturated porous media in green stormwater infrastructure or geo-environmental problems.

Position 6: Prestigious PhD Fellowships with flexible research topics

Prestigious PhD fellowships (including those from NSF) with excellent benefits are available for: 1) applicants (including international students) with an outstanding GPA (close to 4) in their BS or MS degree and journal publications, and 2) US citizens or permanent residents (especially, but not necessarily, minority groups in engineering including women) with a BS or MS GPA greater than 3.2. MS degree is not required for the fellowships. Start date of the fellowships is Fall 2025.

offer福利 [offer benefits]

These are fully funded (tuition, stipend, and health insurance) positions starting as early as Spring 2025. Successful applicants will also receive travel support to attend national conferences.

offer链接

To apply: Please read the following instructions carefully and apply, if interested and qualified:
If you are qualified and highly interested, please immediately send a single pdf containing the following documents to Dr. Ali Ebrahimian as email attachment ([email protected] ): 1) CV (including graduation dates and GPAs for MS and BS, list of publications, technical skills including programming and software, and breakdown of TOEFL/IELTS scores for international applicants), and 2) unofficial copies of BS and MS transcripts. Subject line of the email must be “PhD application Spring 2025 Position #”. Please carefully follow the instructions and do not include links or multiple attachments in your email. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. Your interest is highly appreciated but due to the high volume of applications only short-listed applicants will be contacted.