June 8, 2022

test imageNorthern Lake Powell, Utah

2022/2023 Graduate Research Assistantships

The Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism at Utah State University is seeking two highly qualified candidates committed to pursuing a MS within the Department of Environment and Society. The Department of Environment and Society offers MS degrees in Environment and Society, Geography or Recreation Resource Management.

 

MS Research Assistantship
Visitor Experiences of Cave and Karst Resources
This assistantship will involve developing a foundational understanding of how visitor experiences of cave and karst resources can be monitored and managed. The successful applicant will have responsibilities of:

  • leading an integrative review of the academic and gray literature on visitor experiences of cave and karst resources,
  • conducting on-site interviews of visitors to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Timpanogos Cave National Monument to assess the salience of different indicators that can affect cave experiences, and
  • leading an on-site survey of visitors at Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Timpanogos Cave National Monument to quantify acceptability thresholds of select cave experience indicators.
The successful applicant will work under the collaborative direction of Dr. Jordan W. Smith and Dr. Chase C. Lamborn.


MS Research Assistantship
Gateway and Natural Amenity Region Planning – North Lake Powell
This assistantship will involve working with key stakeholders across southeastern Utah to collaboratively identify transportation, water, energy, outdoor recreation, and economic development infrastructure needs and opportunities around the north end of Lake Powell, with a specific focus on Halls Crossing and Bullfrog Marinas. The successful applicant will have responsibilities of:

  • conducting interviews with key stakeholders to identify economic development needs and opportunities associated with the development of Halls Crossing and Bullfrog Marinas,
  • designing and organizing collaborative meetings to identify discrete economic development scenarios for the region, and
  • evaluating the potential economic impact of discrete development scenarios.
The successful applicant will work under the direction of Dr. Jordan W. Smith.


Support

The research assistantships are funded for 12-months at 20-hour per week. The positions include a competitive stipend, tuition, health insurance benefits, and funding for conference travel. The research assistantships are funded annually and are renewable each year based on satisfactory progress.
 

The Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

The successful candidate will work out of the Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism. The purpose of the Institute is to provide data for the Legislature as well as municipal, county, state, and federal agencies in their decision-making processes on issues relating to tourism and outdoor recreation throughout Utah. Through our research, we provide a base of information and expertise to assist community leaders and agencies as they attempt to balance the environmental, economic, and social tradeoffs associated with outdoor recreation use and tourism development.
 

Qualifications

Potential candidates must be fully accepted into one of the Department of Environment and Society’s MS programs. Candidates must have very positive recommendations from previous positions. Prior undergraduate or graduate research experience is preferable.

Start Date

September, 2022 OR January, 2023

Application Process

Interested students are encouraged to contact Dr. Smith (and Dr. Lamborn if interested in the assistantship focused on cave and karst resource management) to learn more about the assistantships. To apply, send a current CV and 1-page letter of interest to:

Dr. Jordan W. Smith
Director
Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
Utah State University
jordan.smith@usu.edu

Dr. Chase C. Lamborn
Assistant Director of Visitor Use Monitoring and Management
Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
Utah State University
chase.lamborn@usu.edu