There are a variety of options available to assist you with funding your college education. The University’s Office of Financial Aid can assist you with determining your eligibility for scholarships, grants, and loan options, as well as how to apply for each. As a student in the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, you may qualify for scholarships within your college and department. Applications are due in early spring and complete scholarship information can be found on the CALS Scholarships thru the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WISH). Looking to pick up a part-time job? The UW Student Jobs website has a wide range of on- and off-campus opportunities to choose from. International students should also check out the International Student Services (ISS) Office for details about funding and scholarships. Additional resources include the Undergraduate Academic Awards Office and the Nelson Institute Community Environmental Scholars Program.

Summer 2023 – Undergraduate Opportunities:

Undergraduate Student Hourly position with SnapPlus

Starting Summer 2023 at up to 20 hrs/week and continuing in the academic year at 10 hrs/week

Duties will be related to testing features in the SnapPlus agricultural cropland management software developed by the Department of Soil Science (www.snaplus.wisc.edu).  There will also be opportunities to create educational materials and documentation for end users of the new version of the program. We are looking for someone able to commit approximately 10 hours per week for the academic year and who has a strong interest in the areas of cropland management, soil fertility, and erosion control.  Prior coursework related to these areas will be helpful.  We will train the successful applicant in use of the software. No experience in software testing or development is required.

Questions and applications can be sent via email to Laura Ward Good (lwgood@wisc.edu) in the Dept. of Soil Science. Applicants should send a resume and brief description of their interest in the position. 

What is SnapPlus? 

SnapPlus (Soil Nutrient Application Planner) is Wisconsin’s nutrient management planning software.  The program helps farmers make the best use of their on-farm nutrients, as well as make informed and justified commercial fertilizer purchases. By calculating potential soil and phosphorus runoff losses on a field-by-field basis while assisting in the economic planning of manure and fertilizer applications, SnapPlus provides Wisconsin farmers with a tool for protecting soil and water quality. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WISnapPlus 

Applications to graduate studies act as the application for financial support. Offers of financial support accompany most offers of admissions for student admitted to Soil Science. Most students hold research assistantships (RAs), but some may hold fellowships or teaching assistantships (TAs). The availability of these appointments are limited. They carry a stipend, a remission of tuition, and the option to participate in a health-care plan comparable to that available to faculty. A posting of open assistantship positions with the department may also be located below.

Funding options for international students:

International students should refer to the International Applicant Financial Information website when preparing the applications. International students should submit their financial information only after a favorable admission decision has been made.

Employment regulations for international students can be found on the International Student Services (ISS) website.

Teaching Assistant (TA) appointments and requirements:

Although paid teaching assistant (TA) appointments are rare within Soil Science, there are many opportunities on campus to secure such a position. Students supported by TA positions should contact their advisor for a list of potential departments to contact. Teaching appointments require additional training as outlined below.

• Students should plan to complete the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) – College of Engineering (COE) Collaborative for Engineering Education and Teaching Effectiveness (CEETE) TA training prior to beginning a TA appointment. This 1.5-day training is offered just prior to the start of the Fall and Spring terms.
• Graduate Assistants Equity Workshops are required of all TAs prior to or during the first semester of a TA appointment.
• SPEAK Test – UW System policy requires non-native English speakers to demonstrate proficiency in spoken English before they are assigned classroom duties as a teaching assistant. The SPEAK test is used to evaluate the spoken English of International TAs. The test is available only to enrolled students holding or under consideration for a teaching assistantship.

Additional opportunities to consider:

Students are also encouraged to consider applying for a Graduate School external fellowship, CALS Fellowships, and CALS Scholarships.

Dr. Inna Popova ipopova@wisc.edu is recruiting a soil chemistry PhD graduate student. The position description is located here.

Dr. Alfred Hartemink hartemink@wisc.edu is recruiting a graduate student in Soil MIR Spectra research. The position description can be found here. Contact Dr. Hartemink for more information.

Dr. Jingyi Huang (https://soilsensingmonitoring.soils.wisc.edu/) is recruiting graduate students and postdoctoral researchers working in soil physics and hydrology, and remote sensing of the water cycles. Contact Dr. Huang (jhuang426@wisc.edu) for more information.

Dr. Xia Zhu-Barker is actively looking for graduate students and postdocs who are eager to engage in fundamental and applied research related to soil biogeochemistry, land management and environmental sustainability. Continue to check for new opportunities regularly. The position descriptions can be found here.

Continue to check for new opportunities regularly.

Practical Farmers of Iowa is hiring a senior research coordinator. This position will be heavily involved in our Cooperators’ Program – PFI’s vehicle for farmer-led on-farm research aimed at environmentally-sound, lower-cost, profitable farming techniques. We’re looking for someone who will co-design on-farm research experiments with farmers on a variety of row-crop and vegetable production topic areas. Cover crops, reduced tillage, extended rotations, season extension and soil health have been major topic areas of late.

If you know someone who fits that bill, will you please pass this along to them?

We are currently accepting applications on a rolling basis. Job description, qualifications and application may be found here.

Official Title: Research Associate (Postdoc)

Degree and area of specialization: PhD in soil science, related discipline or equivalent.

Minimum number of years and type of relevant work experience: Minimum of 1-2 years of experience conducting research in nitrogen management and fate in corn production systems. Expertise in data analysis, modeling, decision support tool development, and/or statistics highly desirable.

Position Description: This position will develop a nitrogen management tool for corn in Wisconsin with the aim to reduce nitrate leaching and other environmental impacts while maintaining productivity. The work will include, but not limited to, the creation of a management framework for nitrogen in corn taking into account soils, nitrogen sources, climate, and geological conditions of different regions of Wisconsin. Work will include expanding a database of agricultural management practices as they relate to nitrate leaching in groundwater and the development decision support tools. Engagement and collaboration with other University of Wisconsin system researchers and stakeholders will be required.

Duties and responsibilities:

• 40% – Search peer-reviewed scientific literature, collect, and organize articles related to nitrate leaching to groundwater from agroecosystems with an emphasis in Wisconsin.
• 30% – Summarize findings in tables and written format.
• 20% – Serve a co-lead in the drafting of the final report on nitrate leaching from typical agroecosystems of Wisconsin.
• 10% – Attend and participate in meetings with relevant partners, including the preparation of materials for discussion.

To apply, please submit your CV, Cover letter with a statement of purpose, and Transcripts. Email your documents to Francisco Arriaga at farriaga@wisc.edu with the subject line “N Management Tool Application”. Thank you for applying!   Postdoc and Research Intern Vacancies – Human Resources – UW–Madison (wisc.edu)

No vacancies at this time. Please check back.

No vacancies at this time. Please check back.

Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management