The Environmental Transport Lab is currently seeking two highly motivated PhD students starting in Fall 2025, as well as a postdoctoral scholar with a flexible start date. These positions are affiliated with the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering and the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. We invite applicants interested in fluid mechanics, geophysics, coastal engineering, and the fate and transport of contaminants and microbes in soil, tissues, sediment, and aquatic environments.
Desired Qualifications
- A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering, physics, or related fields
- Willingness to step out of your comfort zone and learn new skills
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Excellent communication and teamwork abilities
- Preferred but not required: Laboratory experience with microfluidics, flume experiments, or any related engineering systems
Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. Yang (judyyang@umn.edu) directly with a detailed CV, academic transcripts, and contact information for at least two references.
Benefits
- Competitive stipend, full tuition coverage, and health insurance
- Opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research and collaborate with leading experts
- Access to state-of-the-art facilities at the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL)
- Opportunities for professional development, networking, and interdisciplinary collaborations
- Participation in high-impact, globally relevant environmental science and engineering research
About the Lab
The Environmental Transport Lab, led by Dr. Judy Q. Yang, investigates the intricate dynamics of water, particles, chemicals, and bacteria in diverse aquatic environments such as rivers, coasts, and soil. Utilizing advanced experimental techniques like flume and microfluidic studies, we replicate and analyze complex natural systems. Our research integrates principles from fluid mechanics and biogeochemistry to uncover fundamental insights into sediment transport, landscape evolution, contaminant and carbon movement in soil, and bacterial transport.
Our interdisciplinary work offers opportunities for collaboration with teams from fields such as geophysics, biology, and the medical sciences, providing a broad range of research experiences.
About the Principal Investigator
Dr. Yang, the Principal Investigator, was recognized as the Best Undergraduate Instructor for 2022-2023 in her department and is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of environmental scientists and engineers. She earned her PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from MIT and completed postdoctoral research at Princeton University with renowned mentors Dr. Heidi Nepf and Dr. Howard Stone.She is also the recipient of many academic awards, including the McKnight Land-Grant Professorship, National Sciences Foundation CAREER Award, and American Chemical Society New Doctoral Investigator Award.
Join us at ET Lab, where we push the boundaries of environmental science and engineering through innovation and discovery. Visit our lab website to learn more about our ongoing projects and team.
Lab website: https://yang.cege.umn.edu/ (google site)
Personal website: https://cse.umn.edu/cege/yang-judy
About the university and the research center
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, is among the nation’s top public research universities, with 26 Nobel Prizes and a rank of 9th for Environmental Engineering in the United States according to US News and World Report rankings. The Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL, https://cse.umn.edu/safl) is the headquarters of the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics, a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center. SAFL hosts leading research teams on earth sciences and fluid mechanics, situated along the Mississippi River with a spectacular view of the city.