Job Type:
Master’s or PhD Assistantship
Job Description:
The University of the District Columbia (UDC) is seeking a PhD or Master’s student to be appointed as a Research Assistant to conduct food-energy-water (FEW) nexus research in urban farming systems with the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Science (CAUSES), beginning Summer or Fall 2021. Having U.S. Citizenship or a Green Card is necessary for graduate students. Candidates with a Master’s degree can also apply. Women or students of minority background are encouraged to apply, but students of all backgrounds will be considered.
The graduate student will work on different aspects of a multidisciplinary Water-Energy-Food Nexus research project funded by USDA-NIFA to investigate the production of specialty crops using harvested rainwater and solar energy. The student will work closely with researchers from SEAS (Dr. Hossain Azam, Environmental Engineering and Dr. JiaJun Xu, Mechanical Engineering) and CAUSES (Dr. Mamatha Hanumappa, Specialty and Ethnic Crops Program and Mr. Harris Trobman, Green Infrastructure Program). Candidates are required to hold a bachelor’s degree in crop science,
environmental science, agricultural science, water resource management, civil, environmental, mechanical/electrical, agricultural & biological engineering or related fields. Students with working experience in farming/growing plants will be given priority but it is not a requirement. However, candidate must show an aptitude for growing plants.
UDC is an HBCU, 1862 land-grant institution, and the only public institution of higher learning in the District of Columbia (DC), with a very diverse population of students. UDC’s campus is in a beautiful part of Washington, DC with easy access to public transportation. However, own transportation is a must to access the research site. SEAS faculty members and CAUSES researchers have extensive funding from NSF, DOE, NASA, NIST, USDA etc. to conduct innovative research and education.
Interested candidates should e-mail/contact Mr. Harris Trobman (harris.trobman@udc.edu), Dr. Hossain Azam (hossain.azam@udc.edu), Dr. Mamatha Hanumappa (mamatha.hanumappa@udc.edu), and Dr. JiaJun Xu (jiajun.xu@udc.edu) immediately with a cover letter summarizing why this project interests you and how you can contribute, a CV with names and contact information of three referees and an unofficial copy of academic transcripts. The review process will continue until the Graduate Assistantship is filled and the selected student will then apply for admittance to the graduate program. The appointment will be initially for 2 years, with a potential for extension contingent upon availability of funds, good academic standing, and satisfactory research productivity.
Contact:
Harris Trobman (PI)
Project Specialist in Green Infrastructure,
Center for Sustainable Development and Resilience (CSDR),
College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability& Environmental Sciences (CAUSES)
University of the District of Columbia (UDC)
Email: harris.trobman@udc.edu