Job of the Month: Student Composting Researcher

The Soil and Waste Resources Discipline in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) seeks a motivated MSc student interested in soil science, waste management and/or composting. This work is part of a multi-institutional and multi-state project focused on the use of composting to decompose deer carcasses in a Midwest climate and to deactivate infectious prions in chronic wasting disease-infected deer carcasses. The work will be conducted in both summer and winter conditions.

The position is available immediately with the most likely start date during fall 2019 or at the beginning of the spring 2020 semester. A competitive graduate student stipend and tuition waiver is available.

Required Qualifications

• Completed BSc degree in soil science, waste management, natural resource management, biological or environmental engineering or closely associated field of study
• Ability to drive a personal or UWSP vehicle in Wisconsin
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• A positive attitude and willingness to collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of researchers and collaborators

The student will be expected to do the following in both field and laboratory settings:

• Maintain compost piles at start and end of composting process
• Collect soil, compost and effluent samples and process samples for nutrient and microbiological parameters
• Collect environmental data to monitor the composting process
• Analyze and communicate results in professional settings

Certified biosafety training will be completed before starting the project. 

Desired Qualifications

• Experience and interest in composting and/or basic microbiological techniques
• Familiarity with basic laboratory techniques to analyze water, soil and/or compost samples
• Proficiency with computer software for statistical analyses