Opportunities

Integrating Mechanistic and Machine Learning Models for Monitoring High-Risk Substances in Wastewater

April 1, 2025


Position: 1 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Start Date: January 2026
Project: Integrating Mechanistic and Machine Learning Models for Monitoring High-Risk Substances in Wastewater

Dr. Maricor Arlos and Dr. Wayne Parker from Environmental Engineering at the University of 蓝莓视频 are looking to supervise a PhD student starting January 2026. The student will work in an interdisciplinary environment, with researchers from biology, chemistry, and environmental engineering. This opportunity is part of a larger project addressing high-risk substances in wastewater systems.

Research Topic: The larger project addresses the current crisis of high-risk substances (drugs-of-abuse) by providing a reliable alternative way to track trends, so our public health system has an alternative tool to support their Harm Reduction programs. Using a combination of machine learning and mechanistic modelling approaches, the PhD student will develop tools for estimating micropollutant inputs to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their removal through the plants. Integration with water quality models developed by our research team to assess risks in receiving environments will provide an opportunity for collaborative research.

Scope of research activities: collection of historical data (2014 鈥 2024) including WWTP operational parameters, weather conditions, sales/consumption data; data integration (databases), data cleaning and exploratory data analysis (visualization, correlations); initialization, application, and evaluation of several machine learning (ML) model algorithms; comparison of ML with existing mechanistic models (framework developed previously); integration of source, WWTP process, and river models in a single model architecture; field work may be required as part of the Grand River water survey to collect river samples for model validation.


Salary/Stipend: Minimum funding of $30,000 per year for up to four years. International students in a full-time PhD program receive an International Doctoral Student Award (IDSA), to minimize the difference between international and domestic tuition. Students are eligible for additional scholarships and awards. Graduate students at UW have access to benefits including a health and dental plan, subsidized access to the local transit system, and support for graduate students who are parents.

Why University of 蓝莓视频? The Faculty of Engineering at the University of 蓝莓视频 is one of the world鈥檚 top engineering schools, and Canada鈥檚 largest. With a global reputation for academic excellence and a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem, 蓝莓视频 Engineering is the place to be for graduate students. UW is Canada鈥檚 Most Innovative University (Maclean鈥檚 2022) and is also ranked #1 in Canada for environmental science and engineering (Academic Work Ranking of Universities, 2023).


Typical minimum qualifications:
鈥 Master鈥檚 degree in civil or environmental engineering (or a related field)
鈥 Prior experience with micropollutant research is desirable
鈥 Meet admission requirements set by the University of 蓝莓视频.

How to apply: to indicate your interest in the position. Only complete applications submitted via this online form will be considered. For more questions, please send email to Maricor Arlos: maricor.arlos@uwaterloo.ca

There鈥檚 a place for you at 蓝莓视频!


Commitment to Equity
The University of 蓝莓视频 acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within our Office of Indigenous Relations.


The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of 蓝莓视频 seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, M茅tis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

The University of 蓝莓视频 is committed to achieving barrier free accessibility for persons with disabilities studying, visiting and/or working at 蓝莓视频. 蓝莓视频 stands by the responsibility to acknowledge, communicate, and promote an understanding of the complexity and uniqueness of the University of 蓝莓视频鈥檚 campus community, presenting the ideals by which campus members should engage one another 鈥 with respect, sensitivity, and fairness 鈥 and to fostering an accessible campus environment for persons with disabilities. Learn more about Policy 58. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.


Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

9 Collaborative Postdoctoral, PhD and MSc Positions Available - Adaptive Management of Green Stormwater

Adaptive Management of Green Stormwater Infrastructure to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Urban Watersheds

We invite applications for two postdoctoral fellow (PDF), five PhD and two MSc positions to participate in a collaborative research project to assemble and propose solution options for urban green stormwater management (SWM) infrastructure that optimize the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs; CO2, CH4, and N2O). The project aims to quantify the landscape-scale drivers and processes within stormwater ponds (SWPs) and bioretention systems (BRSs) that control GHG exchanges. The resulting knowledge will be integrated into robust representations of SWPs and BRSs in coupled hydrology-biogeochemistry models to analyze the responses of urban GHG emissions and nutrients export to the implementation and management of green SWM infrastructure.

