Ph.D. Student Assistantship in Compound Flood Numerical Modeling


Position Description: The University of Georgia (UGA) School of Environmental, Civil, Agriculture, and Mechanical Engineering (https://engineering.uga.edu/schools/ecam) is seeking a highly-motivated Ph.D. student to begin Summer/Fall 2023. The graduate student will work under Dr. Félix Santiago-Collazo and be part of the Compound Inundation Team for Resilient Applications.

The Ph.D. student will also work with other graduate students, post-docs, and faculty affiliated with the Institute of Resilient Infrastructure Systems and the Coastal Ocean Analysis and Simulation Team.

General scope: Includes compound flood modeling at various spatial scales, including local and state scales. The Ph.D. student will develop and integrate a hydrologic/hydraulic model into an ocean circulation model to fully assess compound flood throughout coastal watersheds.

Benefits: The student assistantship includes a full tuition waiver, a competitive stipend, and funds to attend conferences and workshops. Required software and computers will be provided. Funding will be provided for at least four years.

Qualifications: Candidates should have been awarded an M.S. degree in Mechanical, Civil, Environmental, or Coastal Engineering or a related field. Students with backgrounds in Applied Mathematics degrees are also encouraged to apply, especially if they have knowledge in shallow water flow physics. The ideal candidate will have experience with computer programming /scripting (Matlab, Fortran, Python, R, bash scripting, etc.) and GIS. Experience with coastal inundation or hydrologic/hydraulic models is a plus. Strong communication and writing skills are essential, as well as
the ability to work within a lab group setting. Although it is not necessary to have all of these skills at the start, the ideal candidate will be willing to learn from others and have the motivation to self-teach skills.

Application: Candidates interested in applying to this position should fill out the following form by January 31, 2023. Applications through email will not be accepted. If you have any questions about the position, please contact Dr. Félix Santiago-Collazo by email at fsantiago@uga.edu with the subject heading “UGA CITRA Graduate Student Inquiry”.

Interviews with the selected candidates will start in February 2023, and the final candidate should be announced that same month. The UGA CITRA and IRIS lab is located in the new $64 million Interdisciplinary-STEM-II building with state-of-the-art research and laboratory space.

About UGA

The University of Georgia, a land-grant and sea-grant university, is one of the nation’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institutions of higher education. UGA is currently ranked among the top 16 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The University’s main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta. The University’s enrollment is nearly 40,000 students including over 30,000 undergraduates and over 9,000 graduate and professional students.

The College of Engineering, formed on July 1, 2012, is building a vibrant academic environment that fosters engineering education in a liberal arts environment and research that addresses critical societal needs. The College offers eight accredited undergraduate and seven graduate engineering degree programs spanning all engineering fields. The college has grown rapidly to more than 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students and 85 faculty members.

Living in Athens

There is something for everyone in the Classic City of Athens, Georgia. Whether you are a fan of the distinctively local restaurants, the locally-roasted coffee, the nationally-known music scene, or the city’s many historic treasures, Athens is a classic college town with plenty to keep you busy. Athens provides its residents with a small community feel, where there is truly a place for everyone. It is the perfect mix of education, fun, sports, and traditions – which are taken very seriously at UGA. Come ring the Chapel Bell to celebrate your biggest victories during your graduate fellowship and walk under the Arch when you reach the end of your journey. 

UGA’s campus is just a few steps away from downtown Athens, giving students easy access to Athens’s thriving culture. More than 65 specialty shops, 55 restaurants and cafes, and 40 taverns and music venues line the streets of downtown. Over the years, Athens has become a cultural hotspot, and a mecca for music and arts. Located in the rolling foothills of the northeast Georgia mountains, Athens is only an hour from Atlanta, the ninth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and home to the busiest airport in the world. 

About the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS)

Formed at the University of Georgia in 2017, the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) was created to advance the integration of natural and conventional infrastructure systems to strengthen society’s resilience to flooding, sea level rise, drought, extreme heat, and other challenges through research and education. As a highly interdisciplinary organization, students who join the IRIS team will work with faculty members from over 15 disciplines and will have the opportunity to partner with organizations and businesses to help them put practical natural infrastructure solutions to work for them.