Internship for Monitoring Irrigation Waters

Your research will involve 1) identification of spatial and temporal dynamics of E. coli and phytoplankton in irrigation water sources 2) improvement of monitoring designs by determining the most effective sampling locations, and 3) to identify environmental water parameters which will expedite the assessment of microbial water quality. Under the guidance of a mentor, you will gain significant insight into research lab operations and data collection within environmental research applications and system troubleshooting. Additionally, you will gain experience in collaboration and coordination of multiple research projects, as well as allocation and execution of their associated resources and operations.

You will receive hands-on experience operating state-of-the-art sensors and water sampling equipment, as well as supplementary exposure to fluorimetry and spectrometry. Daily activities will consist of the set-up of equipment, maintenance of participant folders, interaction with research participants, executing data collection, organizing and analyzing data, report development, and other associated literature reviews. Supplementary experience will be associated with protocol, standard operating procedure, and proposal development, as well as interaction with institutional requirements and procedures.

Finally, you will learn about multidisciplinary applied research, while supporting research in areas that are practicable and pertinent to the United States and global agriculture. You may also have the opportunity to collaborate with various subject matter experts, attend conferences/scientific meetings, and/or receive supplementary training.

Learning Objectives: This fellowship provides the opportunity to utilize and develop your skills and engage with experts in innovative ideas to move the proposed research forward.

Mentor(s): The mentors(s) for this opportunity is Yakov Pachepsky (yakov.pachepsky@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).