Join the UW Coastal Lab

The UW Coastal Lab is growing! We have one specific opportunity for a PhD student to join the lab in Fall 2024 or earlier. Please review further details below. As new opportunities arise, they will be posted here and on relevant listservs. Interested undergraduate students and those seeking thesis Masters or Postdoctoral research opportunities in the lab are encouraged to email Christie with their research interests, experiences, and CV, even if a specific opportunity is not advertised here.

Current opportunities

Long wave and short wave sediment transport
I am seeking a PhD student to join our lab to work on a project to improve our understanding of sand transport under long (infragravity) and short (sea swell) waves in the nearshore ocean. The student will work on a US Coastal Research Program funded project with a team of scientists and students across several universities, including UW, Stanford, and OSU. Our team will carry out lab experiments at the ERDC Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory facility and use numerical models (COAWST, XBeach) to parse the relative contributions of long and short waves to sediment resuspension and transport in the shoaling zone. The graduate student will collaborate with other students on the team and will be responsible for testing and developing wave and sediment transport formulations in the numerical models. The student will have ample opportunities for collaboration, professional development, and engagement with government agencies during their studies.

Prospective graduate students should have a deep interest in and experience with coastal physical oceanography and environmental fluid mechanics, with a BS or MS degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering, Oceanography, Earth Sciences, or a related field. Successful candidates will have general knowledge of quantitative analysis and programming skills in Python and/or MATLAB and experience with scientific research with strong communication skills. Experience with numerical models will also be helpful – interest in numerical models will be needed!

How to apply

All prospective students and postdocs are encouraged to email Christie at caheg@uw.edu with their research interests, experiences, and CV attached. We recommend reviewing the Environmental Fluid Mechanics group resources to help prospective students prepare for the graduate school application process. Prospective Masters and PhD students will apply to UW Civil and Environmental Engineering – applications, including a research statement, are due December 15 for consideration for Fall 2024 matriculation.

UW Coastal Lab values

Our lab is devoted to building a supportive and safe environment for us to learn and grow together. We welcome students from diverse backgrounds historically excluded and underrepresented in Earth Sciences and Civil Engineering.

The University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status. The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian, staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint.