Anticipated Start Date: June 9, 2025

Estimated Pay: $6000.00

Number of Jobs Available: 1

Schedule: Monday-Friday, 9AM-4PM, Exact schedule to be determined with advisor

Location: Hybrid, online/Graham Hall

About the department / center:

Coastal communities face growing and compounding risks from multiple hazards, exacerbated by the effects of climate change and sea-level rise (SLR). With nearly twice the global rates of SLR, the US Atlantic seaboard is particularly vulnerable, and hazards are experienced disproportionately. Neglecting equity issues in climate change adaptation efforts can worsen inequalities and bring further harm to already vulnerable communities. The Risks, Impacts, & Strategies for Coastal Communities (RISCC) project brings together researchers and community stakeholders from three EPSCoR jurisdictions representing the lowest-lying states in the country–Delaware (DE), Rhode Island (RI), & South Carolina (SC). The overarching goal of our project is to advance convergent science to empower communities that are disproportionately affected by dual, interacting climate hazards–flooding and salinization–to make effective and inclusive adaptation decisions that support long-term climate resilience.

Role Description:

This research group aims to understand how elected officials and land use planners perceive climate risks in their jurisdictions and plan to adapt to or mitigate those risks within the context of equity, inclusion, tax base impacts, and economic considerations would be important both in terms of the choices available to residents and policy priorities at the local government level.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Assist with collecting climate resilience plans, sustainability plans, hazard mitigation plans, comprehensive plans for jurisdictions in Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Delaware.
• Assist with plan content evaluation
• Assist with survey data analysis of survey of policymakers in SC, DE, RI on perceptions of flooding risk and attitudes towards resilience planning

Qualifications:  

• Prior knowledge of urban planning and/or enrollment (current or past) in urban planning classes is preferred. If not, should have an interest in urban planning.

Hiring Timeline:

Application Review: Late April

Interviews- May

Offers Extended- May

Please note that dates are subject to change depending on the needs of the department.

Applicants must be undergraduate students at the University of Delaware. Work study eligibility can be found here. Applicants who are not enrolled as undergraduate students at the University will not be considered for this position. Employment Limitations and Exceptions