McBeth Geomicrobiology Research Group: Opportunities

Student and job opportunities in the McBeth Geomicrobiology Research Group

Thank you for your interest in joining my lab group! My group is composed of a team of diverse scientists at all levels of their career, gathering together to learn and discover. I take my role as a mentor very seriously, and aim to graduate students who have excellent communications skills, leadership experience, a strong safety ethic, and who are well prepared for their future careers in industry or academia. We collaborate with a broader network of scientists from across Canada who offer additional expertise to help my students grow professionally during their program. We aim to have an open environmental where all lab group members have a voice to share concerns and ideas and solve problems as a team. Our lab culture is friendly and supportive.

My lab is a safe space for everyone, and I particularly welcome and invite Indigenous people, women, and 2SLGBTQ+ students to reach out to me about opportunities in my group.

-Dr Joyce McBeth

(this page last updated 2023-02-09)

Undergraduate research student opportunities

If you are and undergraduate student at the University of Regina or the University of Saskatchewan who is interested in exploring opportunities for an undergraduate research summer internship or thesis project, please contact me via e-mail. The earlier in the year (Fall semester, January) you contact me the better, it allows time to apply for summer support funds through programs such as the the NSERC USRA program. Additional information on undergraduate research at URegina can be found on the Dept. of Geology Undergraduate Student Research Website.

I also often apply for funding to support undergraduate summer students in my lab. Reach out early in your program if you are interested in the research I do and we can apply for these funds together! I often hire students for part time positions, so if you have a part time summer position or you only want to work a few hours a week in the summer to learn more about research, I welcome your email.

Qualities I am seeking in undergraduate summer students:

• Completed at least one foundational geology course (URegina GEOL 102 and Geol 201) or have similar first year course background in an Earth science discipline (e.g., soil science)
• Registered in geology or environmental geoscience at URegina. I have some limited capacity for taking on summer students at USask too so I also welcome contact from USask students
• Organized, accountable, and motivated
• Excited about environmental aspects of Earth sciences and biological interactions with the geosphere (even if you still have a lot to learn - that's why we are at university!)
• It is helpful to have a driver's license, but not required

Visiting student internships

Graduate Research

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• applicants MUST have a geoscience undergraduate degree (unless otherwise specified in the ad) due to the requirements of our program and the nature of our research projects. Successful candidates will have completed coursework in mineralogy and geochemistry, with strength in their upper level coursework in geochemistry and a willingness to learn new things (e.g., microbiology, synchrotron techniques).

• if you have an undergraduate degree in geology or environmental geoscience with interest in environmental geochemistry, and you are a Canadian citizen or have permanent residence status in Canada and an average over 82% in the last two years of your undergraduate program, you are welcome to reach out to discuss possibilities for MSc or PhD programs with me, even if I do not presently have a position listed. Prospective students who meet these entry requirements are good candidates for competetive NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarships, so we can explore applying for these scholarships together if our research interests are aligned. Unfortunately, international students are not eligible for these scholarships. International applicants with an undergraduate degree in geology or environmental geoscience and a very strong academic record (80%+ in last two years of their program, or a First in British terms) are also encouraged to reach out to discuss opportunities since they may be eligible for university entrance scholarships. Please read through the "entrance requirements for URegina" section below prior to contacting me.

PhD positions

MSc positions

1. NSERC and Giant Mine Oversight Board funded As-Fe compound biogeochemistry project

I am seeking an MSc student to start in May or September 2023 at the University of Regina for a project with a 2-year stipend working on geomicrobiological transformations of arsenic-iron compounds, in the context of mine waste reclamation. This project involves Fe-As phase synthesis, incubations of the Fe-As phases with microbes under various conditions to test their stability, and synchrotron analyses to assess the mineralogy and chemistry of the resulting materials. I will train the successful candidate in the microbiology and synchrotron analyses parts of the project so prior knowledge of these aspects are not required. We are working with a dynamic and friendly group of scientists based at the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan. Student stipend funding is available for this project through an NSERC Alliance grant in partnership with the Giant Mine Oversight Board, and Dr McBeth will apply for additional support for the student through the NSERC CREATE INSPIRE program.

