Graduate Research Assistantships in Remote Sensing of Water

Dr. Walter McDonald in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at Marquette University is seeking a Masters or PhD student for two graduate research assistantship positions.

Position 1: Remote sensing of water quality. The goal of this project is to use drone and satellite remote sensing to assess water quality in stormwater ponds. The student will conduct field work with state of the art aerial and aquatic drones to collect water quality and reflectance data of stormwater ponds, utilize high-resolution satellite imagery, and perform spatial data analyses to meet the objectives of the project.  Preference will be given to candidates with backgrounds in urban hydrology, remote sensing, or spatial analysis.

Position 2: Inspect stormwater infrastructure using drone and satellite remote sensing. The goal of this project is to use drone and satellite remote sensing to perform stormwater infrastructure inspections. The student will conduct field work with cutting edge drone technologies, coordinate satellite data acquisition and perform spatial analysis using deep learning tools.  Preference will be given to candidates with backgrounds in urban stormwater management, spatial analytics, or remote sensing.

The positions have an anticipated start date of Summer or Fall of 2025 or Spring 2026. Interested candidates should send a statement of interest and a resume to Dr. Walter McDonald (walter.mcdonald@marquette.edu), as well as complete a graduate school application at http://www.marquette.edu/grad/future-apply.php/.