Opportunities | Amanda Donaldson

For prospective lab members

The Watershed Ecohydrology Lab is recruiting graduate students to start in Summer/Fall 2027. We are looking for students who are excited to ask questions about how forests, streams, and landscapes respond to environmental change, and who want to develop their own research. If you are interested in joining the lab, please email amanda.donaldson (at) pitt.edu with:

Your 'why': At least two ways that your past academic or non-academic experiences and career aspirations motivate you to pursue graduate school.
Your research interests: What aspect of the research conducted in the Watershed Ecohydrology Lab most excites you, and why?
Your experience: We are particularly interested in students with field, laboratory, and/or computing experience. Please highlight relevant experiences.
Your research preferences: In critical zone science, these topics are often deeply interconnected, but please let me know if you have a preference for research focused toward ecology, hydrology, or geochemistry, and highlight any relevant background or experience.
Your ideal start date and a CV.

For prospective PhD students:

The Watershed Ecohydrology Lab is located in the Department of Geology and Environmental Science at the University of Pittsburgh, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pitt sits a few miles from downtown, at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers in western Pennsylvania, with easy access to streams and forests.

Our department hosts the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory (the Collaboratory for Water Research, Education, and Outreach), which connects Pitt researchers, water practitioners, and communities to address water challenges across Pennsylvania. Lab members can engage with this network and its faculty across a broad range of water-related disciplines.

The ideal candidate thrives in an active and collaborative team setting. Our lab is motivated to maintain a productive, diverse, and inclusive lab environment and we encourage applicants from under-represented groups to consider this program. As a first-generation college graduate myself, I care about understanding each student's "why": why graduate school, why science, why outreach. I recognize that graduate school and research can be a stepping stone to a wide range of careers, including research scientist, non-profit work, science education, policy, professorships, and beyond.

I am committed to providing funding opportunities through teaching assistantships and research assistantships. We will also explore external funding options together, since learning proposal writing skills and deepening your ability to communicate your research to diverse audiences will help you grow as a scientist.

Some funding opportunities to consider:

For prospective Pittsburgh undergraduate students:

There are always opportunities to engage with the lab, whether by attending lab meetings to learn more, pursuing an undergraduate research thesis (credits available), or joining a paid undergraduate research experience (when funding is available). Please reach out and let me know your degree year and what topics about water, forests, or the critical zone excite you. I would love to work with you, share resources, and help connect you with other opportunties that align with your career goals.

For prospective Postdoctoral scholars:

(Aug 2026) While I do not have funding to support a Postdoc at this time, I am always open to discussing funding opportunities and research ideas. Please check back as this page will be updated when positions become available.