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The successful candidate will start in January 2024 and will be located at the K-State main campus in Manhattan. The research project aims to explore agricultural productivity measures of urban food systems as it relates to profitability and economic development. Students will gain valuable research skills collecting and analyzing production, labor, and other data as well as estimating economic value and impacts. They will also gain experience working on a transdisciplinary project with graduate students and faculty from 14 different departments and 6 colleges, as well as community partners. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in and/or help to deliver the Urban Food Systems Symposium in 2026 in Kansas City.

The selected student will earn an M.S. in Agricultural Economics and a graduate certificate in Urban Food Systems.

Skills and qualifications

Required:

• Applicants must have earned an undergraduate degree in agricultural economics, agribusiness, agriculture, social sciences or a related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Individuals must show initiative, motivation and work well within a group.
• Applicants should have strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interest in food system research and development.

Preferred:

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience conducting research (designing experiments, data analysis, scientific writing).

Project Supervisor is Logan Britton Ph.D.

We are no longer accepting applicants for this position

The successful candidate will start in January 2024 and will be located at the K-State Main campus in Manhattan. The research project aims to determine the environmental sustainability of select Urban/Peri Urban Agriculture (UPA) systems. The student will gain valuable research skills such as: designing and executing field and greenhouse experiments determining positive and negative aspects of UPA through various soil (chemical, microbiological, and physical) and plant parameter analyses. UPA activities will also include locally available waste residue and wastewater reuse with and without treatments. They will also gain experience working on a transdisciplinary project with graduate students and faculty from 14 different departments and 6 colleges, as well as community partners. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in and/or help to deliver the Urban Food Systems Symposium in 2026 in Kansas City.

Skills and qualifications

Required:

• Applicants must have earned an undergraduate degree in soil science, agriculture, environmental science or a related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Individuals must show initiative, motivation, and work well within a group.
• Applicants should have good communication skills.
• Strong interest in food system research and development.

Preferred:

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience conducting research (designing experiments, data analysis, scientific writing).
• Experience in soil or other environmental sample analysis.

Project supervisor is Ganga Hettiarachchi Ph.D.

We are no longer accepting applicants for this position

The research project aims to explore agricultural productivity measures of urban food systems as it relates to food safety, profitability and economic development. Students will gain valuable research skills on waste resource recovery, collecting and analyzing relevant data on the use of recovered products in urban agriculture, their environmental benefits, and other data as well as estimating economic value and impacts. They will also gain experience working on a transdisciplinary project with graduate students and faculty from 14 different departments and 6 colleges, as well as community partners.

Project supervisors are Ganga Hettiarachchi Ph.D. and Prathap Parameswaran Ph.D.

We are no longer accepting applicants for this position

We are looking for a dedicated Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) in Data and Computer Science to play a pivotal role in our GRIP research project. As a GRA, the main responsibility will involve extensive data collection, analysis, and management to facilitate the achievement of our project's diverse objectives. This includes evaluating the productivity, community health impact, environmental sustainability and food system resiliency of various urban agriculture types, developing predictive models for disaster mitigation in urban food systems and generating preliminary data for innovative urban agriculture technologies. Additionally, the GRA will contribute to the establishment of a community advisory board and collaborate on crafting a successful proposal for FY2024. The GRA role will also encompass the dissemination of project activities and results through various channels, making a substantial contribution to the field of urban agriculture and resilience. This GRA position offers a unique opportunity to work within a transdisciplinary team and engage with cutting-edge research in a dynamic environment.

Project supervisors are Majid Jaberi-Douraki, Ph.D. and Hande McGinty, Ph.D.

This position has already been filled

The successful candidate will work in the Kim Insect Ecology Lab at the K-State main campus in Manhattan, KS and the anticipated start date is in January 2024. Students will earn a MS degree in Entomology as well as a graduate certificate in Urban Food Systems. The research project aims to understand how to manage insect communities within urban or peri-urban settings, focusing on both pests and beneficial insects. Students will gain valuable research skills such as: designing and executing field and greenhouse experiments, insect identification, collecting and analyzing data, and working with urban farmers. They will also gain experience working on a transdisciplinary project with graduate students and faculty from 14 different departments and 6 colleges, as well as community partners. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in and/or help to deliver the Urban Food Systems Symposium in 2026 in Kansas City.

Skills and qualifications

Required:

• Applicants must have earned an undergraduate degree in entomology, agriculture, biology, ecology, or a related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Individuals must show initiative, motivation, and work well within a group.
• Applicants should have good communication skills.
• Strong interest in food system research and development.

Preferred:

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience conducting research (designing experiments, data analysis, scientific writing).

Projet Supervisor is Tania Kim, Ph.D.

We are no longer accepting applicants for this position.

The successful candidate will start in January 2024 and will be located at the K-State Olathe campus. The research project aims to determine how urban agriculture can contribute to food system resilience. Students will gain valuable research skills such as: designing and executing survey instruments, analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, and preparing scientific manuscripts and presentations. They will also gain experience working on a transdisciplinary project with graduate students and faculty from 14 different departments and 6 colleges, as well as community partners. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in and/or help to deliver the Urban Food Systems Symposium in 2026 in Kansas City. Students will join the Urban Food Systems horticulture M.S. program. For more details on the program, visit our M.S. in Horticulture with an emphasis in Urban Food Systems website.

Skills and qualifications

Required:

• Applicants must have earned an undergraduate degree in horticulture, agriculture, plant science, urban planning, food science or a related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Individuals must show initiative, motivation, and work well within a group.
• Applicants should have good communication skills.
• Strong interest in food system research and development.

Preferred:

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience conducting research (designing experiments, data analysis, scientific writing).

