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Research Opportunities in the EES Department

For more information about the opportunities below, please contact the relevant faculty. Contact information for EES faculty members can be found here.

Geochemistry/Geodynamics/Geophysics/Geomechanics (GRFP Positions for Earth Reservoirs and Energy Transition)

Six graduate positions are available in the EES department for NSF GRFP Honorable Mention recipients through the recent NSF award "EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP): Workforce training to understand Earth's reservoirs and the energy transition".

More information on the project and associated opportunities can be found here.

Geochemistry/Hydrology/Chemistry:

Dr. Ranalda Tsosie:

I am recruiting for a funded MS student position in Geochemistry/Hydrology/Chemistry at New Mexico Tech. The Tsosie research group is currently studying PFAS and microplastics in cave and karst systems; and bioaccumulation in livestock. Students who are interested should have strong backgound in chemistry and prior laboratory experience.

If you are interested, please contact Dr. Ranalda Tsosie (ranalda.tsosie@nmt.edu).

Geomechanics/Hydrology:

Alex Rinehart:

I am recruiting for a funded MS or PhD student position in Geology at New Mexico Tech. The student map the geomorphic surfaces and hydrologic response units in the Rio Grande rift in Central New Mexico, to understand hydrogeomorphic feedbacks on dryland ecosystem dynamics, particularly shrub encroachment into grasslands. The project is supporting research at the Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research site. The project in particular is mapping the geomorphic surface and deep soil profiles (up to 2 m) to understand soil correlations with grassland-shrub ecosystem boundaries, followed by a hydrologic field and lab characterization of the mapped units.

If you are interested, please contact Dr. Alex Rinehart (alex.rinehart@nmt.edu).

We are seeking two (2) PhD students for admission at New Mexico Tech to study chemical and mechanical rate effects of rock fracture, going from creep rates, like the mechanical weathering of rock, to dynamic rates, like asteroid impacts. Students with a background in earth sciences, geotechnical or geological engineering, materials science, physics or physical chemistry are sought. We are proposing to understand how hydraulic and chemical – water – feedbacks change across fracturing rates through direct experiments (breaking rocks in real life) and using molecular dynamics and ab initio calculations. The combination of these experiments and simulations  will provide a first look at rock fracture across the full rate of deformation, and will formally test standing questions about how we universalize rock fracture.

A PhD student in the earth sciences (geophysics, geomechanics, hydrology) will focus on the experimental program. An understanding of mechanics or aqueous geochemistry is desired, as is an attention to detail and ability to work independently on a small team. Much of the work requires detailed manual work. This work will include development of methods, quantitative image analysis, and inverse modeling of rock fracture, with detailed environmental controls.

A PhD student in material science and engineering will focus on the modeling effort. Students with a background in quantum chemistry, or quantum mechanics, materials science, or solid state physics are desired. The student must show attention to detail, ability to work independently and in a team setting. They will be collaborating with earth scientists and working on a combination of solid state chemistry, fluid-surface interactions, and mechanics.

The project is funded by the US DOE Basic Energy Science program, so students from foreign countries are subject to government review.

If you are interested, please contact Drs. Alex Rinehart (alex.rinehart@nmt.edu) and Deep Choudhuri (deep.choudhuri@nmt.edu).

Geochemistry:

Alex Gysi: MS projects are available in hydrothermal geochemistry of rare earth elements in the Ore Deposits and Critical Minerals Research group. More infos on current research from postdocs and students can be found here.

Nicole Hurtig: Various projects in economic geology, hydrothermal experimental geochemistry, geothermal energy and mineralogy. Contact me for more information (nicole.hurtig@nmt.edu).

Geology:

Evolution of the La Jencia Basin, Rio Grande Rift

Ryan Leary: This project will study the sedimentologic and paleoclimate evolution of the La Jencia basin, a sub-basin of the Rio Grande Rift just northwest of Socorro. This basin contains ~4 km of Miocene-Pleistocene lacustrine, fluvial, and alluvial fan strata that have never seen any detailed sedimentologic or provenance research. The exposure is excellent, there are numerous interbedded tuffs which will provide excellent age control, and it's about a 40 min drive from NMT. Research will be field- and laboratory-based, and the graduate student working on this project should expect to spend ~6 weeks in the field spread over their first year at NMT. 

Kevin Hobbs:  An EDMAP-funded MS project is available that involves field mapping of structural relationships at a small dike in San Juan County, New Mexico. The age, compositional variation, and emplacement mechanisms of this dike are unknown and will be investigated with a combination of field and laboratory methods. To fulfill EDMAP requirements, student must complete a GIS-based geologic map of the field area, and therefore should have some experience with ArcGIS. Student will gain experience in argon geochronology in the New Mexico Geochronologic Research Laboratory. Student must have competency in field geology and be comfortable with ~8 weeks of solo field work throughout the first academic year and summer.

Geophysics:

Susan Bilek: various projects in environmental seismology, subduction zone earthquake studies

Hydrology:

Dan Cadol: I have a funded graduate research assistantship to study surface water-groundwater interactions along the heavily managed Rio Grande floodplain. We are monitoring seepage losses and gains in the Rio Grande and the associated losses and gains in nearby irrigation canals and flood conveyance ditches. This groundwater flow also provides for the native riparian forest (bosque ecosystem), and we are researching water management approaches that can support both historic agricultural practices as well as healthy riparian ecosystems. This project is in collaboration with the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and is funded by the NM Interstate Stream Commission. Ideally, the student for this project would be able to begin in January of 2026.