University of Florida, H.T. Odum Center for Wetlands · Florida · internship · posted today
PhD Opportunity – Systems Ecology and Landscape Sustainability | University of Florida We are recruiting a motivated and intellectually curious PhD student to join the H.T. Odum Center for Wetlands at the University of Florida, working with Drs. Mark Brown and David Kaplan on a project at the intersection of systems ecology, emergy analysis, and environmental management. The student will help advance the Landscape Development Intensity (LDI) Index, an emergy-based framework for quantifying human disturbance across landscapes that is widely used in Florida's environmental assessment and water resource management programs. The research will apply principles of systems ecology and emergy accounting to evaluate how energy, materials, and human activities shape landscape development intensity. Working in collaboration with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the student will update emergy coefficients for major land uses, investigate spatial variation in renewable environmental contributions, refine land-use classifications, and evaluate how these changes affect our understanding of human impacts on ecosystems. This is an opportunity to contribute to both the theoretical foundations and practical applications of emergy analysis, building on the pioneering systems ecology work of H.T. Odum. The project offers substantial opportunities for independent research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and scientific publication. We welcome applicants with backgrounds in environmental engineering, ecology, environmental science, geography, ecological economics, or related fields. Strong quantitative, analytical, and communication skills are important, and we are particularly interested in creative, independent thinkers who enjoy working across disciplines and connecting fundamental science with real-world environmental challenges. Interested candidates should email Dr. David Kaplan (dkaplan@ufl.edu) and Dr. Mark Brown (mtb@ufl.edu) with a brief statement of research interests, CV, and writing sample. Please share widely with promising students and colleagues! Best, David
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