Graduate Research Position in Hydrologic Sciences Applications are invited for a M.S. or Ph.D.-level student to fill a graduate research position that is currently available with Dr. Laurel Saito (http://www.cabnr.unr.edu/saito/) and Dr. Franco Biondi (http://wolfweb.unr.edu/homepage/fbiondi/) in the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Science (http://www.hydro.unr.edu) at the University of Nevada Reno (http://www.unr.edu). Financial support includes a monthly stipend and covers tuition and health insurance. The position will begin January 2011 and is guaranteed for one year, with a possibility of renewal for additional years. The deadline for applications to the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Science is September 1, 2010.
The successful applicant will work on an NSF-funded project that involves combining dendrochronology (i.e., tree-ring analysis) with mechanistic watershed modeling to reconstruct past streamflows and examine model sensitivities and applications. This new technique is an effort to quantify the effect of watershed topography, vegetation dynamics, natural disturbance, and land use changes on proxy-augmented streamflow records. The premise of the research is that dendrohydrologists have employed sophisticated regression techniques to extend runoff records, but this empirical approach cannot directly test the influence of watershed factors that alter streamflow independently of climate. The proposed approach employs tree-ring records to generate long time series of precipitation and possibly temperature, which can be used as input to a process-based watershed model to calculate streamflow. The analysis will be conducted with data from the upper reaches of the Walker River on the boundary between the Sierra Nevada of California and the Great Basin of Nevada. Multiple tree-ring records, up to 2,300-year long, have been generated from the region and will be used as a basis for analysis. Applicants should have a B.S. in engineering, hydrology, applied statistics, applied mathematics, computer science, or a related field. The ideal candidate should have a strong quantitative background and interest in interdisciplinary surface water issues. Programming experience is particularly welcomed. Information on the application process to the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Science is available at www.hydro.unr.edu. Candidates should also check the University Graduate School website (http://www.unr.edu/grad/prospective/apply.asp), which includes information for international applicants. If you are interested in the position, please contact Dr. Saito (lsa...@cabnr.unr.edu) and/or Dr. Biondi (fbio...@unr.edu).
