Graduate Student Positions

The EES department is always seeking graduate student applicants each fall admission cycle. Graduate students are typically supported by fellowships, research assistantships or teaching assistantships. The graduate admission process is described in detail here with application deadlines at the end of the year. Below are some of the graduate student research opportunities being specifically sought for admission in the 2025 cycle, and we also encourage you to contact the faculty members working on topics that interest you directly.

Paleobiology and Geobiology. Professor Maloney is seeking a MSc student and PhD student to work on projects related to the ecological expansion of eukaryotes. We are particularly interested in the coevolution of early life and their paleoenvironments. These projects will involve examining macro/microfossils, investigating the processes that result in exceptional preservation, as well as, collecting and interpreting geochemical data. Students will work with an interdisciplinary team of international collaborators to conduct fieldwork, core repository visits and/or museum-based research.

Fate of the Continental Lithospheric Mantle - East Greenland. Professor Tyrone Rooney (MSU Geochemistry) is seeking a PhD student for an NSF-funded project “Fate of the continental lithospheric mantle during the continent to ocean transition in a magma-rich environment - Insights from the East Greenland margin.” This research investigates magmatism, rifting, and geodynamics using igneous dikes and offshore seaward dipping reflectors (SDRs) from East Greenland. The project involves laboratory analyses (isotopic clean lab, laser ablation ICP-MS, WD-XRF), new mantle melting models, and Hf/Os isotopic data to constrain depleted mantle components. Key questions address magmatism's temporal evolution, links between SDRs and dike swarms, and lithospheric mantle contributions during continent-to-ocean transitions. The ideal candidate has strong undergraduate research experience in geochemistry or a master’s degree in geology/geochemistry. Analytical methods or numerical modeling experience is desirable but not required. Excellent communication skills and a willingness to learn are essential. The position starts Summer/Fall 2026. You can find more information here.

Planetesimal Formation. Professor Jacobson is seeking a PhD student to study the formation of the first planetesimals. The goal of this work is to track the accretion and dynamical state of planetesimals as they form due to gravitational collapse. The primary method would rely on the development of a new astrophysical N-body code that mixes two existing styles of N-body code together: perfect merging and soft-sphere discrete element method. From this new software, we would gain a more accurate understanding of the collapse process than anyone has achieved yet.