Join Us!

Thank you for your interest in CryoSIGHT! This page includes information on current or potential opportunities to join our team, and the process for applying.

Graduate Students:

M.S. in Wildfire Impacts on Snow Hydrology and Watershed Processes in the Oregon Cascades (start Summer or Fall 2025)

    • Summary: Funding is available to support an exceptional M.S. student in our group on a new NSF-funded project that will investigate the impacts of wildfire on snow and hydrology processes in a recently burned research watershed in the western Oregon Cascades. The successful applicant will (1) contribute to snowpack measurements (snow surveys, drone surveys, time-lapse cameras, station data), (2) conduct experiments with a snowpack numerical model to assess fire impacts on snow processes, (3) analyze the connections between forest disturbance, snowpack processes, and watershed hydrology. The student is expected to be self-motivated and to work in a collaborative environment with colleagues and other students across CEOAS, OSU, and external partners.
    • Preferred qualifications:
      • a background in hydrology, physical geography, Earth/environmental sciences, engineering, atmospheric science, computer science, or related field
      • proficiency in computer programming (e.g., Matlab, Python, R, etc.)
      • experience with drone operations, lidar data processing
    • Dates:
      • Start: Summer or Fall 2025
      • Defend: Spring 2027
    • Funding structure:
      • GRA and GTA
    • To Apply:
      • visit "Graduate Application Process" below. Students can apply to either the degree program in Geography or the Water Resources interdisciplinary degree program. 

M.S. or Ph.D. in Snow Water Supply Forecasting (start Summer or Fall 2025)

    • Summary: Funding might become available to support a Ph.D. student or an exceptional M.S. student in our group on a pending U.S. Bureau of Reclamation project on snow water supply forecasting in mountainous watersheds across the western United States. The successful applicant will (1) develop and evaluate an operational water supply forecast model with different snow and climate datasets, (2) assist in snowpack field surveys, (3) conduct/design experiments for understanding where/when new snow data improves water supply predictability. The student is expected to be self-motivated and to work in a collaborative environment with colleagues at OSU and external partners.
    • Preferred qualifications:
      • a background in hydrology, physical geography, Earth/environmental sciences, engineering, atmospheric science, computer science, or related field
      • proficiency in computer programming (e.g., Matlab, Python, R, etc.)
    • Dates:
        • Start: Summer or Fall 2025
        • Defend: Spring 2027 (MS) or Spring 2029 (Ph.D.)
    • Funding structure:
      • GRA and GTA
    • To Apply:
      • visit "Graduate Application Process" below. Students can apply to either the degree program in Geography or the Water Resources interdisciplinary degree program. 

To all prospective graduate students - we appreciate your interest in CryoSIGHT! We receive a large number of inquiries every year, especially when there are graduate student openings. Therefore we use a competitive process to assess fit and likelihood of success of candidate students. We look for students who are intellectually curious, collaborative, hardworking, and persistent.

Please review the steps below on the process for learning about us and the application process.

    1. Check if there are Openings: Review the "Graduate Student Openings" (posted above, typically updated every fall) to see if there are any current opportunities. If there are no posted opportunities, you could also consider applying to an external  source of support (see "Graduate Fellowships and Funding" below).
    2. Learn about our Group Culture: Review the "Graduate Student Expectations and Advisor Responsibilities" below and think about whether our group is a good fit for you.
    3. Review our Graduate Programs: Prof. Raleigh advises graduate students in a few different academic programs at OSU (please review the links below). Consider which is best for you based on your background and your career/academic goals. Also note the application process:
    4. Contact Prof. Raleigh:  If there are opportunities and you think our group and academic program are aligned with your interests and career goals, then let's discuss more. Reach out and provide your CV and a short statement of your background, interests, and goals.
    5. Apply: After meeting, we will both consider whether this is a potentially good fit. If so, we will recommend that you submit an application to OSU. Applications are due in December. See the links above for the application and exact deadline to the program of interest. Keep in mind that this is a competitive process, and other prospective students may be applying for the same position in the group.

