<div dir="ltr"><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><b><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><i>Join Us in Exploring <u>Coastal Engineering and Resilience with Nature</u> at URI</i></font></b></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Dear colleagues,</font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;min-height:16px"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b></b><br></font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">I am seeking two PhD students to join my coastal research group in the </font><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="https://web.uri.edu/engineering/about/ocean-engineering/" target="_blank">Department of Ocean Engineering</a> </span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">at the <a href="https://www.uri.edu/" target="_blank">University of Rhode Island (URI)</a> in 2024. Start in Spring or Fall 2024, with a set start date no later than Fall 2024. </span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">We welcome motivated students to join us in our pursuit of exploring nature-based solutions for coastal challenges.</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> </span></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;min-height:16px"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b></b><br></font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><b><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></font></b></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><b><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">About us: </font></b></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">The research group, led by <a href="https://web.uri.edu/engineering/meet/che-wei-chang/" target="_blank">Dr. Che-Wei Chang</a> [<a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=atBfecAAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">Google Scholar</a> | <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Che-Wei-Chang-3" target="_blank">ResearchGate</a>] at URI, is</font><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> currently focused on nature-based solutions (natural and nature-based features), exploring their potential to mitigate coastal hazards and enhance resilience. We address these research challenges from different perspectives and scales, employing a variety of research tools that include laboratory experiments, numerical modeling, and theoretical approaches.</span></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><b><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></font></b></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><b><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Potential Research Topics:</font></b></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Centering around nature-based solutions (NBS), we provide a diverse range of possibilities for students to engage in laboratory experiments and numerical modeling that can be tailored to their interests and expertise. The research topics include, but are not limited to:</font></div><ul><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Effectiveness of NBS (e.g., wetlands) on coastal inundation and flood mitigation in response to rising sea levels</span></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Impacts of NBS on sediment transport and coastal morphodynamics, especially in extreme weather conditions</span></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Synergy of hybrid approaches with NBS integration for coastal resilience</span></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Laboratory/numerical investigation of complex interactions among coastal elements (e.g., waves, currents, vegetation, sediments, infrastructure)</span></li></ul><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><b><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></font></b></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><b><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Required Qualifications:</font></b></div><ul><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">A graduate or undergraduate degree in Ocean/Coastal/Civil/Mechanical Engineering or related fields, e.g., Physical Oceanography, Earth/Marine Sciences, Applied Mathematics, Physics, etc.</span></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Strong technical writing and oral communication skills</span></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative team environment</span></li></ul><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><b><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Preferred Background and Skills</font></b></div><ul><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Strong knowledge base in water wave theory, fluid mechanics, or coastal engineering.</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> </span></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Familiarity with programming languages like MATLAB, Python, Fortran, or others.</span></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Research experience in one of the relevant areas, e.g., (1) Lab experiments and data analysis, (2) Ocean wave modeling, (3) Hydro-morphodynamic modeling, or (4) CFD </span></li></ul><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;min-height:16px"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b></b><br></font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b>Contact</b> <b>info</b>:</font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Interested candidates should contact Dr. Chang via e-mail at [<a href="mailto:chewei.chang@uri.edu" target="_blank">chewei.chang@uri.edu</a>]:</font></div><ul><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Subject line: “URI Prospective Graduate Student: [Your Name]”</span></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">A CV, highlighting your skills, academic accomplishments, publications, contact info for references, etc.</span></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">A copy of transcripts reflecting your coursework</span></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">A brief statement outlining your motivation, research interests, qualifications, and prior research experiences</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> </span></li></ul><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">The selected applicants will need to submit formal applications to the graduate school of the university (<a href="https://web.uri.edu/graduate-school/admission/" target="_blank">https://web.uri.edu/graduate-school/admission/</a>). Application reviews will continue until the positions are filled. The successful applicants will enroll in the Department of Ocean Engineering at URI with full financial support. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or require further information. </font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">We are firmly committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in science and engineering fields. We encourage applications from individuals belonging to historically underrepresented groups in these fields.</font></div><div style="margin:0px;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;min-height:16px"><br></div><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:13.33px;line-height:19.99px;background:none;outline:transparent 0px;border:0px rgb(34,34,34);width:530px;color:rgb(34,34,34);overflow:visible"><span style="background:none;font-stretch:normal;line-height:19.99px;outline:transparent 0px;border:0px rgb(34,34,34);width:auto;overflow:visible"><span style="background-image:none;font-stretch:normal;line-height:19.99px;outline:transparent 0px;border:0px rgb(34,34,34);width:auto;overflow:visible">--</span></span></div><div style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:13.33px;line-height:19.99px;background:none;outline:transparent 0px;border:0px rgb(34,34,34);width:530px;color:rgb(34,34,34);overflow:visible"><span style="background:none;font-stretch:normal;line-height:19.99px;outline:transparent 0px;border:0px rgb(34,34,34);width:auto;overflow:visible"><span style="background-image:none;font-weight:700;font-stretch:normal;line-height:19.99px;outline:transparent 0px;border:0px rgb(34,34,34);width:auto;overflow:visible">Che-Wei Chang, PhD</span></span></div><div style="font-stretch:normal;line-height:19.99px;background:none;outline:transparent 0px;border:0px rgb(34,34,34);width:530px;overflow:visible"><font color="#000000">Assistant Professor, </font><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:initial">Department of Ocean Engineering</span></div><div style="font-stretch:normal;line-height:19.99px;background:none;outline:transparent 0px;border:0px rgb(34,34,34);width:530px;overflow:visible"><font color="#000000">University of Rhode Island, </font><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;background-color:initial">Narragansett, RI 02882</span></div><div style="font-stretch:normal;line-height:19.99px;background:none;outline:transparent 0px;border:0px rgb(34,34,34);width:530px;overflow:visible"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;background-color:initial"><img src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4yy-70vI8CDdjAfUC-OrxhWWWs2qnvp4nRlZIOQK8rb_LVreEt6WPCOypKgXYcuzwLSI-FQhPw" width="200" height="95"><br></span></div></div></div></div></div>