Graduate Student Research Assistantships (Master of Environmental Management, Master of Science, PhD) available at the University of North Dakota, Department of Earth System Science and Policy.
The Department of Earth System Science and Policy at the University of North Dakota has openings for students seeking a Masters of Environmental Management (MEM), Master of Science (MS) or PhD. - Students for MEM seeking to develop of a career in private industry, government or non-profit organizations and wanting a professional degree with an internship project. - Students for MS and PhD with interests in the following specific areas: Climate change science - students with an interest in and/or skills in climate and impact modeling with computer programming and scripting. Climate change policy - students with an interest in integrating social and demographic data with spatial analysis techniques; experience using ArcView software is a plus. Hydrology - students with an interest in hydrological modeling with remote sensing data and field work. Oceanography - students with an interest in satellite oceanography, ocean optics, and interaction of ocean and climate system. Remote sensing of land systems- students with an interest in remote sensing of land systems using microwave, multi-spectral, hyperspectral and thermal sensors. Biomass energy - students with an interest in using remote sensing and GIS to quantify land suitability for biofuels and their chemical composition. Measurement and modeling of land use change - students interested in change analysis and integration of remote sensing data with land use change models such as GEOMOD, SLEUTH and Artificial Neural Networks. Quantitative analysis of spatial, temporal and spectral data - students with an interest in analysis, transformation and synthesis of spatial, spectral and temporal patterns in earth science data for improved modeling and decision making. Global change impacts and ecosystem services - students interested in multi-criteria and multi-method approaches to analysis of global change impacts on land systems and assessment of ecosystem services. Financial support may be available to qualifying applicants, which generally includes a graduate research assistantship and tuition waiver. Funding for assistantships is mainly provided through a sizable grant from NASA, and students receiving an assistantship work on a wide variety of research and applications projects. The Earth System Science and Policy (ESSP) program is organized around the field of environmental sustainability and offers three degrees: Master of Environmental Management, M.S., and Ph.D. Sustainability science has emerged as an intellectually exciting, growing discipline that is a driving concept for major scientific and environmental policy efforts around the globe. By bridging theory with practice, global and local perspectives, and scientific and social disciplines, sustainability science seeks to meet the needs of society while sustaining the life support systems of the planet. The mission of the ESSP program is to provide an integrated and creative learning environment that fosters intellectual growth, critical thinking, and practical engagement in research and management of the Earth systems and resources. The ESSP program is a thematic one, emphasizing practical experience, student-centered learning, integration of knowledge across traditional disciplinary boundaries, and active dialogue both in and outside the classroom. The MEM degree program is a professional degree for those seeking careers as environmental policymakers. Graduates of the MEM program will have a comprehensive knowledge of the principles of environmental and natural resource management, acquired through practical experience in an internship. ESSP alumni with MEM degrees have accepted jobs with private industry, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. The MS degree program is a research degree acting as a qualification for pursuit of a PhD. The Master of Science is designed to accommodate a large range of research interests all of which must be multi-disciplinary. Graduates of the MS program will have completed a research thesis on any one of a wide range of topics in the areas of climate change science, land systems science, hydrology, remote sensing, environmental modeling and environmental policy. ESSP alumni with MS degrees have gone on to undertake PhD degree programs at leading universities including Yale and Miami, or have accepted jobs with private industry, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. The PhD degree program is a research degree requiring completion of a recognized MS program either internally or at an approved North American institution. With the exception of in house MS applicants, all PhD students must complete the core 20 credit coursework load for ESSP in the first two semesters. PhD students then undertake a major research project requiring development of a grant proposal, and resulting in significant research outcomes and publications. The PhD in Earth System Science and Policy is intended to prepare innovative researchers and problem-solvers for the public and private sectors, as much as for academia. The University of North Dakota is located in Grand Forks, ND (146 miles to Winnipeg, MB, 315 miles to Minneapolis, MN, and 80.9 miles to Fargo, ND). Some curious facts about Grand Forks include: 1) GF ranks 2nd least expensive city to own and maintain a car, 2) GF ranks as the 6th best small city in the U.S. for relocating a family, 3) GF is ranked 12th out of 117 cities for the most safe small cities in the country, 4) GF is in the top 10 list of cheapest cities for car insurance, 5) the population of GF is 53,230, 6) the city area of GF, including an international airport, is 20.36 square miles, 7) the cost of living in GF is 19.5% lower than the U.S. average, 8) the unemployment rate in GF is 2.5% (U.S. average is around 4.6%), 9) there are about 14 students per teacher in GF public schools, and 10) the median age of GF residents is 32. For more information, see the following websites: The University of North Dakota: www.und.edu The UND Graduate School: http://www.und.edu/dept/grad/ UND Earth System Science and Policy: http://essp.und.edu/ Grand Forks Visitors Bureau: http://www.visitgrandforks.com/main.php For students who are interested in applying, see: http://www.und.edu/dept/grad/. Recommended deadline for Application is June 1st, however, early applications will receive top priority for admission. If you have questions, feel free to contact the Chair of ESSP. Soizik Laguette, Ph.D. Chair Department of Earth System Science and Policy University of North Dakota Clifford Hall, Stop 9011 Grand Forks, ND 58202-9011 Phone: 701-777-2532 Fax: 701-777-2940 E-mail: lague...@aero.und.edu
