[ES_JOBS_NET] Two PhD and Two Postdoc Positions in Hydrology, Water Resources, and AI/ML at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

[Tiantian Yang]

Associate Professor Tiantian Yang’s research group in the School for
Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) at the University of Michigan – Ann
Arbor, is recruiting

- *Two fully funded PhD students *(tuition + stipend), regular *Fall
2026 *semester
start
- *Two postdoctoral researchers*, beginning between *January and April 2026
*(flexible start date)

All applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until positions are
filled. PhD applications are due by *December 1, 2025 (University
deadline),* and please contact the PI/advisor prior to the deadline if
interested.

*Potential Candidate Research Areas of Interest:*
- AI/ML for hydrology, water resources, and climate change
- Hydrologic Modeling, Flood Forecasting, Drought Monitoring
- Hydroclimatic extremes and changes: precipitation, snowmelt, floods,
wildfires
- Large-scale water resources systems: reservoir operations, lakes/ponds
management, small water system mapping, space optimization, water
transferring project, water infrastructure risks analysis, and resilience
against weather extremes.
- Climate change impacts on freshwater resources and adaptation strategies

More information:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4D4Lfy4AAAAJ&hl=en

*Minimum requirements:*
- PhD applicants must meet Rackham Graduate School admission minimum
standards
- Background in hydrology, water resources, civil/water engineering,
atmospheric science,  AI/ML, or data science
- Strong academic motivation, creativity, and ability to work in a
collaborative research environment

*Preferred qualifications (one or more of the following):*
- Experience with hydrologic/hydraulic models (Sac-SMA, VIC, SWAT,
WRF-Hydro, Noah-MP)
- AI/ML model development (LSTM, CNN, state space models, diffusion models,
etc.)
- Statistical/machine learning (e.g., Scikit-learn, PyTorch, image
processing
- Large Scale Language Processing Model (LLM) or Agent Model
- High-performance computing (HPC) application
- Geospatial data analysis, visualization, or GUI development
- Atmospheric model experience (WRF, MPAS, CESM, E3SM)

*How to apply:*
*- PhD applicants: *Please send (1) CV, (2) Transcripts (undergraduate and
graduate, if applicable), (3) TOEFL/IELTS (required for international
students, waived for domestic student), (4) GRE (optional), (5) Research
statement (interests, skills, qualifications, and future research
plan/goals), (5) Representative publications.
*- Postdoctoral applicants:* Please send (1) CV, (2) Representative
publications, and (3) Statement of research interests and career goals over
the next 3–5 years.

Please email materials to Dr. Tiantian Yang at:  tiantian.yang at ou.edu and
copy the email to: yangtt at umich.edu  (effective January 2026, no reply from
this email)

*About the PI*
Dr. Tiantian Yang is currently a tenured Associate Professor in the School
of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science at the University of
Oklahoma and Associate Director of OU’s Hydrology & Water Security program.
He will join the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor as a tenured Associate
Professor in January 2026.

Dr. Yang received his B.S. from Tsinghua University (2009) and his Ph.D. in
Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Irvine
(2015), advised by Professor Soroosh Sorooshian (NAE, CAS). He worked at
Deltares (Netherlands/USA) before joining OU in 2018.

Dr. Yang's research integrates hydrology, climate science, civil
engineering, and AI/ML to study and predict hydroclimatic extremes and to
optimize water resources systems. Dr. Yang is a recipient of the NSF CAREER
Award in 2023 and the 2025 AGU Hydrology Section Early Career Award. More
information can be found at https://tiantiay.wixsite.com/research

*About the University of Michigan – SEAS*
The University of Michigan is a top-ranked R1 research university, often
called a “Public Ivy.” In the 2025–26 U.S. News & World Report rankings,
U-M is ranked #3 among U.S. public universities and #20 overall. SEAS is
internationally recognized in climate change, freshwater systems, and
sustainability research.

The campus is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, consistently ranked as one of
the best U.S. college towns, offering vibrant cultural, social, and
professional opportunities. Ann Arbor is 40 minutes from Detroit, a hub for
the automotive industry, AI/data centers, and professional sports, with
strong international connections to Canada and the Great Lakes region.
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