The departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech have openings for several highly qualified and motivated graduate students interested in stream, wetland, and river science and engineering beginning August 2009. We study the interaction among stream, wetland, and river hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry, and ecology and their application to aquatic ecosystem restoration and watershed planning. Depending on interests and qualifications, students would work with one or more of the following faculty:
• Panos Diplas, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Baker Environmental Hydraulics Laboratory, pdiplas@vt.edu, http://www.hydraulicslab.cee.vt.edu/: Potential projects include: 1) Bridge foundation scour, 2) Incipient particle movement under turbulent flow conditions, 3) Impact of unsteady river flow on bank erosion, 4) Wetland hydrodynamics, 5) Hyporheic flows, 6) In-stream flow control structures
• W. Cully Hession, Biological Systems Engineering, chession@vt.edu, http://twosweet.bse.vt.edu/Cully: Potential projects include: 1) understanding linkages between channel morphology and aquatic habitat/ecosystem health; 2) quantifying the influence of streamside vegetation on stream channel morphology; and 3) developing constructed wetlands for stormwater runoff control.
• Erich Hester, Civil and Environmental Engineering, ehester@vt.edu, http://filebox.vt.edu/users/ehester/website/index.html: Potential projects include 1) evaluating how channel morphology, hydraulics, and vegetation patterns control inundation patterns, surface water-groundwater (hyporheic) exchange, light, and temperature in streams and rivers, 2) evaluating the impact of human-caused temperature change on river organisms, and 3) developing techniques to reduce human temperature impacts. Work will entail field work, numerical modeling, and possibly lab work.
• Durelle Scott, Biological Systems Engineering, dscott@vt.edu, https://filebox.vt.edu/users/dscott/web/: Examples of current opportunities: Coupled carbon and nitrogen cycling within forested watersheds, Impacts on riverine export in response to hydrologic variability (e.g. flood magnitude & frequency), Water and nutrient export across a gradient in watershed glacier coverage, Engineering enhancement of in-stream nutrient retention within stream networks. All projects involve a combination of fieldwork, laboratory experimentation, and numerical modeling.
• Tess Wynn, Biological Systems Engineering, tesswynn@vt.edu, http://twosweet.bse.vt.edu/Tess/index.asp: A current opportunity exists to develop a wetland water budget model for use in wetland creation/restoration design. This is a collaborative project with soil scientists and geologists; the student would be responsible for developing and testing the surface water component and assisting with field work in support of the modeling project. Other potential projects include investigating the role of roots in streambank erosion and exploring the interaction between hydrology, carbon sources, and microbial communities in stormwater bioretention cells (aka rain gardens).
Students should have a B.S. in a relevant engineering or science field by the start date (M.S. preferred for Ph.D. program). Highly developed quantitative skills (numerical methods, modeling, fluid dynamics, computer programming) are preferred for modeling projects. Students capable of rigorous field work are necessary for the field studies, and field or laboratory experience is preferred. Interest, motivation, and writing skills are also important. Openings are available for both M.S. and Ph.D. students, depending on the skills, background, and interests of the student. Those without engineering backgrounds may need to take a number of undergraduate math or engineering courses either before enrolling or at Virginia Tech as part of the graduate program. Interested students should contact those faculty whose projects most closely match their interests (see email addresses above), and include a CV, statement of research interests, reasons for pursuing a graduate degree, and contact info for at least 2 references. Please include GPAs, summary of relevant courses, and GRE scores (including percentiles) on your CV, or include a pdf of your transcript(s).
Virginia Tech is in Blacksburg VA in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia. It has a small town feel and great access to outdoor activities like hiking, biking, kayaking, etc. See http://www.vt.edu/where_we_are/blacksburg/index.html for more information.
