Project: 

The University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
(RSENR) invites applications for a Master’s student to join an interdisciplinary research project:
“Winter Ice, Landscape Connections, Health, Well-being, and Social Resilience in Lake
Champlain Basin.”
This position offers a unique opportunity to engage in community-based participatory research
project that investigates how different socio-demographic groups interact with the winter
environment in the Lake Champlain Basin in Vermont and how these interactions influence
social, economic, health, and well-being outcomes. The aim is to improve place-based human environmental relations, environmental literacy, and community resilience.

The position is fully funded (stipend + tuition) for two years, starting ASAP or Fall 2026.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Conduct qualitative research, including focus groups and photo essays, in collaboration
  with community partners (CVOEO, VT Department of Health).
• Assist with survey design, data collection, and analysis.
• Engage with community members and organizations to facilitate data collection and
  outreach.
• Support project data management, ethical compliance, and dissemination of findings
  (e.g., reports, policy briefs, public presentations).
• Contribute to the preparation of peer-reviewed publications and public-facing materials.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, public health, sociology, anthropology,
  psychology or a related field.
• Interest in human-environment interactions, community-based research, and/or public
  health.
• Experience with qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, focus groups, thematic analysis) is
  desirable.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.

Contact: 

The student will work with Dr. Helina Jolly (RSENR), Dr. Bindu Panikkar (RSENR), Dr. Kelly Rohan
(Psychology) along with the local community partners at the Champlain Valley Office of
Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) and the Vermont Department of Health (VTDOH).
If interested, please submit a cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, a CV,
unofficial transcripts, and contact information for two references to Dr. Helina Jolly
(helina.jolly@uvm.edu). Please use the subject line – “Prospective Graduate Student”

Project: The RAAIN Lab (Restoring Attention and Affect in Nature), directed by Dr. Sara LoTemplio, is recruiting a fully-funded (including summer) 5-year PhD student to start in the Fall of 2026! This student will work on projects aiming to understand how nature contact influences brain activity, cognition, and stress physiology. Specifically, the student will be working on projects using EEG (electroencephalography). No experience with EEG is necessary to apply! However, past research experience in any discipline and coursework in psychology/neuroscience is highly valued. 

Contact: Please email Dr. Sara LoTemplio with your CV and a short description of your interests in the lab at Sara.lotemplio@colostate.edu . (Note: Dr. LoTemplio is currently based at Colorado State University but is moving to UVM starting in January of 2026). 

For more information about the RAAIN lab, see our website: https://sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu/raainlab/

Rubenstein Doctoral Assistantship Overview

This funding opportunity provided by the Rubenstein Graduate Program will support at least 3 new PhD students each year with 3 full years of assistantship funding to increase the number of highly qualified doctoral students who will bring unique perspectives, experience, and skills to the PhD in Natural Resources program. Please see the Overview attachment (linked above) for further details on the qualifications, funding, and application process. 

The University of Vermont is committed to inclusive excellence and its admissions practices reflect that university-wide commitment. Using a nuanced, holistic, and multi-faceted admissions process, we seek to build a campus community with myriad talents, experiences, goals, backgrounds, perspectives, and interests. Applicants are strongly encouraged to share their unique lived experience with us as part of the application process. 

Prospective students must complete and submit an application to the UVM Graduate College on or before January 1^st for our Fall start term cycle. Students should specifically reference conversations that have taken place with their intended faculty advisor in their Statement of Purpose. 

Students must be nominated by a RSENR Graduate Faculty member, who will serve as your advisor, to be considered for this funding opportunity. 

Advisors will complete and submit the Request Form by January 23rd of the calendar year in which the student intends to matriculate. 

The Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont supports outstanding PhD applicants interested in conducting interdisciplinary research on major global environmental challenges. With Gund PhD Fellowships, students receive attractive funding packages, world-class faculty mentors, real-world experience collaborating with leaders in government and business – and a deep understanding of complex global sustainability issues.

Learn more about Gund Research Fellowships

Leadership for the Ecozoic (L4E) is a transdisciplinary initiative based at the University of Vermont (UVM) and McGill University that advances collaborative research, teaching, and leadership for a just and sustainable future. L4E at UVM fosters scholarship that explores economics through the lens of sustainable scale and just distribution over efficient allocation.

To apply for a Fellowship, please review the Fall 2026 Application. Please connect with Julie Starr (julie.starr@uvm.edu) with any questions.Learn more about L4E

BilDS is a training program, a training program that integrates with existing Ph.D. programs across the UVM campus in biology, plant biology, plant and soil sciences, mathematics, computer science, engineering, natural resources, and cellular, molecular and biomedical sciences. Traineeships provide core courses, a variety of quantitative electives, an applied internship with a non-academic organization, and extensive professional development training in computation, communication, and cultural awareness and inclusion. 

Learn more about BilDS

Responsibilities

The Rubenstein School has many teaching assistantships available each academic year (Fall & Spring semesters) in support of our RSENR undergraduate curriculum. Graduate teaching assistants may lead field and indoor laboratories, facilitate discussion sessions among small groups of undergraduates, assist with evaluation and grading, run workshops and help sessions, and more. Typical assignments are for 10 hours a week.

Qualifications

Teaching Assistantship positions are prioritized in supplement to additional advisor-secured Research Assistantship funding, and may be a component of one or several semesters of a student's funding offer. Incoming students may not apply for this support, as these positions are allocated based on faculty advisor requests and supplemental funding needs.