PhD Assistantships: Wildfire Social-Ecological Systems and Creative Technology

WILDD Systems Lab; University of Colorado Boulder; USA

Two PhD assistantships are available at the University of Colorado Boulder for students interested in bringing together social-ecological systems science and creative technology to investigate wildfire, ecological disturbance, landscape change, and recovery. Students will combine environmental data science with interactive and immersive technologies to generate new scientific insights and develop tools for environmental research and decision-making.

Applicants may come from a range of disciplinary backgrounds; curiosity about and commitment to working across these areas matter more than prior expertise in all of them.

Students will be advised by Dr. Megan Cattau and will be active members of the WILDD Systems Lab (Ways of Interpreting Landscape Disturbance + Dynamics) within the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. Depending on their backgrounds and research interests, the students may pursue a PhD in Creative Technology and Design at ATLAS or in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Initial interest form deadline: November 1, 2026. Selected finalists will be invited to apply formally to the appropriate CU Boulder PhD program by December 1, 2026.

Please feel free to share this opportunity with prospective students and colleagues.