Grad school funding for sustainability scientist

I thought these research assistantship bulletins interesting enough to re-post, although they're for PhD slots, not master's degrees, and very few students from any college or university are interested enough or ready to go straight on to a PhD from their BS or BA.

(Just in case you didn't know, you can do this, although you have to be very much more certain of your path in life, as it's very hard to get through the four-to eight years of study required, and there are few rewards for only getting half-way!)

The main thing that caught my attention was the emphasis on qualitative research within a social science study of renewable energy implementation. This is, it seems to me, a good example of the rapidly-evolving "sustainability science" paradigm.

When I was at the policy school (UMD), and earlier at the forestry school (UMT), I had to struggle fairly mightily against the bureaucracy and some of the narrower-minded faculty to use the methods I wanted to use, the qualitative social sciences, ethnography, oral history, and regional historiography. There has always been a place in policy studies for history, so my difficulties at the policy school were less than at the forestry school, but nevertheless there were difficulties. Much of the problem stemmed from the statistical and computer revolution in the 1960s and 1970s in the social sciences, which led to a split between the quantitative and qualitative methods, and their practitioners. This split began to heal in the 1980s, but was still fairly sore in the mid-1990s when I was in graduate school.

Stories were still told from the earlier decades of fractious meetings and punch-ups in the corridors. That's how bad it was, apparently, and the reason that the very positivist, quantitative departments at the forestry school and policy school were still somewhat unfamiliar with the approach and the methods even in 1996 and 1999, respectively.

Now, it seems, all this has been put behind us, especially in sustainability science.

I was naturally inclined towards the qualitative methods because of earlier life experiences. In the military, as a junior leader in aircraft maintenance and as a rescue party leader, I began to realize that good leadership depends on knowing the people around you very well, and the way you get to know them best is by listening to them and observing body language and actions. Later, as an environmental activist, I realized that many of the environmental mistakes our leaders were making were much to do with their own ignorance about both nature and about people, almost a kind of willful ignorance, whereby very smart people do very stupid things because they don't really understand the systems they are working with, and they refuse to do the work of learning those systems well enough, because they think that they're too good for this very humbling task of listening.

History is full of examples.

The qualitative social sciences are about learning to listen and perceive as well, and as scientifically, as you can. I would argue that if you're going to work with human social systems at all, you need to develop this skill set before you develop the more quantitative techniques, primarily because without this skill set you can't be sure that you're doing quantification on a properly described system, and so you may choose the wrong metrics or measures.

>>>>>>>>>>

PhD Position for Human Dimensions of Biofuels Development in the Northeastern U.S. 
SUNY ESF Environment Natural Resources Policy PhD Program   

A three year PhD research assistantship and tuition is available for a USDA funded interdisciplinary study, the Northeast Woody/Warm-season Biomass Consortium (NEWBio), which is focused on building sustainable value chains for biomass energy in the Northeastern US.  The student at SUNY ESF will enroll in the Environment and Natural Resources Policy PhD program, an interdepartmental program that combines social science, biophysical science and policy analysis.  The assistant for this project will be involved in data collection and analysis related to the human factors and barriers to regional development of the bioenergy in NY and PA.  The assistant will work with faculty at ESF and social scientists at several other universities in the region (NY, Pennsylvania, West Virginia) to identify and describe the knowledge, attitudes, risk perceptions, ownership motivations and behaviors of local landowners, as well as determine perceived barriers and willingness to engage in production; test the effectiveness of communication techniques in encouraging landowners to participate in the market; and evaluate opportunities and challenges for consolidating bioenergy crop management across multiple land parcels.

Desired skills are qualitative research methods (interviewing, ethnographic and document analysis) and survey research.  Interest and background in social and political dimensions of land use change, biomass energy development, public participation in environmental decision making, political ecology, or sociology of agriculture and food systems, would be valued.   Statistical and GIS skills are also desired.  The student will be expected to develop their own dissertation research projects within the larger project and will have an opportunity to do field research in the region. 

