Join Us
- New PhD Opportunities for 2026-2027: Urban Hydrology, Built Infrastructure and Nutrient Subsidies
The Elliott Biogeochemistry Laboratory, part of the Department of Geology & Environmental Science at the University of Pittsburgh, is looking for one or two new PhD students. The students will join a collaborative project assessing the impact of unintended drinking water and sewer leaks as nutrient sources for eight newly monitored urban streams in the Pittsburgh area.
Responsibilities:
• Evaluate nutrient subsidies by collecting samples during dry (baseflow) and wet (stormflow) conditions using an automated sampler.
• Continuous sensor deployment, maintenance, and data processing.
• Conduct fieldwork, labwork, and utilize GIS and modeling to understand key drivers.
• Collaborate with USGS colleagues and community partners to document the extent of drinking water and wastewater sewer subsidies.Ideal Applicants:
• Interest in hydrology, continuous sensing, natural abundance stable isotopes, and bio/geochemistry.
• Interest in fieldwork, laboratory analyses, and modeling.
• Diverse disciplinary backgrounds welcome; prior research experience required.
• MS degree preferred but not required.Opportunities:
• Engaged research and collaborative partnerships through the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory.
• Full four-year financial support covering tuition and a stipend.
• Access to state-of-the-art stable isotope and bio/geochemistry laboratories.
• Collaborative and dynamic research environment with strong community and federal partners (USGS and U.S. Army Corps).
• Fieldwork and sample collection opportunities.
• Hands-on training in field data collection, laboratory analyses, and computational tools.Requirements:
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in environmental science, geo-chemistry, ecology, or a related field.
• Strong interest in hydrology, isotope biogeochemistry, and ecosystem processes.
• Willingness to conduct fieldwork in urban locations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Experience with programming or coding for data analysis is desirable but not required.Application Information:
• Applications due January 15.
• More information about application materials: How to Apply | Department of Geology and Environmental Science | University of Pittsburgh.
• Interested candidates should contact Dr. Elliott (eelliott@pitt.edu) with an email explaining educational goals, research interests and experiences, and a CV.
• Ideal candidates will demonstrate excellent writing, communication, and teamwork skills, and possess qualities that align with the lab's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Start date: August 2026.- Are You a Good Fit for Our Team?
I am always looking for bright, creative, motivated and collaborative students with an interest in stable isotope biogeochemistry to join our team. However, I generally will not take on PhD students if I can't fund their research. Note that the University of Pittsburgh does not generally fund graduate work at the M.S.-level, thus if you are interested in pursuing an M.S. degree, you must be self-funded. Students are generally supported through: 1) teaching assistantships, 2) research assistantships, and 3) fellowships. At this time, I am not accepting graduate students through my appointment in Civil & Environmental Engineering.
If you answer "yes" to the following questions, you may be a good fit within our lab:
• Are you willing to spend much of the next five years of your life either collecting field samples, conducting isotope analyses, or other types of analytical chemistry?
• Can you read several publications from our team at one sitting and remain alert and curious? When you read these papers, are you generating new questions and "what if" statements?
• Do you have a passion for using stable isotope tracers to understand how human activities are changing the complex interaction among biogeochemical elements, water and ecosystems?
• Do you have strong written and verbal communication skills?
• Are you a good team player and collaborative by nature?To help us make this assessment, please send Dr. Elliott the following information:
• A detailed statement of why you want to attend graduate school and how your interests fit into the broader context of our research program.
• A description of your past research experience including any former advisors, publications, and presentations related to your work.If you decide to apply to the University of Pittsburgh, see the Department of Geology & Environmental Science webpage for information about application deadlines and requirements. Our graduate program invites highly ranked candidates to interview in person in early Spring. Admissions decisions are made by a committee of graduate faculty within the department.
- Graduate Student Funding
In addition to receiving funding from external grants and teaching assistantships, graduate students are encouraged to pursue fellowships based on their research interests. Ideally, graduate students are funded through a combination of these three sources. Potential fellowship opportunities include the following:
• NASA Earth Systems Science Graduate Fellowships
• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship
• Geological Society of America, Graduate Student Research Grants
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program- Undergraduate Student Funding
If you are interested in gaining either research or laboratory experience in interdisciplinary geoscience research, please email Dr. Elliott at eelliott@pitt.edu. Pitt has several internal funding mechanisms to facilitate undergraduate research including:
• University of Pittsburgh, Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowships
• University of Pittsburgh, University Honors College, Brackenridge Summer Research ProgramIf you are looking for opportunities outside of Pittsburgh, subscribe to the Ecological Society of America listserv, where abundant paid, summer field research opportunities are listed weekly.