[ES_JOBS_NET] PhD in Drought Modeling and Prediction, Fall 2027, Rice University

[Noemi Vergopolan]

*PhD in Drought Modeling and Prediction, Fall 2027, Rice University*

The Computational Hydrology and Remote Sensing research group at Rice University ( https://www.rice.edu/ ) is seeking a PhD candidate to combine land surface modeling, satellite observations, and farmer-reported drought data to identify local drought typologies and develop models to improve drought detection and prediction. More information: www.waterai.earth ( http://www.waterai.earth/ )

Application deadline: *January 8, 2027.*

*Background:* *
* Successful candidates will have a background in geosciences, environmental science and engineering, climate sciences, applied math, physics, scientific deep learning, or related fields. This is an excellent opportunity to develop expertise in land surface modeling, hydrologic prediction, satellite remote sensing, and data science.

*Essential Qualifications:*

* Strong analytical skills, ability to think critically and solve problems effectively.

* A solid understanding of calculus and numerical methods.

* Strong programming skills (UNIX/Linux, Python, shell scripting) for processing and visualization of simulation and remote sensing data.

* Experience with geospatial datasets (e.g., GeoTIFF, NetCDF, HDF5, Zar, dask) and data processing using Python geospatial libraries (e.g., xarray, cartopy, rasterio).

* Experience with machine learning and/or deep learning concepts using Python (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow)

* Eagerness to acquire new skills and adapt them to cutting-edge research in hydrology and Earth sciences.

* Excellent written and verbal communication.

*Desired Qualifications:*

* Demonstrate a research track record of involvement in topics relevant to computational hydrology, remote sensing, or related fields.

* Hands-on experience with machine learning or deep learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).

* Familiarity with High-performance computing (HPC) systems and/or cloud computing (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud, etc.).

* Familiarity with version control systems for collaborative code development (e.g., Github, Gitlab)

All researchers will benefit from our group's involvement in national and international collaborative projects, and Rice's thriving and expanding programs, such as the Rice Data Science Initiative ( https://datascience.rice.edu/ ) , Data to Knowledge Lab ( https://d2k.rice.edu/ ) , and the Ken Kennedy Institute ( https://kenkennedy.rice.edu/ ).

*Application for PhD students:
* PhD students should submit an application to Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences ( https://eeps.rice.edu/graduate/phd-program ) (deadline of *January 8, 2027* ). International students should also meet the language proficiency requirements ( https://graduate.rice.edu/admissions/language-proficiency-requirements ). Prospective graduate students can email Dr. Vergopolan ( vergopolan at rice.edu ) with the subject "Prospective PhD student" before applying. In the email, please include your unofficial transcripts and curriculum vitae attached as a PDF and include a brief personal statement explaining why you fit and why you would like to join the group. We greatly appreciate all the applications, but due to the high volume of submissions, only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Compensation: $37K/year stipend with benefits plus full tuition ($66K/year).

*Dr. Noemi Vergopolan*
Assistant Professor of Computational Hydrology and Remote Sensing
Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences

Civil and Environmental Engineering (affiliated)

Rice University | Houston, TX
Email: vergopolan at rice.edu
Website: www.waterai.earth ( http://www.waterai.earth )
LinkedIn: @vergopolan ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/vergopolan/ )
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