View assistantship student Opportunities
A student employed part-time by the university to assist with academic or administrative tasks. Most of these positions will be posted on https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/. For more information on student employment, visit https://career.ufl.edu/gain-experience/part-time-work/.
PhD Student Position in Environmental Education
PhD Student Position in Environmental Education
Job description: The University of Florida Environmental Education and Behavior Lab in the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (FFGS) is seeking a qualified PhD student for environmental education research. The student will focus on research exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in environmental education (EE) for educators and students, aiming to enhance their AI literacy and improve EE outcomes.
Potential areas for dissertation work include, but are not limited to:
1. Examining environmental educators’ perspectives of using AI in EE programs.
2. Developing and validating a survey instrument to measure educators’ AI literacy in EE.
3. Designing and implementing educator AI literacy training and assessing outcomes.
4. Evaluating the impact of educators’ AI literacy on student learning in EE.
5. Investigating how students themselves can use AI tools to engage with and learn about environmental topics, enhance environmental awareness and foster pro-environmental behavior.
About the Lab: Environmental Education and Behavior Lab is led by Dr. Yue Li, focusing on professional development for environmental educators, interventions to enhance learning and change behavior, and community engagement to address environmental and sustainability challenges. The lab collaborates closely with Florida Project Learning Tree, as well as other research and extension programs in FFGS and interdisciplinary research teams at UF.
Expectations: The student will be expected to complete coursework toward a Ph.D. and to develop a dissertation project related to the above topics. The courses include but are not limited to social science research methods, EE program development, educational technology, and conservation behavior. The student will also be a research assistant and/or teaching assistant.
Anticipated start date: Fall 2025 or Spring 2026
Candidate Qualifications: Applicants should have a strong interest in conducting interdisciplinary research that bridges AI and EE.
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A master’s degree in an environmental related field with an emphasis on social sciences or educational research (e.g., EE, educational technology or a related field)
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Proven research skills evidenced by prior research experience and/or publications.
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Demonstrated experience in analyzing quantitative and qualitative data.
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Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills are desired.
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Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Salary and benefits: The selected candidate will be offered a competitive 12-month salary ($30,000/year), plus health insurance and full tuition waiver for four years. Office space is included, and travel support is available.
To apply: Please submit to Dr. Yue Li a single PDF file containing:
1. A cover letter outlining research interest and relevant experience
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Contact information for three references.
4. An academic writing sample (e.g., master’s thesis, published paper)
5. Transcripts of course work (unofficial or official)
Timeline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority will be given to applications received by April 15, 2025. Applicants invited for an interview will also be asked to submit a mini research proposal.
After the preliminary interview, the top candidate will be invited to apply for official admission to the University of Florida graduate school with the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences.
If you are considering applying for this position or would like more information regarding this position, please reach out to me below.
Contact Information
Yue Li, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Education
School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences
University of Florida
Email: yueli2@ufl.edu
For more information about the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, please visit: https://ffgs.ifas.ufl.edu/.
Field & Fork Graduate Assistantship
The Field & Fork Campus Food Program is offering a graduate assistantship to conduct research on sustainable agriculture and food systems. The graduate assistantship is for two years (Fall 2025 – Summer 2027) at the MS level, and consists of a 0.5 FTE (20 hours per week) commitment to working with the program (see below for assistantship duties). A tuition waiver is included in the assistantship.
Preference will be given to those interested in conducting research with clear applications for improving the sustainability of Florida food systems, including urban farms and issues of food security. Projects within any discipline (e.g., agronomy, horticultural sciences, entomology, soil and water science, agricultural education and communication, nutrition, etc.) are welcome, and those emphasizing connections to the Field & Fork Program will be prioritized. Land area is potentially available at the Field & Fork Farm and Gardens for research plots, depending on the scope and demands of the study.
Interested applicants should reach out to potential advisors in academic units within the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) to develop a project. The applicant-advisor pair should submit the following materials to Kelli Brew (kelliabrew@ufl.edu) by January 10, 2025:
1) A joint letter of interest (max. 2 pages) sharing an overview of the research proposal, how their respective scientific interests and skill sets align with the Field & Fork program, and the contribution of the proposed research to sustainable agriculture and food systems.
2) A resume from the faculty advisor and from the applicant.
Applicants must also ensure that they meet the admission criteria of the academic unit where they would complete their graduate research, should they be selected for the assistantship.
Assistantship duties:
- Create a robust research project related to sustainable agriculture and food systems, and coordinate with advisor, committee, and Field & Fork staff to implement it.
- Assist with the Field & Fork Program’s core mission activities of sustainable food production, facilitation of experiential learning, and development of extension/outreach activities. This involves at least 10 hours a week completing program-related tasks, under the direction of the Field & Fork staff. The additional 10 hours a week are for the MS research project-related tasks.
- Work with and manage volunteers as necessary.
- Collect and manage data and report regularly on progress.
Given the time commitment allocated to fulfill the assistantship, part of which will be engaging in farm work, applicants should have a strong interest in learning and conducting a variety of farming tasks outside, in potentially harsh conditions (insects, weather, etc.). Prior experience in farming and team leadership is an asset, but not a requirement. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Anna Prizzia (aprizzia@ufl.edu).
Part-Time (OPS) Student Assistant -- Programming
Dr. Henry Hochmair, Professor of Geomatics in the School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences, is seeking a graduate student for a part-time programming position to contribute to a funded project focused on simulating the tunneling behavior of subterranean termites. The project aims to develop a stochastic lattice-based gas model to simulate termite foraging patterns beneath the surface in search of food resources. The project is set to be completed by April 2025 and will involve programming in Python or R.
