PhD Assistantship - Analytics for Sustainable Agriculture at NC State University

The Biosystems Analytics Lab at North Carolina State University seeks a creative, motivated Ph.D. student with an interest in satellite remote sensing for agricultural systems analysis and modeling. The position will begin Fall 2021 and is funded for three years at $30,000/year, plus benefits and tuition support, through the cutting-edge Ph.D. program in Geospatial Analytics offered by NC State’s Center for Geospatial Analytics (geospatial.ncsu.edu).

The selected applicant will join a research lab focused on leveraging remotely sensed and in situ data to develop predictive and explanatory models for use in sustainable environmental and agricultural management, and will also be part of a diverse, multidisciplinary team of researchers at NC State working to capture, integrate, and analyze sweetpotato production data collected from field to market. Learn more about the project here, and see a recent press release describing the project here. The student will be encouraged to develop research questions tailored to their unique interests and career goals, while working in the context of sweetpotato agriculture. Sweetpotato is a key horticultural crop in North Carolina, and the student who works on this project will have the opportunity to produce results that directly support the sustainability and resilience of local food systems, while generating generalizable insight that more broadly advances the use of geospatial analytics in agriculture.

The student will also have support to pursue interdisciplinary academic training and engage in a range of professional development experiences, including a short-term research exchange at the Idaho National Lab, interaction with the Future Leaders for Food and Agriculture Fellows program, networking opportunities with professionals at SAS and Microsoft, as well as training sessions on topics related to intercultural competence, time management, and more.

The Center for Geospatial Analytics at NC State is an internationally recognized hub for interdisciplinary data scientists pushing the boundaries of spatial data science to advance discovery and inform real-world decision-making. Students in the Ph.D. program receive multidisciplinary advising and the opportunity to work with over thirty faculty fellows with diverse expertise from over a dozen departments across NC State.To apply, complete the application at grad.ncsu.edu/apply by February 1, 2021. Applicants should hold a degree in data science, biological and agricultural engineering, environmental science, agronomic science, geography, or a related field. Applicants do not necessarily need prior experience in agriculture, but should have interests in industrial crop production. Students who are members of historically underrepresented groups in STEM are particularly encouraged to apply.

Due to constraints imposed by the funding source, only U.S. citizens are eligible to receive this assistantship.

For more information about the position, contact Natalie Nelson (nnelson4@ncsu.edu) and include a copy of your CV. Additional details about the Ph.D. program in Geospatial Analytics and complete application instructions are available at go.ncsu.edu/geospatial-phd. Interested students are also encouraged to contact Rachel Kasten, Graduate Services Coordinator (rachelkasten@ncsu.edu or 919-515-2800), with questions about the program or to explore additional opportunities.