Positions are available for two MS-level projects and one Ph.D. project in the Graduate Program in Environmental Science (https://www.esf.edu/envscience/gpes/) at SUNY ESF starting in the Summer of 2025. These projects seek to improve our ability to measure and model how climate change and the increase in extreme weather events will influence the hydrology of forested watersheds in the Northeastern United States. This work is part of a larger collaboration with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the USDA Forest Service, integrating sensor-based soil moisture measurements with modeling and remote sensing to better understand soil moisture dynamics in forested watersheds under climate change in order to improve forest management operations.
The project, based at the at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, provides opportunities to work within an interdisciplinary team of soil scientists and hydrologists from the USDA Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service. The project will feature a combination of field, laboratory, and modeling analysis with an expectation of extended visits to the field site throughout the duration of the study. Below are brief summaries of the individual projects:
MS Project 1: Focused on characterizing the dynamics of infiltration and water flow. This student will be responsible for conducting site characterization of the study locations, installing additional site monitoring instrumentation, and constructing a site conceptual model details (i) the partitioning of water among the canopy, vadose zone, and saturated zone and (ii) the timing and magnitude of water fluxes from these respective storages.
MS Project 2: Focused on using LiDAR data to create maps of soil moisture at different spatial and temporal resolutions. The student will be responsible for (i) installation of plot-based LIDAR sensors and managing data collection and storage, (ii) characterization of study plot vegetation and canopy characteristics (tree species, dbh, height, biomass), and understory plants (species, density), (iii) collection and display of LIDAR data for interpretation of tree distribution and microtopography characteristics. This student will be focused on downscaling soil moisture data from the finest resolution attainable by our on-site sensors to lower resolution (i.e. satellite) data sets, examining how downscaling can influence soil moisture estimates for a given pixel.
PhD Project 1: The PhD graduate student will be responsible for assisting the MS Student 1 installing field instrumentation, as well as constructing a numerical model using DHSVM that is based on the site conceptual model (developed by MS student) and using high-resolution 2D datasets of soil moisture proxies (e.g., from UAVs and plot-based sensors) processed by MS Student 2 as additional calibration targets. The resulting numerical model will be used to investigate whether the inclusion of groundwater data and high-resolution soil moisture surveys can improve model predictions of soil moisture following precipitation events. The PhD student will then use these soil moisture predictions to generate dynamic maps of soil trafficability in the study area that account for precipitation events of different magnitudes.
Graduate assistantships provide competitive annual stipends and benefits, including health insurance and a full tuition waiver. In addition, students are provided with opportunities to develop meaningful teaching, mentoring, and networking experiences.
Requirements: for the MS projects, a bachelor’s degree in geology, hydrology, civil engineering, soil science, environmental science, or similar field is required. PhD candidates must have a MS degree in one of the previously listed fields, along with experience in numerical modelling.
Prospective candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. Nathan Young (nyoung07@esf.edu) with their curriculum vitae (CV) and a brief statement of interest. This statement should outline academic goals, relevant experience, and motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at SUNY ESF. Please include “SUNY ESF-NRCS Hubbard Brook Project” in the subject line.
