The RESTORE Research Group in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is seeking a graduate student (PhD or Masters) to conduct research on application of novel human wastewater tracers (artificial sweeteners, pharmaceuticals, microbial DNA markers) to track wastewater from septic systems in streams and rivers. The graduate student will conduct field monitoring in streams and rivers, complete laboratory analyses of water samples, and use statistical approaches and GIS for data analysis and interpretation.
The project is funded by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and in collaboration with research scientists from Environment and Climate Change Canada, to address their priority to evaluate the contribution of septic systems to nutrient and contaminant loads in tributaries in the Great Lakes Basin. The project that the graduate student works on will extend an existing project led by RESTORE and the selected candidate will join a project research team that includes three graduate students. Applicants must have (or expect to soon complete) Bachelor degree in Environmental Engineering or Environmental/Earth Sciences, knowledge of hydrological processes and pollutant fate, and a willingness to conduct field work through all seasons.
The successful candidate will join the RESTORE Research Group (https://www.eng.uwo.ca/restore/), which has been awarded over $6M in funding to conduct field, experimental and modeling investigations in the last 7 years. RESTORE is a well-recognized collaborative and inclusive research group with more than 20 graduate students and laboratory technicians working in five well-equipped laboratories and modeling offices. Western University (http://www.uwo.ca/) is a leading Canadian academic institution that is committed to excelling as an innovative research-intensive university.
Please send your CV, a list of two references (along with contact phone and email), unofficial university transcripts and a cover letter summarizing qualifications and research interests to Dr. Clare Robinson (crobinsonwestern@gmail.com). Ideal start date is September 2023 but January 2024 will also be considered. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, until the position is filled.
We are thankful for all applicants who express an interest in the position, but we will only contact individuals who are selected for an interview.
