The Geography Program at West Virginia University is currently recruiting five funded graduate students for 2017-18 academic year. WVU Geography offers both Masters and Doctoral degrees and a rigorous certificate program in Geographic Information Science. Our rapidly growing graduate program is composed of 19 core geography faculty with expertise in the interdisciplinary subfields of Human Geography, Environmental Geography and GIScience (www.geography.wvu.edu/people). WVU Geography faculty are engaged in local, regional and global research focused on human-environment relations, climate change, political geography, spatial science, digital humanities, forest ecosystem modeling, cultural and political ecologies, conservation science, feminist geography, science and technology studies, humanitarianism, land change science, critical cartographies, food justice, and development geography. Faculty are currently conducting research in South Asia, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, East Asia and the United States, including Appalachia.
The geography faculty are recruiting for 5 Graduate Research Assistant positons on funded projects. Applicants interested in the Graduate Research Assistantships described below are encouraged to contact the research faculty prior to applying. Applicants must submit a CV and research statement addressing specific interests and qualifications for the potential research topics outlined below. In addition to the specific qualifications for these positions, potential candidates must meet the admission standards and be fully accepted into the Geology & Geography Department at WVU. Transcripts, test scores, and all other completed application materials are due January 1, 2017 for Fall 2017 admission. You can access the application portal here: https://graduateadmissions.wvu.edu/.
Funded projects include:
Human Dimensions of Water in Appalachia
This study will focus on the dual nature of water in West Virginia: a resource towards economic transition and/or a source of concern due to its polluted and destructive nature. This study will be based on a case study methodology where experience with qualitative methods is required and knowledge of GIS is welcomed.
Webpage: pages.geo.wvu.edu/~mcaretta
Faculty Information: Dr. Martina Angela Caretta, martina.caretta@mail.wvu.edu
Social Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in Botswana
This research project is based in the Okavango Delta, Botswana and focuses on understanding how existing social vulnerabilities related to gender and ethnicity result in differential adaptive capacities for people in changing environments. RA responsibilities will include assistance with research design, fieldwork in remote locations, and data analysis.
Webpage: pages.geo.wvu.edu/~jshinn
Faculty Information: Dr. Jamie Shinn, jamie.shinn@mail.wvu.edu
Mapping Wildfire Burn Severity in the New Jersey Pinelands using WorldView-3 imagery, Mobile Terrestrial Lidar and Aerial Lidar
Moble ground-based lidar and aerial lidar, in conjunction with WorldView-3 satellite imagery, offers new opportunities for mapping wildfire burn severity using remote sensing. RA responsibilities will focus on ground and aerial lidar analysis; prior experience with working with lidar for vegetation analysis is preferred.
Webpage: pages.geo.wvu.edu/~warner
Faculty Information: Dr. Tim Warner; Tim.Warner@mail.wvu.edu
Food Justice and Cooperative Development in Appalachia
This research fellowship is housed within the Food Justice Lab at WVU and focuses on food sovereignty and the potential of cooperative enterprises in advancing social and economic change in West Virginia
and Appalachia more broadly. RA responsibilities will include research assistance on the WV FOODLINK community food security project (http://foodlink.wvu.edu) supported by USDA and regional foundation grants. GIS background is desired. Fellows will join a dynamic community of graduate students in the Food Justice Lab who are advancing alternative economic futures.
Webpage: http://foodjustice.wvu.edu
Faculty Information: Dr. Bradley Wilson, brwilson@mail.wvu.edu
Personal Virtual Reality (VR) System for Geovisualization
The goal of this project is developing framework and applications of personal VR system centered in geovisualization for spatial analysis, science communication, geography education, and many more areas of geography. RA will be required to have some experience of computer programming and GIS software.
Webpage: insuhong.wixsite.com/blog
Faculty Information: Dr. Insu Hong, insu.hong@mail.wvu.edu
Funding Packages:
Doctoral Applicants: Funded Ph.D. students will be guaranteed 3 years of funding contingent upon progress within the program and are eligible for continued funding in years 4 and 5, based upon performance.
Master’s Applicants: Funded M.A. students are guaranteed 1 year of funding contingent upon progress within the program and are eligible for continued funding in year 2, based upon performance.
Program and University Information:
WVU recently attained R1 Carnegie Ranking and Geography is a respected Program of Excellence at the university. We are located in Morgantown, a vibrant town repeatedly ranked as one of the best small cities in the country (www.morgantownwv.gov/about/awards) and located just 75 miles south of Pittsburgh. The Geography Program is housed in a state of the art research facility and students have access to some of the best outdoor recreation opportunities in the East (https://diyoutdoors.wvu.edu/).
West Virginia University is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer dedicated to building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty, staff and students committed to working in a multicultural environment. The university welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, including minorities, females, individuals with disabilities, and veterans.