PhD Assistantship - Geosystems Engineering (Stony Brook University)

Dr. Wei Li’s Geosystems Engineering Laboratory (weili-geo.com) has two openings for fully-funded Ph.D. students starting in spring or fall 2023 through the Department of Civil Engineering at Stony Brook University. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work on one of the following research directions:

(1) Reactive transport modeling and experiments in geosystems.

(2) Fluid-coupled granular physics illuminated by photoporomechanics.

The overarching goal of the lab is to advance the engineering of geosystems in the context of climate change, infrastructure resilience, and energy- and water resources. Our research involves innovative experimenting, visualization, and modeling of geosystems of various scales, to elucidate the fundamental physics and guide the real-life engineering of geosystems. Application areas of our research included CO₂ storage, enhanced gas/oil recovery, in-situ mining, sinkhole hazards, landslide, and induced earthquakes.

Students with bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees in civil engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, petroleum engineering, geoscience, and other closely related fields are encouraged to apply. Candidates with a strong interest in experimental research and innovation are especially welcome.

To apply, please contact Dr. Li (wei.li.6@stonybrook.edu). When contacting via email, please include the following materials: curriculum vitae, unofficial transcripts, and a summary that highlights your skills and research interests relevant to the project. All applicants should meet the minimum admission requirements (see links for the department and graduate school) at Stony Brook University. The application needs to be made on the school’s portal. The application deadlines are: October 1, 2022 for spring 2023 admission and January 15, 2023 for fall 2023 admission.

Dr. Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Department of Civil Engineering at Stony Brook University. He obtained his BE in Hydraulic Engineering from Tsinghua University in 2012. He then spent ten years at MIT obtaining his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees and working as a postdoc. Mens et manus (mind and hand) is the motto he carries for research and education.  

Stony Brook University is the New York state’s flagship public university. Located about 1hr from New York City, it has easy access to city life, air travel and interaction with other institutes. It has a strong legacy in Mathematics and Physics, and co-manages the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences is rapidly expanding. In particular, the Department of Civil Engineering is young and unbound by tradition, with a strong core of passionate young faculty looking to redefine future civil engineering research and practice.