Two Ph.D. Opportunities in Understanding Drought Biogeochemistry of N oxide emissions from Mediterranean soils
Degree Opportunity: Two Ph.D. students will be hired as part of the Binational Agricultural Research and Development (BARD) project in collaboration between the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) and Ben-Gurion University
of the Negev (BGU, Israel).
Preferred start date: Spring 2021 for UTK (one Ph.D. position) and immediately for BGU, Israel (one Ph.D. position). Positions will remain open until filled.
Project Leads: Dr. Debasish Saha, Assistant Professor (Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science (BESS) Department, UTK); Dr. Sean Schaeffer, Associate Professor (BESS, UTK); Dr. Sindhu Jagadamma, Assistant Professor in (BESS,
UTK); and Dr. Ilia Gelfand, Assistant Professor (BGU, Israel)
Project Description: The project will employ field, laboratory, and modeling methods in understanding the impacts of drought timing and intensity on soil N oxides (nitric and nitrous oxides) emissions from soil with different
physical properties. The project will use advanced isotopic and molecular tools to gain deeper understanding of microbial N cycling processes in response to varying wetting-drying patterns.
Position Requirements:
Ideal candidate for the UTK location should have:
- MS degree in soil science, ecology, environmental science, agronomy, or related fields
- Knowledge of soil physics (water and gas transport) and coupled soil carbon-nitrogen-water biogeochemical cycling regulating soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
- Experience in field and laboratory studies on soil GHG fluxes
- An ability to work independently to undertake hypothesis-driven research as well as working in a diverse team environment
- A valid (non-probationary) US drivers’ license
Desirable Skills:
- Experience in quantifying abundance of keystone N cycling genes
- Experience in working with N15 isotope in studying soil N cycling/N2O emissions
- Strong background in statistical analysis using R or SAS, and experience in using DayCent for simulating GHG gases is a plus
Ideal candidate for the BGU (Israel) location should have:
- MS degree in soil science, chemistry, ecology, environmental science, agronomy, or related fields
- Experience in field measurements of GHG fluxes and soil properties
- Willingness to learn new concepts and techniques
How to Apply: Interested candidates should contact Dr. Debasish Saha
(
[email protected]) for the
Ph.D. position at the UTK (USA) site and Dr. Ilia Gelfand
(
[email protected]) for the
Ph.D. position at the BGU (Israel) site. Please include a copy of your transcripts, latest CV, and contact information of three references to your email.