Open Positions for Fall 2025!

Graduate student (PhD or MS) positions: Tribally engaged hydrological research

I am seeking up to two graduate students (PhD (preferred) or MS) for collaborative research with Upper Great Lakes tribal partners on the hydrology of Manoomin (Ojibwe) / Psiη (Dakota) / Zizania palustris (scientific name) /wild rice (common name) lakes and streams. The student(s) will join an interdisciplinary research collaborative at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities focused on protecting Manoomin/Psiη, with a core commitment to prioritizing tribal needs, perspectives, and knowledge. The specific position will be to investigate how climate and land-use change is impacting hydrology and water quality, and the implications for Manoomin/Psiη health. This work directly responds to concerns from tribal harvesters who seen the century-long decline of Manoomin/Psiη, a sacred food, medicine, and relative for many Indigenous peoples. Research activities will be carried out in close collaboration with tribal partners and will involve some combination of fieldwork, statistical data analysis, and hydrological computer modeling based on tribal needs and the student's interests. PhD and MS applicants may contact me (Prof. Crystal Ng, [email protected]) with their CV and description of interests; the application deadline for graduate students is Dec. 15, 2024. 

Postdoc applicants with highly relevant skills and interest (in hydrologic modeling and/or Indigenous community-engaged research) may be considered. Please contact me (Prof. Crystal Ng, [email protected]) directly with your CV and cover letter.