Positions

Two Graduate Research Assistantships for Applied Wastewater Research at the Northern Virginia campus of Virginia Tech within the Greater Washington metropolitan area

Feb 11th, 2023

POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, also known as Virginia Tech, is seeking applications for two Ph.D. (and/or MS) Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) to be stationed at the Northern Virginia campus of Virginia Tech within the Greater Washington metropolitan area for pilot research projects to be performed in local wastewater treatment plants. The assistantship will cover stipends, tuition waiver, and insurance. The successful candidate will work in Dr. Zhiwu (Drew) Wang’s research group (https://www.wang.bse.vt.edu/). The VT-BSE graduate program ranked as the #13 best biological/agricultural engineering program in the U.S. VT’s ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities is #62.

The research areas include but are not limited to bioprocessing and wastewater treatment. Two example projects to be undertaken by the candidates are listed below. There could be many other research projects for selection at the time of onboarding. Details will be discussed during video conference interview if invited.

1. Continuous-flow aerobic granulation for wastewater treatment
   A Ph.D. or a M.S. student will be supported by this project with the aim of enabling aerobic granular sludge formation in continuous-flow bioreactors to be applied for full-scale application. Candidates with previous experience in the design and operation of bioreactors and mathematical modeling are especially welcomed. Both fundamental and applied research opportunities can be found in this one project.
2. Partial denitrification anammox technology for mainstream wastewater nitrogen removal
   A Ph.D. or a M.S. student will be supported by this industrial project. The study will be performed in the Northern Virginia campus with the goal to achieve low energy and low carbon biological nitrogen removal from real municipal wastewater through a smart automatic controlling system. The success of this biotechnology would promote anammox technology into the full-scale application in mainstream wastewater treatment processes.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATION
The successful candidate is expected to be creative, self-motivated, possess good research attitude, encompass dynamic problem-solving skills, and have a strong desire to solve real-world problems and collaborate in a multidisciplinary environment with both industrial and academic partners. The candidate is expected to communicate research results through high quality peer-reviewed journal and deliver presentations at national/international professional meetings. Specifically, the successful candidate
▪ Must have (or must earn prior to the application deadline) a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in chemical engineering, biological systems engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering, or a closely related field.
▪ Demonstrated excellent scientific writing and communication skills (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, competitions, etc.).
▪ For international students, TOEFL score is required. For admission, we expect a minimum TOEFL score of 90 (IBT) or IELTS score of 6.5 for admission. GRE may be waived.
▪ Having a U.S. driving license is required for performing these pilot studies.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
If the program is of your interest, please email Dr. Zhiwu (Drew) Wang at wzw@vt.edu. A full application as a single PDF document package must include (1) A statement of research addressing how your background fit in the position description and candidate qualification described above (1-page limit), (2) an update CV with a full list of publications (if any), (3) all official transcripts, (4) TOEFL or IELTS score(s) (for international candidates), and (4) three reference letters including names, emails, affiliations, and work phone numbers of the referees. The order of the documents in the combined PDF must be followed. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please include “Graduate Research Assistantship” + “Your Name” as your email subject. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Interested candidates should send an enquiry email only once. Best fit potential candidates will receive the responses and video conference interviews will follow.

Successful candidate will need to apply to the Graduate School of Virginia Tech. The deadlines for admissions in Fall 2022 are April 1 (international) and August 1 (domestic), and Spring 2023 are September 1 (international) and January 1 (domestic). Summer admission might be possible. Please visit the website below for more details.
(https://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/how-to-apply.html)

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Virginia Tech

September , 2022

 

Job Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate

Research area: Advanced Bioprocessing

Department: Biological Systems Engineering

University: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)

Location: Blacksburg, VA

 

Job Description:

The position is immediately available. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. The initial appointment will be for one year with possibility for extension based on performance. The successful candidate will closely work with Dr. Zhiwu (Drew) Wang on delivering both federal and industrial projects on the topics of advanced bioprocesses for resource recovery and pollutant removal. The successful candidate will also have opportunities to be involved in grant writings, graduate student mentoring, and project leading.

 

Specific job responsibilities include:

• Conducting lab and field experiments (80%)
• Writing project reports and research papers (10%)
• Coordinating meetings with sponsors (10%)

 

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Chemical/Environmental/Biological Engineering, or a related field.
• Excellent writing skill and productive publication record.
• The Ph.D. degree should have been awarded no more than four years prior to the effective date of this appointment with a minimum of one year of eligibility remaining.

 

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Research experience in bioreactor design and operation.
2. Self-motivated to lead research endeavor.
3. Good human skill to interact with external collaborators.
4. Desire to publish high quality research articles.

 

How to apply? Qualified applicants must electronically submit an online application, including a statement of research explaining how your background fits in the aforementioned expectations, a resume/curriculum vitae, and a list of 3 professional references to:

https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/521672/postdoctoral-research-associate

 

Applicant screening will continue until the position is filled. Virginia Tech is committed to building a culturally diverse faculty and strongly encourages applications from women and minorities.

 

Applicants may contact Dr. Zhiwu (Drew) Wang at wzw@vt.edu with any questions about this position. Please include “Postdoctoral Research Associate” + “Your Name” as your email subject. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Interested candidates should send an enquiry email only once. Best fit potential candidates will receive the responses and video conference interviews will follow.