NM Water Resources Research Institute (NM WRRI) Graduate Student Assistant

Job Overview and Salary:

A graduate research assistantship is available starting in the Spring or Fall 2022 semester covering tuition at New Mexico State University, funded through the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute (NM WRRI). The position is an exciting opportunity to be part of a multi-disciplinary, collaborative stakeholder and scientific group that is seeking innovative solutions to long-standing and pressing dryland restoration questions.

MS students will earn $24,580/year, and PhD students will earn $25,149/year plus healthcare and tuition.

Job Duties:

The areas of work focus upon low-impact watershed restoration to support stakeholder goals in the Southern New Mexico region, primarily by increasing upland watershed ecological and agricultural productivity to reduce flood energy and sediment transport. Research goals focus upon both the social and the natural systems and include gaining greater understandings of: i) how to achieve actual improvements in watershed health and water management through collaboratively working with stakeholders, particularly land and water managers and ii) the tightly coupled water and vegetation dynamics typical to drylands, particularly in the distinct ecological zones of flow. Opportunities exist to participate in regional watershed restoration research, planning, and implementation through innovative grant projects.

Responsibilities and Requirements:

Responsibilities will be to assist and collaborate in field research, follow-up data collection, post-analysis, GIS analysis on multiple scales (from finer-scales such as floodplains to regional scales), research analysis, working with stakeholders, and assisting in developing materials for reports and presentations to provide the results to project partners and stakeholders for application in local watershed management. Opportunities exist to synthesize the research and additionally work on community-based planning projects to inform future land and water management. The student will work closely with team leaders, including a NM WRRI Postdoctoral Researcher, and all will report to Dr. Fernald.

Successful candidates will have a strong academic record in hydrology, ecology, biology, environmental science, or a similar natural resource related field, as well as the ability to effectively collaborate and work independently. Preference will be given to applicants who have an interest in addressing stakeholder issues, have previous field research experience, and an enthusiasm for working outside in southwestern US climates. Requirements also include a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a license within six months of hire, the ability to lift 40 lbs and carry heavy equipment. GIS experience preferred.

Submissions:

Submit the application directly to the Handshake system. If the candidate is not a NMSU student, they must also fill out an application for admission to the NMSU Water Science and Management Graduate Program via the NMSU Graduate School website: https://apply.nmsu.edu/apply/?id=1c3c41ea-b5f9-48ef-83c3-b085794ba277. While completing the NMSU Graduate School application packet, there is a section that asks, “How do you plan on funding your graduate studies?”. In this section, please list the specific graduate assistantship that you are applying for. Marcus Gay can be contacted directly at marcusme@nmsu.edu for questions about the Water Science and Management Graduate Program.

More information about NM WRRI can be found at https://nmwrri.nmsu.edu/, and the NMSU Water Science and Management Graduate Degree Program at https://wsm.nmsu.edu/.

When applying for the position, please include in your cover letter: 1) your general research and career goals and 2) if you are interested in obtaining a MS or PhD. Note that interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis until position is filled.