PhD Positions in Water Quality​/Stream Biogeochemistry at University of Arkansas

PhD Positions in Water Quality/Stream Biogeochemistry at University of Arkansas

Posted:

02/16/2026

Expiration Date:

03/13/2026

The Speir Lab at the University of Arkansas is hiring 1-2 PhD students for a summer start! We are looking for folks specifically with a background in water quality, aquatic biogeochemistry, stream ecology, or a similar aquatic-related field. The selected candidate(s) will either be working on the Arkansas Discovery Watershed Program (ADW) or the impacts of switching from conventional fertilizer to biochar amended poultry litter on water quality.

The specific focus will be determined based on the Speir Lab’s needs and the student’s interests, but may include varying nutrients (N vs. P) or sediments, time scales, and spatial scales, as well as a combination of both experimental and field studies.

Students in the Speir Lab receive extensive training in water chemistry analysis, foundational stream ecology methods, and scicomm. We also conduct regular year-round field work (~1-2x per week - even when it’s cold, raining, etc!). Students will attend conferences annually to present their work.

Critical Requirements:
Must be able to start in late May or beginning of June and be a U.S. citizen (per the granting agency requirements). Additionally, please be aware that the CSES department requires all doctoral students to have a master's degree conferred before beginning a PhD.

If you are interested and meet the requirements detailed above, please contact Dr. Shannon Speir (
slspeir ) prior to applying to discuss your fit with the lab. Include a detailed description of your past research experience (if applicable), why you'd like to join the lab, and your curriculum vitae/resume. For more info about the lab, visit .