MSc position in hydrometeorology

M.Sc. Opportunity in Northern Hydrometeorology

The northern hydrometeorology group (http://web.unbc.ca/~sdery) at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada invites applications for an opening for a 2-year fully-funded Masters of Science (M.Sc.) degree starting in January 2021. 

Project Description: This project focuses on cold regions processes related to winter and spring storms and their precipitation over the transboundary Saint John River Basin, located along the border of Maine, USA and the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada. The Saint John River drains the largest watershed in the Canadian Maritimes, extends over 650 km and drops 480 m from its source at the Little John River down to the Bay of Fundy. Several major hydroelectric facilities managed by a provincial utility and its abundance of aquatic species including Atlantic salmon make this system especially important; however, it is also susceptible to major ice jams and severe flooding, driven by heavy precipitation (including rain on snow) and/or rapid snowmelt. Although catastrophic flooding occurred in 2008, 2018 and again in 2019, no studies of storms and precipitation and their impact on snowpack evolution have been conducted in this region. For this project, the successful applicant will examine the large-scale meteorological conditions that led to the last three major floods along the Saint John River and will place these in perspective with the 2020-21 conditions. This will include investigating anomalies of surface and upper air meteorological conditions over the Saint John River Basin using reanalysis products.

Application Process: We invite applications for a M.Sc. position, with the preferred applicants having a comprehensive knowledge of cold regions hydrometeorology and climate, and excellent computational, programming, R statistical data analysis and communication skills. Applicants with experience in performing synoptic climatologies will be given preference for this project. The successful candidate will also participate in field work related to a field campaign to be held in spring 2021 in the Saint John River Basin of New Brunswick. UNBC is committed to equity, diversity, and equal opportunity; we strongly encourage applications from women, aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities and the LGBTQ2S+ community, and other underrepresented and disadvantaged groups in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Interested applicants are highly encouraged to contact Dr. Stephen Déry at sdery@unbc.ca with a cover letter highlighting research interests and experience relevant to this position, an up-to-date curriculum vitae, unofficial transcripts, and the names of at least two potential professional references. The deadline for submitting these documents is Sunday 30 August 2020 (or until the position is filled). When submitting electronically your application documents, please insert in the subject line “Application for MSc Opportunity in Northern Hydrometeorology”. The successful candidate will then be required to submit an application for entry to the Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (NRES) graduate program at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) by 31 October 2020. Applicants whose first language is not English may need to submit evidence of English language proficiency prior to admission. Applicants must also have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 out of 4.33 (equivalent to 69%) in their last 60 credit hours to enter the NRES graduate program. The successful candidate will receive a minimum of two years of financial support starting with the UNBC academic session in January 2021.