Jobs:Job-01479

Seeking a Master’s Student at the University of Dayton

University of Dayton, Ohio, United States
Apply before: 31 January 2024

Posting: Position: Master Student Apply before: 31 January 2024

The Hanley Sustainability Institute at the University of Dayton coordinates a graduate fellowship program to encourage and support faculty scholarship in sustainability and to attract high-quality students with sustainability interests to the University. The institute currently has an opening for a funded Master’s student mentored by myself, Sarah McKnight, and Chia-Yu Wu. While the degree is in Interdisciplinary Studies, the project is geomorphology-focused (description below). This position can be filled by anyone with a broad Earth or Environmental Science background, but someone with interests in geomorphology and surface processes is preferred. Applicants should apply here by January 31st. Please feel free to contact me with any questions!

Project Title: Monitoring the Effects of Land Development on Stream Dynamics Across the Greater Dayton Area

Description:
Humans have a massive impact on sediment moving through river and stream channels. Anthropogenic activities such as land use change and climate change alter the hydraulic and erosional characteristics of these channels, disturbing their natural balance of water and sediment. Over the next several years, forests and fields surrounding metropolitan Dayton will be converted to new houses by land developers. These changes may induce erosion and other geomorphic effects, negatively impacting both riverine ecosystems and local communities across southwestern Ohio.

The HSI Graduate Fellow will join a research team that aims to quantify the effects of land development on sediment in stream channels across the greater Dayton area. The research project integrates field data collection and computer modeling to monitor erosional changes in stream channels before, during, and after the onset of construction on nearby land. The HSI Fellow will receive mentorship and training to (1) Construct a record of 20th century land use change for each field site using historical imagery and GIS; (2) Conduct field surveys using GPS, environmental data loggers, and photogrammetry; and (3) Create, organize, and maintain a database to store the field data. The HSI fellow is also encouraged to expand the project, particularly in multidisciplinary directions that focus on river ecology and biodiversity. The project outcomes will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and national conferences.

Students planning to enroll in a graduate degree program in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies are eligible to apply for this 12-month fellowship.

Christopher Sheehan, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences
University of Dayton
300 College Park
Dayton, Ohio 45469-2364

Email: csheehan1@udayton.edu

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Of interest for:

Terrestrial Working Group