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Open Positions at K-State Olathe
Ready to be a part of something great? Be part of the Urban Food Systems Initiative at Kansas State University.
Graduate Research Assistantship - Controlled Environment Agriculture and Post Harvest
Posted Aug. 5, 2026
Summary
An M.S. research assistantship is available in the Urban Food Production and Postharvest Handling Lab within the Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources at Kansas State University, based at the Olathe campus.
The successful candidate will be co-advised by Dr. Eleni D. Pliakoni and Dr. Suyun Nam on a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded project supporting the undergraduate Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Certificate program. The student will serve as a teaching assistant for the certificate’s core courses. In addition, the student will conduct research aligned with their interests and career goals, focusing on improving specialty crop production, quality and postharvest performance in CEA systems.
Interested applicants should submit their CV to ufs@ksu.edu.
Required Skills:
- Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree in horticulture, agronomy, plant science or a
related discipline from an accredited institution. - Applicants must demonstrate initiative, motivation, effective time management and the ability to
work collaboratively. - Applicants should have a strong interest in teaching and conducting research in CEA crop
production.
Preferred Skills:
- Coursework or research experience in greenhouse management, hydroponics, growth chambers or indoor crop production.
- Experience collecting environmental, plant growth or plant physiological data.
- Basic laboratory experience, including sample preparation, pipetting and the use of standard
laboratory equipment. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as a teaching assistant by preparing course materials, supporting laboratory instruction,
grading assignments and mentoring undergraduate students. - Collect, analyze and interpret experimental data, and contribute to manuscript preparation and
presentations at scientific conferences. - Support the operation and maintenance of research and teaching facilities, including indoor vertical
farm systems, greenhouses, laboratory equipment and experimental materials.
Position Details:
- The assistantship begins in spring 2027 and includes an annual salary stipend and tuition.
- The position is located in Olathe, Kansas, 20 miles southwest of downtown Kansas City, which is a
vibrant community with all the cultural advantages of a major metropolitan area. - K-State Olathe Campus offers an M.S. in Horticulture with emphasis in Urban Food Systems. The
successful candidate will have the opportunity to complete this specialization. For more
information, visit https://olathe.k-state.edu/academics/programs-graduate/masters/horticulture - Research will be conducted at the Postharvest Physiology Lab located at K-State Olathe Campus:
https://olathe.k-state.edu/research/postharvest-physiology-lab
Graduate Research Assistantship - Post Harvest
Posted Aug. 5, 2026
Summary
An M.S. research assistantship is available in the Urban Food Production and Postharvest Handling Lab within the Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources at Kansas State University, based at the Olathe campus.
The successful candidate will be advised by Dr. Eleni D. Pliakoni on a Kansas Department
of Agriculture-funded project focused on developing and delivering hands-on postharvest management training for Kansas specialty crop growers. The student will assist with Extension activities, including developing educational materials, conducting workshops, on-farm demonstrations and outreach programs. In addition, the student will conduct postharvest research aligned with their interests and career goals, focusing on improving produce quality, extending shelf life and reducing postharvest losses in specialty crops.
Interested applicants should submit their CV to ufs@ksu.edu.
Required Skills:
- Applicants must have earned an undergraduate degree in horticulture, food science, agronomy, plant physiology, plant pathology or a related discipline from an accredited institution.
- Applicants must demonstrate initiative, motivation, effective time management and the ability to work collaboratively.
- Applicants should have strong communication skills and an interest in working in areas related to
extension, outreach and postharvest quality.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience using Qualtrics Survey System or writing surveys.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Basic bench lab experience, including pipetting, reagent making, use of equipment like pH meters and analytical balances.
- Experience and ability to work with UHPLC and spectrophotometric systems for measuring
Vitamin C, antioxidant capacity and related properties.
Responsibilities:
- Contribute to short course curriculum through development of course materials and incorporation
of information gathered from surveys and focus groups. - Participate in extension and outreach by delivering results to growers and assisting with the
development and delivery of extension educational materials. - Support the development of the short course website and advertising materials.
- Evaluate the quality and shelf-life of produce.
Position Details:
- The assistantship includes an annual salary stipend and tuition.
- This position is located in Olathe, Kansas, just 20 miles southwest of downtown Kansas City, which is a vibrant community with all the cultural advantages of a major metropolitan area.
- K-State Olathe Campus offers an M.S. in Horticulture with emphasis in Urban Food Systems. The
successful candidate will have the opportunity to complete this specialization. For more information visit https://olathe.k-state.edu/academics/programs-graduate/masters/horticulture/ - Research will be conducted at the postharvest physiology lab located at K-State Olathe
Campus: https://olathe.k-state.edu/research/postharvest-physiology-lab/
If you have general questions, please contact Semra Fetahovic at semra@ksu.edu.
Contact Us
Program Coordinator
M.S. in Horticulture with emphasis in Urban Food Systems