What you can expect from me as your graduate adviser:

    1. Project Development: Collaborate with you on developing and conducting your graduate research, leading to a MS Thesis or PhD dissertation.
    2. Goal Setting: Regularly help you to set and review short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals for academics, research, and career.
    3. Availability: Meet with you regularly (weekly) to discuss your progress and plans in your research and academics.
    4. Research Environment: Foster a productive, positive, collaborative, and fun research environment.
    5. Financial Support: Assist you in securing GRA/GTA positions and developing applications to any graduate fellowships you pursue.
    6. Professional Support: Connect you to resources, tools, and networks for success in graduate school and beyond.
    7. Conference Support: Support travel to at least one conference per year to present research, assuming you have results to share, and funding is available.
    8. Fieldwork Experience: Facilitate opportunities for fieldwork, regardless of whether it is related to your graduate research. This is essential for skill and mindset development.
    9. Support and Understanding: Offer patience, flexibility, and moral support in difficult situations or struggles.
    10. Work-Life Balance: Provide ideas for maintaining balance during the challenges of graduate school.

What I expect of all graduate students in our group:

    1. Growth Mindset, Creativity, and Initiative: Embrace a growth mindset, take ownership of your academic journey, and use graduate school to become an independent scientist. Be comfortable in not knowing all the answers but also be curious and persistent in finding those answers. Take initiative in pursuing your own ideas, exploring creative dimensions, and learning continuously. Be open to trying new or different ideas, even at the risk of failing. It can be ok to fail as long as you learn and grow from that experience.
    2. Be Disciplined and Focus on Your Research: It is why you are in graduate school, and it is the most important aspect of your time here. It should be your main priority, and you should approach it with the seriousness and professionalism you would a full-time job. However, it is easy for other demands on your time (e.g., coursework, GTA duties, clubs, email, etc.) to derail your research progress. It is best to develop practices that help you to guard your research time, and to ensure your research time is sufficient and efficient. Graduate research is a “marathon, not a sprint” so it is best to develop and maintain good habits that will help get you to the finish line. The expectation is that each MS student will submit 1 manuscript, and each PhD student will submit 3 manuscripts that describe the outcomes of their graduate research. These do not need to have been accepted by graduation.
    3. Scientific Rigor: Approach your research seriously, maintain good academic standing, and stay on top of coursework and program requirements. Regularly read papers, curate relevant literature, and develop a writing habit. Critically think about the work of others and your own work and always strive to improve.
    4. Collaboration: Work collaboratively to develop and execute your graduate research project and engage in activities both within and outside our group.
    5. Active Participation: Attend group meetings, seminars, and guest speaker events, and give at least one presentation to the group each academic term. Be open to learning from others and be excited to share your research with them.
    6. Meeting Preparedness: Follow through on weekly meetings with substantive and concrete contributions (slides, figures, or writing) to discuss short-term research progress.
    7. Funding and Training: Apply for at least one graduate fellowship (if you are funded by GRA/GTA) and pursue relevant training opportunities to enhance your skills.
    8. Organization: Develop effective systems for managing data, code, manuscripts, and overall responsibilities to stay organized in research and academics.
    9. Teamwork and Communication: Be a team player in the group, maintain open lines of communication, offer help when needed, seek assistance when facing challenges, and ask questions when unclear on scientific or procedural matters. Be open to constructive feedback from others.  Always strive to improve your oral, written, and graphical communication skills.
    10. Have Fun and Take Care of Yourself: The cliché "work hard, play hard" is a good mantra for graduate school. Practice self-care to stay balanced throughout the graduate journey.

(inspired by Melissa Wilson-Sayres, Adam Ward, Maggie Zimmer, and Ryan Abernathey)

Each graduate student in CryoSIGHT must be funded by some combination of graduate research assistantships (GRAs), graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs), and/or graduate fellowships. GRA funding typically comes from an external grant (e.g., NASA or NSF) that Prof. Raleigh secured via a proposal. Some GTA support is typically available for geospatial courses and other courses in the Geography program.

All prospective and current graduate students in CryoSIGHT are strongly encouraged to pursue external funding through fellowships and scholarships. While the guidelines and requirements of fellowships vary, they all typically entail developing a compelling research proposal which is evaluated by a panel. Writing competitive research proposals is an essential skill to be a successful scientist/researcher, and is furthermore advantageous for graduate students because it is an opportunity to pursue a unique/creative line of inquiry that (hopefully) aligns with the student's academic interests. Below is a non-exhaustive list of graduate fellowships to consider as a prospective or current graduate student.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

DoD National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Program

    • Quick facts:
      • Very competitive (<10% success rate) and prestigious
      • Need to align your research with something that is relevant to the DoD mission
    • Funding: 3 years with annual stipend and tuition allowance
    • Annual due date: Fall, varies by program but typically September-October
    • Website: https://ndseg.sysplus.com/.

Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology

PNNL-OSU Distinguished Graduate Research Program

    • Quick facts:
      • Internal opportunity to OSU grad students (up to 5 selected each year)
      • Need to engage a scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) who is willing to collaborate and help mentor the student
    • Funding: 4 years (2 years assistantship at OSU, 2 years on fellowship at PNNL in Tri Cities, WA)
    • Annual due date: nominations open through February typically
    • Website: https://gradschool.oregonstate.edu/awards/pnnl-osu

OSU Graduate School

Undergraduate Students:

Snow Hydrology Research Internship (formal announcement forthcoming)

    • Summary: We anticipate hiring multiple interns to assist with a new NSF-funded project that will investigate the impacts of wildfire on snow and hydrology processes in a recently burned research watershed in the western Oregon Cascades. All students will provide their own cold weather clothing, backpack, and meals while in the field. Snowshoes will be provided for anyone without snow travel gear.
    • Requirements:
      • Mountain winter travel experience (i.e., snowshoeing, back country skiing, snowmobiling).
      • Ability to perform physical labor (e.g., digging snow pits) and to travel over some distances in snow, all in potentially adverse winter conditions
      • Availability to participate in multiple field campaigns (day trip or overnight) in the Oregon Cascades in winter quarter and spring quarter 2025
    • Preferred Skills:
      • Snowpack measurements
      • Data processing and analysis in a programming language (e.g., R, Python, Matlab)
    • Dates:
      • Start: Fall 2024
      • End: Spring 2025
    • Funding structure:
      • Paid hourly position (rate TBD)
    • To Apply:
      • A formal job announcement is forthcoming. Feel free to email Prof. Raleigh for more information.

URSA Engage

The application for this undergrad research opportunity is in fall quarter each year. Note that it is restricted to current 1st/2nd year undergraduates students at OSU.

Each year our research group invites undergraduate researchers to join us through the URSA Engage program, with research activities in Winter and Spring Quarters. Each URSA student will engage in research, broadly related to how water stored in snowpack varies across mountain landscapes and forests. URSA projects tend to include local fieldwork in the Oregon Cascades, where we measure water in snowpack during multiple dates in winter/spring. During these field trips, URSA student(s) will dig snow pits and measure snow properties, including snow density, stratigraphy, and snow water equivalent. After fieldtrips, the student(s) will work together to ensure accurate and complete digitization of field data. URSA students would have the chance to analyze, visualize, and interpret the collected field data, and compare it to other datasets (e.g., remote sensing, geospatial data, other field data, etc.). There is some latitude in URSA projects, but generally they should relate to the field of snow hydrology.

More info on timeline and application: https://academicaffairs.oregonstate.edu/research/ursa-engage

What you can expect from me:

    1. Project Overview and Tasks: Clearly articulate the scope, objectives, schedule of the project.
    2. Training: Provide the necessary training to the student for accomplishing the objectives and tasks required for successful project completion.
    3. Availability: Meet with you regularly (weekly) to discuss your progress and to plan next steps.
    4. Research Environment: Foster a productive, positive, collaborative, and fun research environment.
    5. Mentoring and Goal Setting: Regularly help you to set and review short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals for academics, your project/research, and career.

What I expect of undergraduate students in our group:

    1. Professionalism and Strong Work Ethic: Be attentive and receptive to project training and willing to learn new skills and knowledge. Conduct project tasks with professionalism, utilize standard protocols, and ensure project tasks are completed safely, on-time, and with high quality.
    2. Meeting Preparedness: Follow through on weekly meetings with substantive and concrete contributions (slides, figures, or writing) to discuss short-term project progress.
    3. Active Participation: Attend group meetings, and give at least one presentation to the group each academic term. Be open to learning from others and be excited to share your research with them.
    4. Organization: Develop effective systems for managing data, code, and reports to help the project stay organized.
    5. Teamwork and Communication: Be a team player in the group, maintain open lines of communication, offer help when needed, seek assistance when facing challenges, and ask questions when unclear on scientific or procedural matters. Be open to constructive feedback from others.  Always strive to improve your oral, written, and graphical communication skills.

