The Global Environmental Change (GEC) Lab in the Department of Geography at Portland State University (PSU) has an opening for an M.S. student starting ideally in summer 2021.  The student will be under the co-guidance of Drs. Andrés Holz (PSU) and Tess Harden (USGS).

This position is part of a new USGS-PSU Partnership (UPP) that is funding a treering-based reconstruction of historical groundwater-streamflow dynamics of the headwater of the McKenzie River (Clear Lake) in western Oregon. The McKenzie River is a key snow-fed source of water for water-use intensive regions in western Oregon, particularly during summer months. Also, a critical component of the project will be engagement with and communication of study results to USGS hydrologists and water managers.  We have secured funding for the first academic year plus the summer field season through a graduate research assistantship (GRA), and financial support in year two would be through a graduate teaching assistantship (GTA) in the Department of Geography. At PSU the administration of graduate assistantships is governed by the Graduate Employees Union Collective Bargaining Agreement (more info on the agreement and overall information for prospective grads here).

Potential students with interests in forest ecohydrology, dendrochronology, climate change, and variability impacts on forests, statistics, stakeholder engagement, and science communication should apply, especially if experienced with field/lab dendrochronological approaches.

Interested candidates should email Dr. Holz ([log in to unmask]) with their transcripts (unofficial okay), a statement of research interests, and a resume or CV.  The review of applicants will begin on January 15, 2021, and continue until the position is filled.

We have great graduate programs through the Department of Geography (MS and MA in Geography, GIS certificate, and PhD in Earth, Environment and Society in partnership with the School of the Environment).  As such, the Department maintains an interdisciplinary focus on promoting sustainable ecosystems and human communities, with faculty and researchers spanning the social, biological, and physical sciences. GRE is not required.

PSU has over 27,000 students (including nearly 6,000 graduate students) and 124 post-graduate programs hosted in eight schools and colleges. PSU’s main urban campus is located in vibrant downtown Portland, just an hour's drive from the Pacific Coast, the Cascade Mountains, and the Columbia River Gorge.  PSU’s location gives faculty, postdocs, and students easy access to a range of community and agency (from the city through the federal level) partners, a diversity of cultural experiences, award-winning public transportation, a strong biking culture, and a network of urban trails and natural areas.