Fully-funded Ph.D. Positions in Soil / Plant Microbiomes at Texas A&M University

The Wang Lab at the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences in Texas A&M University has openings for fully-funded Ph.D. positions starting Summer 2024 or Fall 2024. We encourage applications from candidates with strong motivation and interests in pursuing research on systems biology and ecology of soil / plant microbiomes to help mitigate climate change and promote Earth’s sustainability. As an interdisciplinary research group, we welcome applicants with backgrounds in including but not limited to Microbiology, Environmental Chemistry, Plant Biology, Molecular Biology, Ecology, Biochemistry, Biogeochemistry, Soil Science, Ecotoxicology, and Biotechnology.

About the Institution

Texas A&M University (www.tamu.edu) opened its doors in 1876 as the state’s first public institution of higher learning. It is ranked No. 47 among the nation’s best universities by U.S. News and World Report and named as No. 1 university in the state, No. 6 in the nation among public universities, and No. 38 overall in the Wall Street Journal’s ranking of Best Colleges in the U.S. The main campus at College Station is located in the heart of the Houston-Austin-Dallas triangle and within a 1.5 to 3-hour drive to these major metro areas. The Soil and Crop Sciences Department (soilcrop.tamu.edu) is one of the largest such departments in the nation and is preeminent throughout the world.

About the PI

Dr. Ying Wang joined the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in January 2024. She did her postdoctoral training at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara; and her Master and Bachelor degrees from Nanjing University, China. Her interdisciplinary research examines microbiome-plant-soil interactions under environmental change using advanced systems biology, isotopic, and modeling approaches integrated with ecological principles. She has so far published 20 papers in journals including ACS Nano, Environmental Science & Technology, and Nature Reviews Microbiology. Her work has been recognized by awards from the American Chemical Society (ACS), Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO), and American Geophysical Union (AGU). She recently Chaired a Gordon Research Seminar on Nanoscale Science and Engineering for Agriculture and Food Systems and is serving on the Steering Committee of SETAC Global Plants Interest Group.

To Apply

Interested applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to email Dr. Ying Wang (yingwang@tamu.edu) with the following:

• “2024 Ph.D. + Your name” as the subject line; A one-page (no more than 500 words) cover letter describing your background, research experience and skills, interests in this position, and future goals; Most updated curriculum vitae (CV; including a list of previous academic activities, presentations, publications, and TOEFL score if applicable); 1-2 English writing samples (such as published or submitted manuscripts); Unofficial transcripts (undergraduate and graduate if applicable); Contact information of three references.

Review process will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. In addition, we also have openings for research assistants and postdocs. Please reach out to discuss potential opportunities.