Climate Change Adaptation Graduate Student Specialist
Academic Year 2026-2027
Highlights
This position is open to graduate students only
Hourly rate: $19/hour
Expected hours per week: Up to 10
Modality: Hybrid
Dates: November 2026 – May 2027
After first 100 hours, opportunity to transition to a new role within the Lovejoy Center.
Apply on Google Forms: https://forms.gle/1GFpH6Vo8b8pG27h9
About the Lovejoy Center
The Lovejoy Center for Bridging Biodiversity, Conservation Science, and Policy is a center at the University of Arizona housed within the Arizona Institute for Resilience. Guided by Thomas Lovejoy's scientific work and unwavering optimism, the Lovejoy Center advances the science and practice of biodiversity conservation through research, education, and cross-sector collaborations. Our team works with conservation science and policy, connecting university research with the people and organizations working towards conservation solutions at scale in the Sonoran Desert, the Amazon, and beyond.
Past student specialists at the Lovejoy Center add, “Student specialists are core contributors, not task-runners. Past student work has been published in policy briefs, presented at university showcases, and used directly by community partners.”
Position Overview
The incoming Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) Graduate Student Specialist will work closely with the principal investigator to execute a specific research project. Project goals include conducting an interdisciplinary systematic literature relevant to climate change adaptation in the United States. The successful candidate will have the option to contribute as a co-author to the peer-reviewed journal publication.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Work closely with the principal investigator to conduct a systematic literature review
Screen titles, abstracts, and full-text articles as a second coder
Read and summarize papers from a wide array of subject areas, including environmental science, agricultural and biological sciences, engineering, economics, policy, psychology, health
Use Covidence software to maintain records, code articles, and identify trends
Adhere to the study protocols, code book, and open science guidelines for the project
Meet with the principal investigator to resolve coding discrepancies
Attend and actively participate in regular weekly/biweekly team meetings on Zoom
Remotely collaborate with the research team over email
Optional: Commensurate with contributions, the CCA Graduate Student Specialist will have the option to co-author to a peer-reviewed publication with the research team. This will involve contributing to the manuscript writing and development on project timelines.
Minimum Qualifications
Graduate student (Masters, PhD)
Active University of Arizona student in good academic standing and enrolled in at least 6 credits
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with conducting literature reviews (e.g., systematic review)
Coursework or experience with scientific writing (e.g., research paper)
Experience working in Covidence review software, or equivalent
Background and/or interest in doing interdisciplinary research in social and environmental sciences
Passion for environmental conservation and resilience
Application
Please submit the application through Google Forms, which will ask for your resume/curriculum vitae and cover letter.
Cover letters should describe your interest in the position, relevant experience, and anything else you would like the committee to know about why you would be a great fit for the Lovejoy Center and the position.
Hiring Process
The hiring process will follow the timeline below:
We're accepting applications until October 23, and plan to conduct interviews in mid- to late-October.
Applicants will hear a decision by the end of October/early November
Our target start date is November 9th. We can be flexible given a candidate's schedule.
Start and End Dates
This position is intended to start in November 2026 and end in May 2027; exact start and end dates are flexible. This position is funded for a maximum of 100 hours and will end when hours are reached.
Supervision and Support
This position is supervised by Sarah Gonzalez-Coffin, PhD, Tom Lovejoy Postdoctoral Fellow.
Allowable Work Hours
Please note that during the semester, student employees are limited to 25 hours/week (20 hours/week for international students) across ALL U of A positions.
For graduate students with a GA position on campus, total on-campus employment must not exceed 26.4 hours/week.
This position expects up to 10 hours a week, up to 100 hours, and is work-study eligible. This is not a GA position and does not offer tuition benefits.
International Students
International students should consult with International Student Services (ISS) if work authorization is needed before securing this role. ISS advising information can be found here.
Questions About This Position?
If you have any questions about this position or trouble submitting the application, please contact Lovejoy Center Program Coordinator Phoebe Meixner (pmeixner@arizona.edu).
Apply on Google Forms: https://forms.gle/1GFpH6Vo8b8pG27h9