Current Openings
We are currently recruiting a student interested in conducting research as part of their master’s degree to join our group in summer/fall 2023!
Project: Depositional controls on low-latitude, mixed shallow-water carbonate rocks, Lower Mississippian, continental U.S., with implications for reservoir character
Description: We are currently recruiting a student interested in conducting research as part of their graduate studies for a master’s degree at the University of Kansas. The position will begin in summer/fall 2023 (spring 2023 start possible for exceptional candidates). The research is part of our ongoing sedimentology and stratigraphy project focusing on Mississippian carbonate rocks (limestones and dolostones) in the continental U.S, which form important petroleum reservoirs and are potential targets for CO2 sequestration. The initial goal of the project is to collect data from core and outcrop study, and integrate with data from published literature to look at distribution patterns of shallow-water marine heterozoan, photozoan and biosiliceous facies for different Mississippian time intervals. These carbonate facies are sensitive to environmental conditions, including climate, geography, and oceanography. Documenting facies patterns on a regional scale is an important first step in understanding local-to-regional environmental factors that affect their distribution. The facies also have different reservoir characteristics. Understanding factors that control distribution can aid in predicting character of subsurface reservoirs and targets for CO2.
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Required qualifications: (i) Bachelor’s degree in geology or Earth Science, (ii) Proficiency in oral and written communication in English, (iii) Experience or interest in studying carbonates.
Preferred qualifications: (i) Experience in academic research, (ii) Experience describing sedimentary rocks (outcrop or core), (iii) Experience studying rocks with petrographic microscopes.
General information:
The graduate student will be admitted through the Department of Geology at KU, and will be working with Diana Ortega-Ariza and based at the Kansas Geological Survey, a research and service center at the University of Kansas. This position is fully funded for two years and includes summer support. The candidate should be highly self-motivated, passionate about rocks, and have a strong interest in being part of a collaborative research group. Our group is committed to increasing representation of women and minorities in science and encourages candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply.
To inquire about this position, please contact Dr. Diana Ortega-Ariza at dianalo@ku.edu with the following items as a single PDF attachment: 1) A cover letter describing your interest in the position, and how you meet the required and preferred qualifications, 2) Resume/CV, 3) Contact information for two professional references, and 4) unofficial transcripts. Review of applications will begin July 30, 2022 and continue through November 30, 2022.
For more information on the Group’s research activities, check out our Research page.