Project supervisor is Tricia Jenkins, PhD.

We are no longer accepting applicants for this position

The successful candidate will start in January 2024 and will be located at the K-State Olathe campus. The research project aims to determine the civic and political engagement by urban agriculture producers, consumers, and neighboring citizens. Students will gain valuable research skills such as: designing and executing survey instruments, analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, and preparing scientific manuscripts and presentations. They will also gain experience working on a transdisciplinary project with graduate students and faculty from 14 different departments and 6 colleges, as well as community partners. Students will have the opportunity to participate in and/or help to deliver the Urban Food Systems Symposium in 2026 in Kansas City. Students will join the Urban Food Systems horticulture M.S. program. For more details on the program, visit our M.S. in Horticulture with an emphasis in Urban Food Systems website.

Skills and qualifications

Required:

• Applicants must have earned an undergraduate degree in horticulture, agriculture, plant science, urban planning, food science or a related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Individuals must show initiative, motivation, and work well within a group.
• Applicants should have good communication skills.
• Strong interest in food system research and development.

Preferred:

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience conducting research (designing experiments, data analysis, scientific writing).

Project supervisor is Tricia Jenkins, PhD.

We are no longer accepting applicants for this position

The successful candidate will start in January 2024 and will be located at the K-State Olathe Horticulture Research and Extension Center near Kansas City. Lab work and classroom activities will be conducted at the KSU Olathe campus. The research project aims to determine the viability of Agrivoltaics, which includes the integration of solar power and vegetable crop production. Students will gain valuable research skills such as: designing and executing field and greenhouse cropping experiments, determining quality through basic postharvest laboratory procedures, and collecting and analyzing crop yield and produce quality data. They will also gain experience working on a transdisciplinary project with graduate students and faculty from 14 different departments and 6 colleges, as well as community partners. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in and/or help to deliver the Urban Food Systems Symposium in 2026 in Kansas City. Students will join the Urban Food Systems horticulture M.S. program.

Skills and qualifications

Required:

• Applicants must have earned an undergraduate degree in horticulture, agriculture, plant science, or a related discipline from an accredited institution.
• Individuals must show initiative, motivation, and work well within a group.
• Applicants should have good communication skills.
• Strong interest in food system research and development.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Preferred:

• Experience conducting research (designing experiments, data analysis, scientific writing).
• Experience working outdoors conducting field research.
• Experience with basic laboratory procedures.

For more information, visit our Urban Food Initiatives website or contact Cary Rivard, Ph.D., at crivard@k-state.edu. Please include "Grip GRA" in your subject line.

The research project aims to evaluate a modified water treatment approach combining physical filtration with microbial reduction using UV light technologies for wastewater reuse in a hydroponic system. They will also gain experience working on a transdisciplinary project with graduate students and faculty from 14 different departments and 6 colleges, as well as community partners.

Project supervisors are Manreet Bhullar, Ph.D. and Teng Yang, Ph.D.

This position has already been filled.

The research project aims to develop a modeling framework for scenarios planning at the local level that can be employed as a planning tool by local city planners and emergency managers. Students will gain valuable research skills collecting and analyzing data on urban food system and developing a scenario planning framework based on the Interdependent Networked Community Resilience Modeling Environment (IN-CORE) developed by the Center for Risk-Based Community Resilience Planning. They will also gain experience working on a transdisciplinary project with graduate students and faculty from 14 different departments and 6 colleges, as well as community partners.

The selected student will earn a Master of Regional and Community Planning degree and a graduate certificate in Urban Food Systems.

Project supervisor is Shakil Kashem Ph.D.

This position has already been filled.

The successful candidate will start in January 2024 and will be located at the K-State main campus in Manhattan, Kansas. The selected student will earn a Master of Regional and Community Planning degree and a graduate certificate in Urban Food Systems. The research project aims to explore indicators of food vulnerability and equitable access to healthy food through social and spatial data analysis and GIS mapping. Students will gain valuable research skills such as: analytical mapping, statistical analysis, and GIS software skills, in addition to learning about food vulnerability and equity. They will also gain experience working on a transdisciplinary project with graduate students and faculty from 14 different departments and six colleges, as well as community partners. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in and/or help to deliver the Urban Food Systems Symposium in 2026 in Kansas City.

Skills and qualifications

Required:

• Applicants must have proficiency in using GIS software, spatial analysis, and mapping skills.
• Individuals must show initiative, motivation, and work well within a group.
• Applicants should have good communication skills.
• Strong interest in food system research and development.

Preferred:

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience conducting research using statistical analysis.

For questions contact Sara Hadavi at sarahadavi@k-state.edu. Please include "Grip GRA" in your subject line.

The successful candidate will start in January 2024 and will be located at the K-State main campus in Manhattan, Kansas and the anticipated start date is in January 2024. The selected student will earn a Master of Regional and Community Planning degree and a graduate certificate in Urban Food Systems.The research project aims to examine health-related aspects of urban food systems by exploring indicators of quality of life and access to healthy food. Students will gain valuable social research skills including survey design and interviews as well as quantitative and qualitative data analysis. They will also gain experience working on a transdisciplinary project with graduate students and faculty from 14 different departments and 6 colleges, as well as community partners. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in and/or help to deliver the Urban Food Systems Symposium in 2026 in Kansas City.

Skills and qualifications

Required:

• Individuals must show initiative, motivation, and work well within a group.
• Applicants should have good communication skills.
• Strong interest in health and social dimensions of food system research

Preferred:

• An undergraduate degree in agriculture, food systems, or social sciences.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience conducting social research (survey, interviews, data analysis).

For questions contact Sara Hadavi at sarahadavi@k-state.edu. Please include "Grip GRA" in your subject line.