Job Type: On-site, PhD, assistantship
Location: Utah State University - Logan, UT
Application Due Date: November 5, 2025
Description:
Dr. Catrin Edgeley has funding available to support multiple Ph.D. and M.S. students interested in wildfire social science in the Department of Environment and Society at Utah State University, starting either Spring or Fall 2026. The student(s) will conduct research at the community level in Utah and other western states using survey, interview, and focus group methods to document the current landscape of community wildfire adaptation. The student(s) may work on several projects, including but not limited to the following topics:
Community adaptation strategies in socially diverse communities, including public support or opposition for fuels treatments, perspectives on regulation to encourage mitigation, and strategies for reducing the health implications of smoke from wildfire and vegetation management.
Policy implications for at-risk communities, including the impacts of state-wide bills or federal strategies to manage adjacent public lands and shifts in insurance coverage.
Community wildfire recovery, including experiences with government and non-governmental assistance, developing collaborative recovery processes, and adaptation in post-fire landscapes.
Managing post-fire environments, including how interagency collaboration does or does not emerge across jurisdictions, risk communication for cascading hazards such as post-fire debris flows or flooding, and pre-fire planning for post-fire processes.
Student-led projects within these topics are flexible and there is room for students to engage in studies that align with their interests. Funding for these positions is housed within USU start-up funds, USDA grants and agreements, and Joint Fire Science Program grants. Students will have the opportunity to partner with community leaders, land managers and researchers from other institutions, and support will be provided for disseminating findings across a range of venues and modes such as conferences and community visits.
These positions are based at Utah State University’s Logan campus. Students will receive a stipend that includes 20 hours a week as a research assistant, health insurance, and a full tuition waiver. Students have the option to apply for USU graduate programs in Environment and Society or Ecology depending on their interests and anticipated career paths. Some degree tracks also allow specializations in Climate Adaptation or the addition of graduate certificates in topics such as environmental communication and engagement or applied GIS.
Preferred Qualifications:
A Bachelor’s (for MS applicants) and/or Master’s (for PhD applicants) in natural resources, conservation social science, sociology, psychology, forestry, policy, or a related field.
Ability to travel and stay at various research locations within the US for several weeks at a time.
Knowledge of or experience with a variety of social science research methods.
Working knowledge of programs and platforms such as SPSS, NVivo, Qualtrics, and/or ArcGIS Pro.
·Strong written and oral communication skills, ideally with both academic and non-academic audiences.
To Apply:
To apply for this position, please email the following documents to catrin.edgeley@usu.edu: (1) a brief statement of interest clearly stating experience, qualifications and research interests as they relate to wildfire social science; and (2) a current C.V. or resume. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the positions are filled, although preliminary reviews will begin on Wednesday, November 5th. Additional materials such as a writing sample and references may be requested later in the process.