The main supervisor for each position is listed in parentheses; however, each position will have an interdisciplinary supervisory team consisting of multiple project team members.

Instructions for applying can be found below.

PDF-1 will use statistical predictors including land use/land cover, climate variables, event characteristics, and system design to identify drivers of GHG emissions from green SWM infrastructure. (Elodie Passeport, University of Toronto)

PDF-2 will use biogeochemical modeling to predict GHG emissions from green SWM systems and propose solution options for municipal and regional climate action. (Philippe Van Cappellen, University of 蓝莓视频.

PhD-1 will quantify GHG emissions from green SWM infrastructure using existing GHG emission data plus field monitoring of GHG fluxes at SWP and BRS sites with fixed and floating chambers. (Fereidoun Rezanezhad, University of 蓝莓视频)

PhD-2 will focus on processes controlling the organic and inorganic carbon cycles in SWM systems to identify external and internal sources and sequestration pathways for GHG emission reduction. (Scott Smith, Wilfrid Laurier University)

PhD-3 will generate mass balances of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in SWM infrastructure to assess trade-offs between GHG reduction and water quality protection. (Philippe Van Cappellen, University of 蓝莓视频)

PhD-4 will simulate and analyze management scenarios with variable SWM configurations

and hydroclimatic conditions in urban watersheds to optimize the reduction of GHG emissions at the watershed scale. (Andrea Brookfield, University of 蓝莓视频.

PhD-5 will test the full-scale feasibility of geochemical interventions in SWPs and BRSs that increase carbon sequestration in green SWM infrastructure. (Bahram Gharabaghi, University of Guelph)

MSc-1 will determine the rates of carbon sequestration in green SWM systems with the focus on CO2 saturation and carbonate mineral sequestration potential. (Fereidoun Rezanezhad, University of 蓝莓视频)

MSc-2 will simulate and analyze the vulnerability of GHG emissions from SWM infrastructure to changes in urban watershed hydrology including more extreme flooding and drought events. (Andrea Brookfield, University of 蓝莓视频)

The PDFs and students will work closely together within a highly interdisciplinary team of researchers from University of 蓝莓视频, Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Toronto and University of Guelph. The research team will regularly interact with scientists, practitioners, decision-makers, and public participants from stakeholder organizations, including Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), City of Kitchener, Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), Muslim Families, and Crozier & Associates Consulting Engineers.

Applicants must have (or expect to soon complete) a degree relevant to the position applied for. Preference will be given to candidates with strong quantitative skills and demonstrated experience in one or more of the following or closely related areas: biogeochemistry, aquatic chemistry, hydrology, soil science, and environmental modeling and risk assessment. There will be flexibility in locations of the positions. Exceptional candidates who prefer to undertake a Master鈥檚 degree in one of the PhD topics above will be considered.

Please submit your application package electronically as a single pdf file to Anita Ghosh (a9ghosh@uwaterloo.ca). In your email, include 鈥淢issions_yourname鈥 in the subject line. Your applications should contain:

  • Which PDF, PhD-# or MSc-# position(s) you wish to be considered for
  • A letter explaining your motivation to apply
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Copy of transcripts (unofficial transcripts will be accepted at the application stage)

Closing date: Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Preference will be given to applications submitted before June 1, 2023.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.

The partnering universities in this project are committed to implementing the Calls to Action framed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We regard equity, diversity, and

inclusion (EDI) as an integral part of academic excellence. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities.

If you have any questions regarding the application process, eligibility, or a request for accommodation during the selection process, please contact a9ghosh@uwaterloo.ca.

MSc and PhD Opportunities - Can-Peat: Canada's peatlands as nature-based solution

MSc and PhD Opportunities at the University of 蓝莓视频

We invite applications for one MSc and one PhD positions to participate in a recently funded collaborative research project called 鈥淐an-Peat: Canada鈥檚 peatlands as nature-based solutions to climate change鈥. The main goal of the Can-Peat project is to quantify the potential of peatland management in Canada to contribute to climate change mitigation as a nature-based solution. The Can-Peat project objectives are to create a Canadian peatland research network to advance models of peatland carbon cycling from site to national-scale and develop a decision-support framework for peatland management. The students will be guided by a team of researchers from the University of 蓝莓视频 and collaborators from partners in governments, industries, and conservation organizations.