The successful applicant must have an undergraduate degree in geology or environmental geoscience, and be willing to learn about environmental microbiology. Opportunities for training and use of the Canadian Light Source synchrotron will also be part of this project.

for further information on this position, please review the advertizement for the position.

Please review the section "Entrance requirements for URegina Graduate School" below for further information on applying for this position.

2. NSERC funded project on the geomicrobiology of wetlands contaminated with mine tailings

The McBeth Geomicrobiology Group in the Department of Geology at the University of Regina is recruiting for a full-time 2-year MSc position to begin in May or Sept 2023. The project is in collaboration with colleagues at St Mary's University in Halifax, NS. The stipend for the successful candidate and project funds are provided through an NSERC Alliance grant and Dr McBeth will apply for additional support for the student through the NSERC CREATE INSPIRE program. The successful applicant(s) will primarily be based at the University of Regina in Regina, SK where they will learn how to use high-throughput amplicon sequencing to characterize microbial communities in environmental samples. In Summer 2023, the student will assist with setting up mesocosm studies in wetlands in Nova Scotia working with collaborators from the Dynamic Ecology and Environmental Health Research (DEEHR) Group led by Dr Linda Campbell. In addition to their studies of the wetland and mesocosm microbiology, the student will also study the biogeochemistry of elements such as iron and arsenic in samples from the field site using synchrotron techniques at the Canadian Light Source synchrotron in Saskatoon, SK. Sequencing and synchrotron skills are not required for applying for this position, we will provide the training you need - you just need to bring a sincere interest and willingness to learn!

The applicant is required to have an undergraduate science degree in Geology/Earth Science or Biology/Microbiology.

for further information on this position, please review the advertizement for the position.

Please review the section "Entrance requirements for URegina Graduate School" below for further information on applying for this position.

3. NSERC funded project on microbialites and/or iron and sulfur mats

1. Microbialites are carbonate structures generated by geochemical and microbiologically-driven reactions. They are preserved in the rock record, and are some of the earliest evidence for life on Earth. For this project, we will study modern day microbialite deposits in Saskatchewan and investigate their microbiology and the influence of changing environmental parameters on their growth.
2. Iron and sulfur mats are microbially-generated structures that can generate biosignatures that can persist in the rock record, and in this project we will be studying modern examples in Saskatchewan and examining their microbiology and geochemistry.

The successful applicant(s) must have an undergraduate degree in geology or environmental geoscience, and be willing to learn about environmental microbiology - you don't need to know it already, I will teach you! Opportunities for training and use of the Canadian Light Source synchrotron will also be part of these projects.

Note that I will require that the successful applicant(s) for these projects qualifies for and applies for an NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship with my assistance, so please review the eligibility requirements for this award before contacting me about this opportunity to ensure you are eligible. While this project does not directly involve an industry partner, as with all my grad students, I will aim to offer the MSc students working on this project an opportunity to participate in a MITACs Accelerate internship during their program of study to enhance their industry network and job opportunities after graduation.

Interested? Please review the entrance requirements section on this page and the process for applying, then email me at mcbeth.geomicro at Uregina dot ca with a copy of your transcripts and a short resume if you are interested in learning more.

Entrance requirements for URegina Graduate School

Basic requirements for eligibility (summarized from the graduate studies requirements):

• Strong English language skills. See graduate studies website for more detail on these requirements.
• Minimum of a 70% average for Canadian graduates (or a 2:1 for countries using the British system of grading).
• 4 year undergraduate degree. Note for our department this degree must be in a geoscience discipline unless otherwise specified in the ad for the position.