(inspired by Adam Ward)

Postdocs:

Postdoc in Spaceborne LiDAR Remote Sensing and SWE Mapping across Mid-latitude Mountain Watersheds (funding is PENDING, start Summer 2025)

    • Preferred qualifications:
      • a background in hydrology, physical geography, Earth/environmental sciences, engineering, atmospheric science, computer science, or related field
      • experience with ICESat-2, GEDI, or other lidar data, as well as other types of remote sensing
      • proficiency in computer programming (e.g., Matlab, Python, R, etc.)
      • experience with machine learning, snow modeling, and/or data assimilation
    • Dates: July 2025 - June 2027 (negotiable)
    • Funding structure: NASA Grant (funding is pending)
    • For More Information: contact Prof. Raleigh for more information and to express your interest. We expect to know in late 2024 whether this project will be funded to support the position, at which point a formal job announcement will be made.

What you can expect from me as your postdoc supervisor:

    1. Fellowship and Funding Assistance: Help identify and write for postdoctoral fellowships and assist in securing financial support for research.
    2. Project Refinement: Collaborate on refining project ideas, including those led independently by the postdoc, with the goal of developing projects that will set you up for your future career position(s).
    3. Professional Product Review: Offer review and revision of professional products such as manuscripts, presentations, and white papers.
    4. Mentoring for Career Development: Develop a mentoring plan tailored to the postdoc’s career goals, whether in academia, agencies, industry, or other fields.
    5. Regular Meetings: Meet weekly to discuss progress, research plans, and academic or career goals.
    6. Positive Research Environment: Foster a productive, collaborative, and supportive research environment.
    7. Methodology Training: Provide training in the methodologies and equipment used by the group. Facilitate support for external trainings as opportunities arise.
    8. Networking and Resource Support: Connect postdocs to professional resources, tools, and networks for career success.
    9. Conference and Fieldwork Opportunities: Support travel to at least one conference per year to present research, assuming funding is available. Facilitate fieldwork experience to develop essential skills.
    10. Emotional Support and Balance: Offer patience, flexibility, moral support, and guidance for maintaining work-life balance.

What I expect of postdocs in our group:

    1. Researcher Identity: Your primary role is to generate new scientific discoveries as an independent researcher. This is the time to differentiate your identity from your Ph.D. advisor and other mentors from graduate school. It is also a time to advance your research themes, build your “brand”, and elevate your stature in the community.
    2. Write and Publish: Take the lead in writing and publishing papers that communicate your research findings. If you are still completing papers from your Ph.D. / previous position, ensure that you are also being productive with your current postdoctoral project(s). Collaborate with Prof. Raleigh and other colleagues to develop research proposals.
    3. Conference Participation and Networking: Present your work to relevant conferences to disseminate your research. Build your professional/research network to identify new collaborators and additional mentors.
    4. Shareable Outputs: Produce reusable data, tools, and software that can be shared within the group and the wider field.
    5. Mentorship: Provide guidance to junior group members (e.g., graduate students), leveraging your expertise to help them grow and benefit from your mentorship.
    6. Career Planning: Develop a concrete career plan for your post-postdoc future, and work with the group to achieve your next career step.
    7. Goal Setting: Regularly set and review short-, intermediate-, and long-term goals during progress meetings.
    8. Expert Knowledge Sharing: Contribute to the group by sharing insights, discussing new papers, and providing feedback on others' research.
    9. Group and Meeting Engagement: Actively communicate with the group, attend and present at group meetings, and be available as a resource for others in the group.
    10. Field and Lab Responsibilities: Participate in group field campaigns and maintain detailed lab notes and datasets in shared group spaces.

(inspired by Adam Ward and Ryan Abernathey)

Prof. Raleigh is interested in working with exceptional Ph.D. graduates who are applying for externally-funded postdoctoral fellowships (see below). Please contact Prof. Raleigh if interested in discussing collaboration ideas and potential for pursuing these types of opportunities.

NSF Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) Postdoctoral Fellowship