The Hotchkiss Lab at Virginia Tech seeks applicants for 1-2 Undergraduate Research Technicians for Summer of 2021. Each technician will work with graduate students to develop independent projects and help with field work, laboratory analysis, and data management for projects exploring various aspects of carbon cycling (i.e., carbon metabolism, sources and transport, greenhouse gas emissions) in streams, wetlands, and freshwater networks.

About the Hotchkiss Lab: We are an ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry research group in the Department of Biological Sciences. Our research is motivated by an interest in processes at the interface of biology, chemistry, geology, and global change that govern water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and food web dynamics in freshwater ecosystems. We are dedicated to recruiting, retaining, and mentoring individuals in a way that promotes diversity and equity in our research group and classrooms. You can learn more about our group and research projects on www.hotchkisslab.com.

Project Summaries: The technician(s) will contribute to one or more of the following projects summarized below. All project objectives are subject to change pending modifications in covid-19 health and safety best practices. We prioritize people over data.

1. An NSF-funded collaborative project on hydrologic connectivity and carbon cycling in wetlands that is looking at the influence of changing hydrology on greenhouse gas emissions in the Delmarva Bay Peninsula. Wetlands are important hotspots of carbon emissions but the controls on these emissions and how they might change with changing hydrologic regimes or disturbance is still not well understood. Work on this project will entail field visits to Delmarva Bay, Maryland for greenhouse gas and water sampling campaigns, greenhouse gas flux chamber construction, lab work, as well as management and help with analysis of environmental sensor data. The student will also have the opportunity to experience how large, comprehensive projects work and contribute to the projects’ broader goals as well as connect with a broad group of scientists.

2. This project will focus on Stroubles Creek, a mixed-land use third order stream that runs through the town of Blacksburg, VA and drains into the New River, to understand how solute (e.g., nutrients and other chemicals) transport is affected by different land-use types and flow events. Different flow events (i.e., baseflow, droughts, storms) influence in-stream solute transport and dynamics. Stream flow dynamics, as well as metabolic responses, simultaneously influence solute concentration and transport. Our understanding of solute transport within the aquatic continuum is limited by a lack of observations of key biogeochemical processes under different flow conditions and across multiple sites within river networks.

3. The transport and metabolism of carbon throughout freshwater networks controls in-stream biological processes and regulates downstream water quality. Streams reaches are often studied in isolation, but downstream freshwater resources and functions are defined by the upstream connections between terrestrial-aquatic ecosystems and aquatic-aquatic ecosystem confluences. To elucidate the influences of connectivity and ecosystem confluences on the cycling and fate of carbon in freshwater networks, we will conduct synoptic surveys of greenhouse gasses, organic carbon concentration and quality, and whole-stream organic carbon metabolism throughout the Tom’s Creek-Poverty Creek watershed in Blacksburg, VA.

Technician expectations: The research technician(s) will be integral in the execution of field experiments and sampling, will assist with water and gas sample analyses in the lab, and will help manage and analyze data from water samples and environmental sensors. Additionally, we will work with the technician(s) to develop an independent project related to our ongoing research. Previous experience with laboratory, fieldwork, or data analyses is not required. We want to hire individuals who are excited to work collaboratively, grow as independent scientists, and learn new skills/concepts related to freshwater science. Occasional travel to Delmarva will be required if working on the wetland project and if COVID-19 health and safety regulations allow. Travel and housing expenses will be covered for any fieldwork trips. While field work will be hot and humid and entails walking through difficult terrain, it also provides a fun and rewarding opportunity to do hands-on research in beautiful places. Technicians will also gain important project skills such as time management, project preparation, and collaboration, while experiencing and learning about the uniqueness of freshwater ecosystems.

Date/Location: Preferred start date in early June, lasting approximately 9 weeks. The technician must be primarily located in Blacksburg, VA, for the summer.

Stipend and Eligibility: Pay is $15/hour. We anticipate paying technicians a $5,400 stipend for 9 weeks of full time (40 hours/week) employment. One or both of the technicians hired could be funded through partner research programs and may thus have a different salary structure, timeline, and work expectations than advertised here, but will have access to all pay and benefit information when an offer is made. We are seeking any currently enrolled undergraduates interested in freshwater ecosystem ecology or biogeochemistry and looking to gain research experience both in the field and the lab. Applicants must be enrolled as an undergraduate in Fall 2021 and be a permanent resident of the United States. The funding source for these positions does not provide moving expenses or housing in Blacksburg. The stipend may be extended into Fall 2021 to allow for further data analysis and preparation for publication along with support to present at a professional conference in Fall 2021 or Spring 2022.

How to apply: Please email a short statement of interest, a PDF of your resume/CV, and contact info for 1-2 academic or professional references to Stephen Plont (plontste[at]vt.edu) and Carla López Lloreda (carlalopez[at]vt.edu)

Include in your statement:

a) why you are interested in these projects

b) how you are qualified for or well-suited to this position (remember that science courses and non-science employment experiences provide you with relevant skills!)

c) what you hope to gain from this experience.

Review of applications will begin March 25, 2021, and will continue until a suitable applicant is found.