The College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY-ESF, is a doctoral granting university with a high level of research. With a total enrollment of about 1,700 undergraduates and 600 graduate students, ESF provides an intimate small-college atmosphere while hosting several graduate programs.  SUNY-ESF and Syracuse University (SU) have adjacent campuses. ESF students have access to all SU libraries and other facilities.  Graduate students have the opportunity to pursue several concurrent degrees with SU.   See ESF at a glance for more information:  http://www.esf.edu/welcome/facts.htm. 

Syracuse is a mid-sized city centrally located in the state. Re-emerging from its industrial past, the city promotes a growing green technology sector, strong health care and higher educational systems, and is a leader in urban green infrastructure. The region possesses numerous physical, cultural and recreational amenities that make it a stimulating place to live.   The Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, St. Lawrence and Hudson Rivers, Finger Lakes, Erie Canal and Great Lakes regions, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal are all within easy travel distances.

To apply please submit application, including GRE scores, statement of interest and qualifications for the position, and 3 letters of reference, send under separate cover. Send applications to tselfa@esf.edu. 

Applications are due January 15, 2013.

For more information about the position and the project, please contact:

Dr. Theresa Selfa
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Studies
SUNY-ESF
106 Marshall Hall
Syracuse, NY 13210-2787
Tel: 315-470-6570; E-mail: tselfa@esf.edu

PhD Position for Social Impacts of Biofuels Development in Latin America 
SUNY ESF Environment and Natural Resources Policy PhD Program

A three year PhD research assistantship and tuition is available for a NSF funded interdisciplinary study on Sustainability, Ecosystem Services, and Bioenergy Development across the Americas.  The student at SUNY-ESF will enroll in the Environment and Natural Resources Policy PhD program, an interdepartmental program that combines social science, biophysical science and policy analysis.  The assistant for this project will be involved in data collection and analysis related to the social impacts of bioenergy development in communities near forested regions undergoing land use change to bioenergy crops in Brazil and Argentina.  The assistant will have the opportunity to collaborate on data collection with faculty and graduate students from several universities across the U.S, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and Argentina.  Desired skills are qualitative research methods (interviewing, ethnographic and document analysis) and survey research.  Interest and background in social and political dimensions of land use change, biomass energy development, certification systems for biofuels sustainability, political ecology, or sociology of agriculture and food systems, would be valued.   Statistical and GIS skills and proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese are highly desired.  The student will be expected to develop their own dissertation research projects within the larger project and will have an opportunity to do field research in Brazil and/or Argentina. 
The College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY-ESF, is a doctoral granting university with a high level of research. With a total enrollment of about 1,700 undergraduates and 600 graduate students, ESF provides an intimate small-college atmosphere while hosting several graduate programs.  SUNY-ESF and Syracuse University (SU) have adjacent campuses. ESF students have access to all SU libraries and other facilities.  Graduate students have the opportunity to pursue several concurrent degrees with SU.   See ESF at a glance for more information: http://www.esf.edu/welcome/facts.htm. 
Syracuse is a mid-sized city centrally located in the state. Re-emerging from its industrial past, the city promotes a growing green technology sector, strong health care and higher educational systems, and is a leader in urban green infrastructure. The region possesses numerous physical, cultural and recreational amenities that make it a stimulating place to live.   The Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, St. Lawrence and Hudson Rivers, Finger Lakes, Erie Canal and Great Lakes regions, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal are all within easy travel distances.
To apply please send GRE scores, statement of interest and qualifications for the position, and 3 letters of reference under separate cover. Send applications to tselfa@esf.edu.  Applications are due January 15, 2013.


For more information about the position and the project, please contact:


Dr. Theresa Selfa
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Studies
SUNY-ESF
106 Marshall Hall
Syracuse, NY 13210-2787
Tel: 315-470-6570; E-mail: tselfa@esf.edu