Job opportunity - Graduate research Assistant (Phd)
Soil microbial biodiversity and health under different cropping systems
This PhD student will lead independent research linking soil microbial biodiversity to soil health dynamics under a range of crops and crop management systems in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, and Mississippi. The researcher will be based in the Division of Biology at Kansas State University (KSU), and become part of a large multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary team, with the opportunity to network with professionals in academia and industry. The project will involve field sample collection at participating sites; laboratory preparation and analysis of soil microbial marker gene and metagenomic functional gene sequence data; collaborative synthesis of data on biodiversity indices, soil health metrics, and crop outcomes; and interpretation and communication of results in the scientific literature and translation to broader management audiences in other venues. The opportunity is funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture with support from KSU. The project is ongoing, with an anticipated but negotiable start date of January 2026; an MS degree in a related field or research experience encompassing soil ecology and/or microbial biodiversity is preferred, but not required.
Research project website: https://wcsfarm.com/
KSU Biology Graduate Programs website: https://www.k-state.edu/biology/academics/graduate-programs/
Zeglin Lab website: http://zeglinlab.com/
Contact Dr. Lydia Zeglin at [email protected] for more information about applying. *Please include in this email a copy of your current CV, a brief statement of your professional background, and a brief statement of your career goals and how they align with the project.*
This PhD student will lead independent research linking soil microbial biodiversity to soil health dynamics under a range of crops and crop management systems in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, and Mississippi. The researcher will be based in the Division of Biology at Kansas State University (KSU), and become part of a large multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary team, with the opportunity to network with professionals in academia and industry. The project will involve field sample collection at participating sites; laboratory preparation and analysis of soil microbial marker gene and metagenomic functional gene sequence data; collaborative synthesis of data on biodiversity indices, soil health metrics, and crop outcomes; and interpretation and communication of results in the scientific literature and translation to broader management audiences in other venues. The opportunity is funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture with support from KSU. The project is ongoing, with an anticipated but negotiable start date of January 2026; an MS degree in a related field or research experience encompassing soil ecology and/or microbial biodiversity is preferred, but not required.
Research project website: https://wcsfarm.com/
KSU Biology Graduate Programs website: https://www.k-state.edu/biology/academics/graduate-programs/
Zeglin Lab website: http://zeglinlab.com/
Contact Dr. Lydia Zeglin at [email protected] for more information about applying. *Please include in this email a copy of your current CV, a brief statement of your professional background, and a brief statement of your career goals and how they align with the project.*
