Employer: Utah State University

Location: Logan, Utah

Application deadline: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the positions are filled, although preliminary reviews will begin on Wednesday, November 5th.

Full position description and application instructions

Summary:

Dr. Catrin Edgeley has funding available to support multiple Ph.D. and M.S. students interested in wildfire social science in the Department of Environment and Society at Utah State University, starting either Spring or Fall 2026. The student(s) will conduct research at the community level in Utah and other western states using survey, interview, and focus group methods to document the current landscape of community wildfire adaptation. The student(s) may work on several projects, including but not limited to the following topics:

• Community adaptation strategies in socially diverse communities, including public support or opposition for fuels treatments, perspectives on regulation to encourage mitigation, and strategies for reducing the health implications of smoke from wildfire and vegetation management.
• Policy implications for at-risk communities, including the impacts of state-wide bills or federal strategies to manage adjacent public lands and shifts in insurance coverage.
• Community wildfire recovery, including experiences with government and non-governmental assistance, developing collaborative recovery processes, and adaptation in post-fire landscapes.
• Managing post-fire environments, including how interagency collaboration does or does not emerge across jurisdictions, risk communication for cascading hazards such as post-fire debris flows or flooding, and pre-fire planning for post-fire processes.

To apply for this position, please email the following documents to catrin.edgeley@usu.edu: (1) a brief statement of interest clearly stating experience, qualifications and research interests as they relate to wildfire social science; and (2) a current C.V. or resume. Additional materials such as a writing sample and references may be requested later in the process.