CEGE Undergraduate Advising Blog

Graduate or undergraduate summer hourly position – Great Lakes Research Center – Energy, water, and climate change dataset

Seeking a currently enrolled Michigan Tech graduate or upper-level undergraduate student for a summer hourly position to compile Great Lakes datasets on water use and energy (i.e., solar, wind, heating / cooling, and wave energy). The student will work with an interdisciplinary team of faculty, staff, and students that is collecting energy, water, and climate change related datasets during the summer of 2021. The team will discuss and prioritize future research directions in energy-water-climate
nexus issues. Graduate and upper-level undergraduate students will have primary responsibility for identifying, documenting, and compiling relevant datasets which will be used in future research. Applicants should have good attention to detail, some experience in coding, and willingness to learn good data management practices.

Dr. Lenters is an Associate Research Scientist with the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) at Michigan Technological University, and he has affiliated positions with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Atmospheric Sciences Program. The project team collaborates with numerous other groups on campus, including the Keweenaw Energy Transitions Laboratory, Advanced Power Systems Laboratory, and departments such as Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Social Sciences. Applicants should therefore bring a strong technical background along with interest in energy systems and/or interdisciplinary work in environmental science.

Required Background:

• Currently enrolled as a graduate or undergraduate student at Michigan Tech

Desired background:

• At least two years of undergraduate education or (preferably) already holding a B.S. in mathematics, physics, engineering, or related field in environmental or data science
• Good programming and analytical skills (e.g., Matlab, R)
• Experience with data management and quality control
• Experience with accessing and using atmospheric and hydrologic datasets, including climate data and model output (e.g., general circulation models).
• Research or educational experience in climate science, hydrology, and/or energy systems (power plants, commercial buildings, residential buildings, or renewable energy)

We seek students that want to join, support, and promote an inclusive workplace. For more information on related research activities in Dr. Lenters’ lab, please see the MTU faculty/staff directory at the GLRC.

To Apply: Submit a resume or C.V. to Dr. Lenters at jdlenter at mtu.edu. The email should discuss the student’s interest and relevant experience for this position. Hourly salary is negotiable and typically varies from $10-16/hour, depending on the student’s level of education and experience. The anticipated summer work period is May 3 – August 20, with up to 25 hours of work available per week, on average.