Project Overview:
Previous laboratory studies with planar foraging arenas have provided valuable insights into tunnel construction mechanics and the factors influencing tunnel geometry. Using this empirical data (e.g., branching angles), the model will simulate termite tunneling patterns from a colony introduction point, interacting with bait stations and determining the first interception time.
Key Responsibilities:
• Model Development: Implement a stochastic lattice-based gas model to simulate termite tunneling behavior.
• Temporal Visualization: Develop a dynamic visualization to display the tunneling process over time within the lattice environment.
• Model Validation: Conduct statistical comparisons between the simulated tunnel network characteristics and those observed in earlier laboratory studies, including analysis of arena timelapse videos.
Requirements:
• Proficiency in Python or R.
• Strong problem-solving skills and an interest in ecological modeling.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate on an interdisciplinary project.
Additional Details:
• Hours: Flexible, part-time with negotiable weekly hours.
• Compensation: Hourly pay rate is negotiable based on experience.
For more information or to apply, please contact:
Dr. Henry Hochmair
Professor of Geomatics
email: hhhochmair@ufl.edu
Graduate Research Assistant
PhD Graduate Student Research Assistantship Position – Optimizing Soil Microbe-Plant Interactions for Improved Agricultural Resilience
University of Florida – Fall 2025
An exciting opportunity is available for a Ph.D. research assistantship in the Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences Department to explore methods to alter the soil environment to enhance soil microbe-plant interactions to improve the resiliency of agricultural production systems. Examples include examining the microbial ecology and/or use of plant growth promoting bacteria and genotype-environment interactions for rhizobacteria and crops using combinations of culture-based and culture-independent methods (qPCR, amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, transcriptomics, etc.). Production systems could include citrus and vegetable production, and methods to alter the soil environment include cover crops, compost, fumigation, and combinations of these practices. Research of these topics is funded by federal grants.
Qualifications: A Master’s degree in microbiology, soil science, plant biology, or a related discipline from an accredited institution, plus research experience, is preferred. Candidates with experience in microbial ecology, amplicon sequencing, R packages, and/or bioinformatics, as well as first author on at least one peer-reviewed paper in a peer-reviewed journal is also preferred. The student is expected to work in the laboratory as well as in the greenhouse and field with periods of work under hot and humid conditions. A driver’s license is required.
The graduate assistantship position is fully supported for 4 years and includes full tuition coverage, 12-month stipend, and health insurance. This position is based at the UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) in Immokalee, FL, located in the heart of Florida citrus production and a short drive from the beautiful beaches of Fort Myers and Naples, FL. Visit the Department and SWFREC webpages for additional information. The position begins in August 2025.
Interested candidates should contact Dr. Sarah Strauss (strauss@ufl.edu) directly with a CV, one-page letter of research experience and interests, and the names of three references. Recommendation letters are not necessary at this stage, please just provide the names and email addresses of three references. Review of applicants will begin on December 16, 2024.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
The Museum Education Research Group, housed within the Thompson Earth Systems Institute, is hiring an undergraduate student to support a new project exploring Floridian’s sense of place and how that influences their environmental behaviors.
Sense of place is the emotional and cultural connections people have with specific locations, and how these connections influence how people perceive and interact with their surroundings. Sense of place is complex and dynamic, and can vary among people, over time, and across different places. It’s influenced by personal experiences, history, and societal values.
Position Summary
This position will be responsible for conducting a literature review on sense of place and pro-environmental behaviors. The team member will gain mentoring in educational research such as data collection, data management, data analysis, and science communication. The student hired in this position will learn how to conduct a scoping literature review and how to use Covidence software to analyze the results. The outcome will be a literature review that will lay the groundwork for a new study in the fall semester. If interested, the student would then have the opportunity to help with conference presentations or publications. Dependent on the results of this project, the student may have the opportunity to remain on the research team to continue supporting the project in Fall 2025.
Duties Include
- Collaborate with the research team to create a search string.
- Use databases such as EbscoHost and Web of Science to conduct a literature search.
- Collaborate using Covidence to analyze the results of the literature search.
- Begin writing a literature review on sense of place and pro-environmental behaviors.
Hours, Pay, Location
- $15/hour
- 10 hours a week
- In person – the schedule is flexible but availability for blocks at least two hours long between 9-4 Monday-Friday is requested
- The Thompson Earth Systems Institute office suite is located at McGuire Hall, 3215 Hull Rd, Gainesville, FL 32611
Geomatics Student Assistant (OPS)
Position description:
This position is a part-time OPS position (onsite or remote) to assist with a project focused on using machine learning to detect invasive plants using drone imagery. This statewide position involves close collaboration with a research team and provides an excellent opportunity for the candidate to develop valuable skills in GIS, machine learning, and aquatic plant identification.
Responsibilities:
- Annotate aerial imagery in a GIS software
- Review already existing annotations
- Manage vector and raster data in a GIS software
- Train Machine learning algorithms
- Use the trained models to detect invasive plants
- Assess results accuracy and report writing
Minimum qualifications:
- Enrolled at the University of Florida
- Familiarity with GIS software (e.g. ArcGIS or QGIS)
- Capacity to compile data in written and digital forms
- Punctuality, attention to detail
- Availability to work until June 30th with potential extension for another year.
Preferred qualifications:
Passion for natural area conservation; experience in aquatic plant identification; experience with remote sensing, image analysis, Python or R, database management, statistics and mathematics
Advertised salary: $18/hr
Start date: As soon as position is filled
Expected end date: June, 30th 2025
Interested? Submit a brief cover letter, a CV or resume, and two references (with contact information) to Amr Abd-Elrahman (aamr@ufl.edu) by Friday, February 20th, 2025.