We are always looking for new students to work with. Our group is a natural fit within the Biological Systems Engineering discipline, which incorporates traditional engineering with non-engineering disciplines (e.g. ecology). Our program offers three degrees at the graduate level: Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). Students have the opportunity to develop a rigorous academic program, including courses offered within BSE and across campus (e.g. Civil Engineering, Geosciences, Biology, Forestry, Geography). Coursework (e.g. GIS, stream ecology, non-point source pollution, stream restoration, solute fate and transport modeling, aquatic chemistry) provides a strong background to examine solute fate and transport through a watershed, from source delivery on the landscape to the downstream export into coastal estuaries (e.g. Chesapeake Bay). Students apply their knowledge to their own research project, and are expected to finish their program with a publishable unit(s) for submission to a peer reviewed journal(s). Ph.D. students also have the opportunity to become affiliated with the Global Change Center as a student in the GCC’s  interdisciplinary education program.

The availability of funding is variable on a year to year basis, and limited fellowships are available for outstanding students pursuing their Ph.D.. Interested students are encouraged to contact me directly prior to submitting an application to discuss your interests, background, and the current projects within the group. Virginia Tech is located in a small college town in the middle of the Blue Ridge mountains. Ample outdoor recreational activities are close by, including hiking along the Appalachian trail or kayaking in the New river. From the watershed perspective, Blacksburg is unique in that we are at the drainage divide between the larger Mississippi River Basin and the Chesapeake Bay watershed.