Anticipated Start Date: June 9, 2025

Estimated Pay: $6000.00 for 10-weeks

Number of Jobs Available: 1

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

Location: 025 Townsend Hall, 531 S. College Ave. Newark, DE 19716

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:

Coastal communities within Delaware and in regions across the world find themselves in a growing state of risk due to sea level rise and increased risk of flooding. Knowledge about human behavior and decision making is essential to understanding how people respond to environmental risks and which strategies can help reduce these risks. Flood hazards are a primary risk in residential areas, whereas increased salinity in soil and water resources is a primary risk in agricultural areas. Through this internship, a student will gain experience with an experimental economics study focused on understanding salinization risks in agricultural landscapes. The student intern will help review relevant literature and conduct interviews with community members to better understand how they perceive risks. They will also gain experience with data management and research communication.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Review relevant literature related to salinization of agricultural land and responses to salinization risk.
• Advance the design and prepare the implementation of an experiment to address the key research questions outlined above.
• Participate in mentorship sessions, lunch-and-learn events, and a virtual poster presentation.
• Interns must obtain IRB approval to work with human subjects within two weeks of beginning the internship.

Qualifications:  

• Introductory experience with economics is preferred.
• Current driver’s license highly preferred.

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