Graduate Assistantships / Research Assistantships
The Department of Geography at the University of Florida currently has multiple funded graduate student opportunities available for Spring or Fall 2022. UF Geography is a dynamic and growing program with 25 faculty and is nationally ranked in the top 10 of Geography departments by Academic Analytics. The department offers both PhD and MS/MA degrees in Geography. We offer a highly collaborative environment with faculty and students across the University of Florida, in the Department of Geography, and through various campus institutes and programs: African American Studies, School of Natural Resources and Environment, The Water Institute, Informatics Institute, Emerging Pathogens Institute, the Florida Climate Institute as well as the Centers for African Studies and Latin American Studies. We currently have many funding opportunities available to work on funded research projects under certain faculty and so to recruit the best possible candidates to these positions we are highlighting these opportunities below. Note, these are in addition to our regular teaching assistantships and university fellowships.
Dr. Willie Wright seeks graduate students interested in geographies of race, black geographies, and social theory at the PhD level beginning in Fall 2022. Interested students should contact Dr. Wright at wrightw@ufl.edu to learn more about the program and research projects.
Application due date: December 1, 2021.
Dr. Esther Mullens is seeking a PhD student for a Fall 2022 start, for the NSF-Funded project that will apply high-resolution regional climate models and/or new model output to examine mixed-phase winter storms in a warmer climate. The PhD student will have the opportunity to attend conferences, publish papers, and mentor undergraduate and precollegiate students. Prospective students should be good communicators and enthusiastic learners and have a master’s degree (by the time of hire) in meteorology, geography, or a related discipline but with an atmospheric and/or climate science focus, and familiarity with programming tools including R, Python, NCL, or similar. Elevating the careers of underrepresented scholars is extremely important to me, and so I strongly encourage those who are minorities within the academic community to apply. For more information, please email Dr. Esther Mullens, emullens@ufl.edu. For more information about me, please see https://people.clas.ufl.edu/emullens/, and for the department, see http://geog.ufl.edu/.
Application Due date: For a Fall 2022 start, please state your interest by December 1, 2021 and include a cover letter/statement of interest, and CV.
Dr. Johanna Engström welcomes applications from students interested in pursuing a graduate degree at the Master/PhD level on the topics of large-scale climate variability, water resources, GIS, and/or climate services for renewable energy production and development. Students with interests within these fields are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Engström (joem@ufl.edu) for further discussion of common research interests before submitting an application. Applicants are expected to be highly motivated to do research, and skills in GIS and/or programming is considered advantageous. Funding (stipend, tuition waiver, health insurance) is available through research and teaching assistantships for competitive candidates.
Start date: Fall 2022. Application due date: December 1, 2021.
Dr. David Keellings seeks graduate students interested in climatology and extreme weather at the MS and PhD level beginning in Fall 2022. Students would join an active and highly collaborative research group with interests in extreme weather events including heat waves, hurricanes, and drought. You will take an active part in developing cutting-edge research as part of the university-wide artificial intelligence (AI) initiative and have access to HiPerGator – one of the World’s most powerful supercomputers. Our research encompasses the application of advanced statistical techniques, programming, machine learning, and AI to a variety of observed/remotely-sensed datasets and model output. Funding (stipend, tuition waiver, health insurance, and conference travel) is available through research assistantships supported by existing grants from NSF as well as teaching assistantships.
For more information, interested students should contact Dr. David Keellings (djkeellings@ufl.edu) to learn more about the program and research projects.
Dr. Berry Wen seeks graduate students interested in remote sensing, hydrometeorology, and AI at the MS and PhD level beginning in Fall 2022. Students will have the opportunity to attend conferences, publish journal papers, and visit NOAA or NASA centers in summer. You will take an active part in developing cutting-edge research as part of the university-wide artificial intelligence (AI) initiative and have access to HiPerGator – one of the World’s most powerful supercomputers. Prospective students should be an enthusiastic learner and have strong programming skills.
For more information, interested students should contact Dr. Berry Wen (yixin.wen@ufl.edu) to learn more about the program and research projects.
Teaching Assistantships
The Department of Geography, University of Florida is actively recruiting graduate students with funded teaching assistantships beginning Spring 2022 (January 2022). The department is growing again and welcoming applicants to join a diverse and exciting team of faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral associates, and research staff. Funding is provided in the form of graduate assistantship-teaching (GA-T; also known as TAs) with 9-month salary support ($18,000 for 9 months) and tuition waivers for fall and spring semesters. Summer opportunities are also available for continued support between spring and fall.
UF is one of the top five best public universities in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, with exceptional research, teaching, and a university-wide commitment to diversity. The Department of Geography particularly welcomes applicants who can contribute to a diverse and inclusive environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service. Please see https://diversity.clas.ufl.edu/diversity-statement/ for more information about diversity and inclusion in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The university and greater Gainesville communities enjoy a diversity of cultural events, restaurants, year-round outdoor recreational activities, and social opportunities.
Applicants must identify a potential point of contact/graduate adviser ahead of applying and clearly describe the possible connection in the statement of purpose drafted as part of the packet. Applicants are encouraged to visit the departmental website http://geog.ufl.edu/ to learn more about the Department of Geography. You can learn more about faculty on our website Faculty – Geography (ufl.edu).
Qualifications
Masters’ students must have a four-year BA/BS degree. PhD students must have a four-year BA/BS degree and a completed MS degree prior to enrollment.
Application Instructions
For full consideration, students must complete the application process initiated through the UF Graduate School (Grad How to Apply Grad – University of Florida (ufl.edu)) and complete the requirements of the department (Before you apply – Geography (ufl.edu)). As these are funded positions, all candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening which includes a review of criminal records, reference checks, and verification of education.
The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. This is a commitment the Geography Department takes very seriously. If accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352/392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800/955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida’s Sunshine Law.