PhD
PhD
Natural Resource Sciences,
The broad diversity of climate, habitat, hydrology, soils, and near-surface and subsurface geology across Nebraska provides a multitude of opportunities for field studies in each of these areas. Faculty also conduct research in other states and countries.
Description
Excellent laboratory, computer, and field facilities are available for performing up-to-date analyses in all resource areas, as well as water chemistry, GIS, geophysics, computer modeling, remote sensing, and geospatial image analysis. State, federal, and private natural resource organizations provide unique opportunities for cooperative research and degree-related work.
Additional areas of study include: agroecosystems; carbon sequestration; conservation biology; cycling of natural and human-made chemicals; drought mitigation; environmental biophysics; environmental microbiology; environmental soil microbiology, chemistry and physics; fisheries management and ecology; geology; geomorphology and soils; geospatial analysis; global climatic change; global positioning systems; grassland ecology and management; ground water; high plains climate; human-wildlife conflicts; hydrologic modeling; isotope hydrology; lake ecology; landscape ecology; micrometeorology; natural resources economics; natural resource planning and management; natural resources law; riparian systems; rural sustainability; severe weather; simulation modeling; soil moisture; soil restoration; stewardship; surface water systems; urban habitats; water quality and chemistry; wetlands; and woodland habitats.
Specializations
Applying for Admission
Standard requirements for all graduate programs
- Application for Admission with $50 non-refundable application fee.
- Transcripts (unofficial): Uploaded as part of application form.
If International: Uploads must include all college- or university-level transcripts or mark sheets (records of courses and marks earned), with certificates, diplomas, and degrees plus certified English translations.
After admission: Official documents are required from all students who are admitted and enroll. Photocopies of certified records are not acceptable. International students enrolled in other U.S. institutions may have certified copies of all foreign records sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies by their current school’s registrar office.
- If applicant’s native language is not English, verification of English proficiency
is required.
When sending TOEFL scores, our institution code is 6877 and a department code is not needed.
- If applicant is not a US citizen and expects an F or J visa: financial information.
- Applicants must also fulfill any additional requirements the department specifies at the time of application.
Additional requirements specific to this program
- Minimum English proficiency: Paper TOEFL 600, Internet TOEFL 79, IELTS 6.5
- Resume/CV
- Personal Statement: Statement of purpose.
- Research: Identify the program area you intend to pursue: Applied Climate and Spatial Science, Applied Ecology, Environmental Science, or Undecided.
- Faculty: Before applying, applicants must get a faculty member's confirmation that they are willing to serve as an advisor. Identify the faculty member who has agreed to be your advisor. A letter of support from your potential advisor will be required.
- Three recommendation letters
- Assistantships: If you would like to be considered for a teaching assistantship, provide evidence of past teaching or other relevant experience in the Experience, Awards, and Publications section on the application's Additional Information page.
Admission Application Deadlines
Applications are reviewed the first Friday in January.
Department
Graduate Chair
Support Staff
Campus Address
Program Faculty
Lord Ameyaw (bio)
Community and Regional Forestry
Matt Andrews (bio)
Hibernation, Small mammals, Winter adaptation, Molecular biology, Gene expression, Transplantation medicine, Organ preservation, Hemorrhagic shock
Deb Bathke (bio)
Climatology, Drought
Sruti Das Choudhury (bio)
Image-based Plant Phenotyping Analysis, Gait Recognition, Medical Image Analysis
Tonya Haigh (bio)
Social Science, Qualitative Research Methods, Quantitative/Survey Research Methods, Drought, Agriculture, Adaptation and Behavior, Adaptive Capacity, Risk and Vulnerability, Evaluation
Paul Hanson (bio)
Physical Geography and Surficial Geology, Environmental Science, Luminescence Dating, Quaternary Stratigraphy, Geologic Mapping, Paleoclimate Records, Dunes, Rivers and Climate Change, Soils, Geoarchaeology
Keeley MacNeill (bio)
Stream Ecology, Biogeochemistry, Nutrient Cycling, Stream Metabolism, Nutrient and Contaminant Interactions
Arindam Malakar (bio)
Understanding the formation, mobility, and interactions of natural nanoparticles/minerals and their application to environmental remediation—specially, decontamination of water.
Gwendwr Meredith (bio)
Rangeland and social science, Stakeholder perceptions of land cover change, Collaborative management processes, Human dimensions of ecosystem science, Human dimensions of grazing land systems
Christopher Neale (bio)
Developing Remote Sensing Applications for Irrigated Agriculture, Hydrology and Natural Resources Monitoring
Mark Pegg (bio)
Fishery Ecology and Management, River Ecology, Aquatic Nuisance Species, River Restoration
Lisa Pennisi (bio)
Ecotourism, Human Dimensions in Natural Resources
Kevin Pope (bio)
Complexity of Recreational Fisheries, Influences of Sampling Approaches on Social-ecological Data, Dynamics Within and Among Fish Communities and Angler Groups , Social-ecological Outcomes and Consequences of Fishery Management
Larkin Powell (bio)
Wildlife Population Ecology, Avian Ecology, Conservation Biology
Sarah Sonsthagen (bio)
Wildlife science, Mitochondrial DNA, Microsatellites, Evolutionary biology, Molecular ecology, Population and conservation genetics, Phylogenetic analysis
Jonathan Spurgeon (bio)
Fisheries management, Aquatic ecology, Population dynamics, Conservation and systems biology, Invasive species, Limnology
Andy Suyker (bio)
Climate Change, Carbon Flux
Mark Svoboda (bio)
Climatology, Drought, Water management, Impacts, Drought Early Warning Information Systems, Drought Monitoring
Tsegaye Tadesse (bio)
Drought Monitoring, Data Mining Techniques
Judith Turk (bio)
Pedology, Soil Science
Dan Uden (bio)
Geoinformatics, Ecology, Wildlife, Bioenergy, Biogeography, Ecological statistics, Landscape ecology, Climate change biology
Elizabeth VanWormer (bio)
Applied Ecology, Nebraska One Health
Mark Vrtiska (bio)
Avian ecology, Conservation biology, Harvest management, Waterfowl conservation and management
Brian Wardlow (bio)
School of Natural Resources, Land Use and Cover, Drought, Biogeography, Climate-Vegetation Interactions, Remote Sensing, GIS
Dave Wedin (bio)
Ecosystem Science, Forest and Grassland Ecology, Ecoydrology
UNL Graduate Chairs and staff please complete the program update form to provide edits. Updates to graduate program pages are made on an annual basis in conjunction with the Graduate Application for Admission.