Further requirements for eligibility:

• Undergraduate degree MUST be in geoscience, unless otherwise specified in the ad for the position. Due to requirements of our geoscience graduate programs at URegina, and the background requirements for the projects we are working on, I will only consider applications from prospective students who have completed undergraduate programs in geology, Earth science, or environmental geoscience. Note that geophysics, petroleum, mechanical, chemical, and civil engineering programs generally do NOT provide the background required for my project work. Some soil science, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, and geological engineering programs do have the required coursework background, and if you have a degree in one of these disciplines and are interested in working with me it is worth reaching out.
• Coursework in mineralogy, introductory geochemistry, and aqueous geochemistry (all generally part of an undergraduate geoscience degree). Prospective students will ideally have performed strongly (grade of B+ to A+) in their geochemistry courses.
• Strong and authentic interest in remediation and reclamation biogeochemistry. My students do not need to know everything when they come in, if you are willing to learn we can teach you. But they must share our interest in improving our understanding of biogeochemical processes in the environment, and for most of my projects, addressing mine waste challenges. My goal is for my students to get great jobs (for example in the Canadian mining industry or environmental consulting industry) after they graduate, but if they do not share our interests this goal is jeopardized.
• Willingness to work as a teaching assistant. During graduate studies at URegina, all graduate students should be willing to serve as teaching assistants (TAs) for courses in our department. Students are paid for this work, so it is generally a supplement to your stipend income.

Process for applying

• Check list of available opportunities at top of this page (MSc, PhD positions).
• If there is a position available that is interesting to you, email me at mcbeth.geomicro at Uregina dot ca with a copy of your resume/CV, and transcripts (translated into English if necessary). The transcripts do not have to be official, formal credentials assessment will occur at a later stage if I approve your application. Also include a brief cover email explaining why you are interested in the position, and your career goals.
• All documents you send me should be in pdf format please.
• I will endeavour to respond within 1 week to your email.
• When I respond, I will either provide you with a rejection and brief justification (e.g., "your undergraduate average is too low to meet our admission standards", "you do not have an undergraduate degree in geoscience") or request additional information on your application.
• If I shortlist your application, I may request an interview via Zoom at a mutually convenient time and/or request that you complete a brief questionnaire with additional information about your degree and career goals.
• If I offer you a position (conditional upon admission to the grad school and approval by our department) and you choose to accept, then you can proceed with applying to the graduate school formally.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Do NOT apply to the graduate school to work with me unless I (or another professor in our department) have offered you a position in my group. Students must meet the basic requirements for entry but ALSO have the committment of a supervisor in order to be admitted to the grad school. If you apply to the graduate school without securing a committment from a supervisor first, you are unlikely to be accepted into the program. Since it costs you money to apply which will not be returned if you are unsuccessful in your application, this is a waste of your money if your application is rejected at the departmental level since you don't have a supervisor who has committed to you. I don't want anyone to waste their money, so please hold off on applying to the grad school until I actually make a conditional offer (or someone else in our department makes you a conditional offer).
• I have a limited number of positions in my lab due to funding, personnel, and space limitations. I cannot and will not take on all applicants.
• I won't take on students who are "self-funded" (pay their own way through with their personal funds rather than a scholarship or stipend from me) for personal ethical reasons. I will take on students if I have a stipend to pay them, or if the student has a major scholarship that covers their stipend (and they meet my other requirements and I make them a conditional offer).
• I only take on students if I am able to commit to paying them a stipend for the duration of their program (2 years for MSc, 4 years for PhD) or if they have a scholarship to cover their stipend for their regular program duration.

Employee Opportunities

No postings at this time. See undergraduate research student opportunities if you are an undergraduate student at URegina looking for summer opportunities in my group!

Archived opportunities

Table of contents:

• Index
• About Dr McBeth
• Publications
• Research
• Tools and Techniques
• Research Group
• Photos
• Opportunities

Contact:

mcbeth.geomicro at Uregina dot ca

Address:

Department of Geology
University of Regina
3737 Wascana Parkway
Regina, SK, S4S 0A2