PhD or Master's - LCA of Composite Bridge Girder

The International Society for Industrial Ecology is seeking a PhD or Master's candidate for a full-time position focused on life cycle assessment (LCA) of composite bridge girders in Orono, ME, starting January 2025. The role involves collaboration with AIT and emphasizes sustainability through methods like LCA, EEIO, and MFA. Candidates should have an interest in quantifying sustainability metrics and systems thinking, with engineering knowledge beneficial but not mandatory.
Location: Orono
PhD or Master's - LCA of Composite Bridge Girder

There is a position open starting in January 2025 which focuses on a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) of the G-Beam composite bridge girder. This position is supported by the Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center and will be in collaboration with the firm AIT. Engineering knowledge of composite materials and bridges will aid this work, but can be learned via graduate coursework at UMaine if the student has an engineering background.

Prof. Miller applies key methods from Industrial Ecology to tackle sustainability challenges in modern production and consumption systems. These methods include: LCA, environmentally-extended input-output analysis (EEIO), and material flow analysis (MFA). He is interested in taking a systems view of complex problems to identify tradeoffs and opportunities.

LCA may demonstrate environmental benefits from these technologies relative to the current systems, but will also identify opportunities for improvement to further reduce impacts. His research will also continue to use EEIO and MFA to explore themes of circular economy, sustainable production and consumption, and decoupling environmental impact from societal well-being.

Students interested in working with Prof. Miller should recognize that this is not 'typical' engineering research, and should have a desire to learn how to quantify sustainability metrics and develop systems thinking. Pursuing a degree with Prof. Miller under the Ecology and Environmental Sciences program is a possibility for students without engineering backgrounds.

Thank you for your time and your interest!
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