MSc student will assemble a dataset of peatland physical, hydrological, and biogeochemical properties (including experimental data and field observations) from the selected study sites in the compilation of peatland datasets proposed in Can-Peat project. MSc student will use a robust machine learning model using the data to identify key environmental drivers and predict future changes in greenhouse gas emission rates under future climate scenarios. The goal will be to establish how peatlands in different regions are expected to respond to changing anthropogenic disturbances and climate warming to better understand the peatland carbon and greenhouse gas exchange and the resilience of their carbon source/sink function to disturbance.

PhD student will develop the reactive transport sub-models that evaluate the biogeochemical transformations of carbon and nutrients in peatlands under examples of anthropogenic disturbances and climatic scenarios to estimate the changes in carbon stocks and budgets for the future peatland ecosystems carbon balances. The outputs of these sub-models will be incorporated into the Canadian Model for Peatlands, to improve regional to national estimates of Net ecosystem exchange and carbon emissions into the Canadian Model for Peatlands frameworks for application at multiple scales and for spatially-referenced and spatially-explicit modelling approaches.

Applicants must have (or expect to soon complete) a degree in biogeochemistry, hydrology, soil science or a related field. Preference will be given to candidates with strong quantitative skills and demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas: terrestrial biogeochemistry, environmental engineering, reactive transport modeling, and environmental climate change impact analysis. MSc student position can be created in lieu of a PhD position for exceptional candidates who prefer to undertake a Master鈥檚 degree.

If you have any questions regarding the application process and, eligibility, or a request for accommodation during the selection process, please contact Dr. Fereidoun Rezanezhad (frezanez@uwaterloo.ca) and Dr. Philippe Van Cappellen (pvc@uwaterloo.ca). Please submit your application package electronically as a single pdf file to Dr. Fereidoun Rezanezhad (frezanez@uwaterloo.ca). In your application email, please include 鈥淐an-Peat-MSc or PhD#_yourname鈥 in the subject line and attach a single PDF file that contains:

  • Your motivation for applying to the position and your research interests
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Copy of transcript(s) (unofficial transcripts will be accepted at the application stage)
  • Contact information for up to 3 references

Closing date: Applications will be reviewed as they are received. The positions will remain open until filled. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.

The University is committed to implementing the Calls to Action framed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of 蓝莓视频 is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes ten kilometers on each side of the Grand River.

The University of 蓝莓视频 regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. As such, we encourage applications from women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Metis and Inuit), Black and members of racialized groups, individuals in the LGBTQ2+ communities, and contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Modeling of the winter carbon losses in cold region wetland ecosystems under current and future climates

A postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) position is available to participate in a research project to evaluate the impact of winter warming mitigation in controlling carbon losses from pan-Canadian wetland and permafrost ecosystems. The goal of this project is to advance the fundamental, process-based understanding of the function of soil biogeochemical processes in cold region environments during the fall-winter and winter-spring transitions and during the non-growing season (NGS) by creating the foundation for the predictive modelling of winter carbon losses in cold region wetland and permafrost ecosystems under current and future climates. The main tasks of the PDF will be developing reactive transport and bioenergetic models to simulate the biogeochemical transformations of carbon and nutrients under winter warming scenarios to quantify future northern wetland and permafrost ecosystems carbon balances during the period of NGS respiration.

Applicants must have a PhD in a relevant natural science or engineering field, and have a track record of research productivity, including peer-reviewed publications. Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated skills and experience in numerical mathematical modeling, programming and numerical analysis in soil biogeochemistry and reactive transport modeling. The PDF will work within a multidisciplinary team with significant strengths in ecohydrology, environmental-(bio)geochemistry, microbiology, chemistry, hydrogeology and high-performance computing. Funding for the positions is available for up to two years. For further information regarding this position, or to submit an application, please contact Dr. Fereidoun Rezanezhad (frezanez@uwaterloo.ca).

Application Instructions

In your application email, please include 鈥PDF-ACCS-YourName鈥 in the subject line and attach a single file that contains:

  • A cover letter stating your motivation for applying to this position and your research interests
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Copy of unofficial transcripts
  • Contact information for up to 3 references

Closing date: Applications will be reviewed as they are received. The positions will remain open until filled. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.