(Smart Water Management, Soil Health, Hydrology, and Water Quality Monitoring and Modeling)
Anticipated Starting Term: No current openings. Contact Dr. Vinayak Shedekar if you are interested in pursuing MS/PhD for the latest vacancies.
Position Summary:
The AgWater Program in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE) at The Ohio State University (OSU) invites applications for Graduate Research Associate (GRA) positions for pursuing Ph.D. or M.S. degree studies with the research focus in general areas of Agricultural Water and Soil Management. Further details are available on the AgWater website (go.osu.edu/agwater).
The successful candidate(s) will be involved in experimental as well as modeling and analyses projects related to one or a combination of topics from the following list:
- Monitoring and modeling of soil, water, and nutrients in rainfed and irrigated row crop systems,
- Evaluation and improvement of smart water management technology such as automated drainage water management,
- Applying advanced data analytics, AI, Machine Learning approaches to solve water management and water quality challenges.
- Assessing efficacy of innovative practices for soil health, water quality, and water conservation.
Qualifications and expectations:
An undergraduate and/or M.S. degree in Agricultural, Environmental, Ecological, or Environmental Engineering or Sciences is preferred; however, candidates with a B.S. degree in other related disciplines with strong credentials and interests in pursuing MS or Ph.D. degree studies will also be given serious consideration. Experience in field production research, environmental monitoring (soil sampling, water sampling, hydrologic measurements), field to watershed scale hydrologic modeling, irrigation water management is preferred. Familiarity with U.S. agricultural production and water management systems, as well as one or more data analysis or image processing software is desirable, but not required as long as the candidates demonstrate the background to learn these tools in a reasonable timeframe. Other desirable qualities include the ability to learn/adopt skills and knowledge in solving “real-world” problems; creative and independent research abilities with team-work spirit, strong oral and written communication skills; and a commitment to pursuing a successful academic or industry career. The GRA is expected to publish research findings in international peer-reviewed journals, present research findings in conferences/meetings, and generate regular project update reports.
Salary and Benefits:
Starting salary/stipend will be commensurate with experience. The position will include full benefits as per OSU guidelines, including tuition assistance.
How to apply: please send an e-mail (titled “Application for GRA position”) with a cover letter indicating your related experiences, technical skills, background and interests in these areas; academic transcripts (unofficial copy at this point); GRE scores (if available); TOEFL scores (only for international students); and a detailed CV to Dr. Vinayak Shedekar (shedekar.1@osu.edu).