Job opportunity for an undergraduate student to work on an NSF-funded project
Position: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Project: RII Track-2 FEC: Supporting Rural Livelihoods in the Water-Stressed Central High Plains
Funding: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Supervisor: Taro Mieno, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics
We are seeking an upper-level undergraduate student to contribute to an NSF-funded project aimed at evaluating the potential of biochar and microbials in bolstering agricultural resilience to drought in the High Plains. The selected candidate will work under the supervision of Dr. Taro Mieno and will receive training in the R programming language. The selected student will be expected to engage in the following tasks:
1. Literature review on biochar’s impact on soil properties: This will involve identifying, reading, and summarizing relevant journal articles.
2. Literature review on water holding capacity and crop yield under drought: Similar to task 1, this requires researching and summarizing academic literature.
3. Statistical summary of drought, corn and soybean yields, and water holding capacity: This task includes collecting data from sources like the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), followed by data synthesis.
4. Explaining findings by writing narratives that are easily understandable by different audiences
Anticipated Deliverables: The research assistant will be expected to communicate their findings by creating multiple products (e.g., blog posts, infographics) for the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI). This will require gaining an understanding of DWFI’s mission and audiences, writing drafts to suit their relevant audience needs, and incorporating feedback from the DWFI communications team.
Preferred Qualifications:
Basic knowledge in agronomy and soil science. Basic understanding of the R programming language.
How to Apply?
Interested students should email their resumes to Dr. Taro Mieno at: tmieno2@unl.edu.