Graduate student positions
The John Lab is always looking for motivated and talented students to pursue a PhD at USC. We seek graduate students with the potential to be great scientists, but this can mean something different for every applicant, with the common thread being that students should have demonstrated an ability to make the most out of the academic and research opportunities they have been given, and should be able to demonstrate a passion for scientific research. Most applicants will have had previous laboratory experience and an undergraduate degree in the sciences, need not have studied or worked in oceanography specifically, for example past students have entered the lab from backgrounds in chemistry, geology, and mathematics.
I'm always happy to hear from interested PhD applicants, but the most important way in which candidates are evaluated is through full applications submitted through the USC website. Therefore, if you are interested in joining the lab, please make sure to submit a complete application by the due date. In your application, highlight exactly why you are interested in pursuing a PhD, what scientific research topics are of most interest to you, and what are the specific aspects of USC and the John Lab research program you find most exciting. If the cost of applying presents a financial burden, please send me an email stating that you would like to apply to the USC PhD program and would like to have the fee waived, and I am happy to arrange for this. Graduate students may apply to the John Lab through either the USC Ocean Sciences Program or the Earth Sciences Department. (Your chances of acceptance are the same either way, so I suggest picking the program which best overlaps with your interests). All graduate student appointments are fully paid positions, with a salary which is intended to support you comfortably for the entirety of a PhD, funded by a combination responsibilities as a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant. USC is a great institution for PhD research, and Los Angeles is a wonderful city in which to be a student. There's amazing food, great music, internationally recognized museums, and easy access to hiking and the beach, providing something for students with a wide variety of interests.
Feel free to reach out to Seth if you are planning to apply, or if you have any additional questions. (However, please don't be dissuaded from applying if I accidentally miss your email and don't reply quickly..or at all! Sometimes even important communications get lost in the Inbox.)
Postdoctoral position (Fall 2021)
The John Lab at the University of Southern California seeks a post-doctoral research associate to study the role of metals in ocean biogeochemistry. The research topic should support the overall aims of the Simons Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology (SCOPE) project, though the particular research direction can be determined collaboratively, depending on the postdoc's previous experience and interests for future research. Possible areas of interest include the impact of Fe and Ni on nitrogen fixation, the impact of trace metals on phytoplankton C:N:P ratios, physical and chemical controls on the switch between macronutrient limitation and Fe limitation across spatial gradients, and modeling the impact of North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) processes on global tracer distributions using the AWESOME OCIM and/or AIBECS modeling frameworks. Frequent opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and fieldwork will be available. Applications should send a cover letter describing areas of research interest and a CV to Professor Seth John (sethjohn@usc.edu).
The John Lab is always looking for motivated and talented students to pursue a PhD at USC. We seek graduate students with the potential to be great scientists, but this can mean something different for every applicant, with the common thread being that students should have demonstrated an ability to make the most out of the academic and research opportunities they have been given, and should be able to demonstrate a passion for scientific research. Most applicants will have had previous laboratory experience and an undergraduate degree in the sciences, need not have studied or worked in oceanography specifically, for example past students have entered the lab from backgrounds in chemistry, geology, and mathematics.
I'm always happy to hear from interested PhD applicants, but the most important way in which candidates are evaluated is through full applications submitted through the USC website. Therefore, if you are interested in joining the lab, please make sure to submit a complete application by the due date. In your application, highlight exactly why you are interested in pursuing a PhD, what scientific research topics are of most interest to you, and what are the specific aspects of USC and the John Lab research program you find most exciting. If the cost of applying presents a financial burden, please send me an email stating that you would like to apply to the USC PhD program and would like to have the fee waived, and I am happy to arrange for this. Graduate students may apply to the John Lab through either the USC Ocean Sciences Program or the Earth Sciences Department. (Your chances of acceptance are the same either way, so I suggest picking the program which best overlaps with your interests). All graduate student appointments are fully paid positions, with a salary which is intended to support you comfortably for the entirety of a PhD, funded by a combination responsibilities as a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant. USC is a great institution for PhD research, and Los Angeles is a wonderful city in which to be a student. There's amazing food, great music, internationally recognized museums, and easy access to hiking and the beach, providing something for students with a wide variety of interests.
Feel free to reach out to Seth if you are planning to apply, or if you have any additional questions. (However, please don't be dissuaded from applying if I accidentally miss your email and don't reply quickly..or at all! Sometimes even important communications get lost in the Inbox.)
Postdoctoral position (Fall 2021)
The John Lab at the University of Southern California seeks a post-doctoral research associate to study the role of metals in ocean biogeochemistry. The research topic should support the overall aims of the Simons Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology (SCOPE) project, though the particular research direction can be determined collaboratively, depending on the postdoc's previous experience and interests for future research. Possible areas of interest include the impact of Fe and Ni on nitrogen fixation, the impact of trace metals on phytoplankton C:N:P ratios, physical and chemical controls on the switch between macronutrient limitation and Fe limitation across spatial gradients, and modeling the impact of North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) processes on global tracer distributions using the AWESOME OCIM and/or AIBECS modeling frameworks. Frequent opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and fieldwork will be available. Applications should send a cover letter describing areas of research interest and a CV to Professor Seth John (sethjohn@usc.edu).