Fully Funded MS and PhD Positions in Fire Protection Engineering, Wildfire Science, and Process Safety at Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State University in United States

Oklahoma State University’s Scientific Advancements in Fire Education and Research (SAFER) Lab is recruiting highly motivated MS and PhD students for fully funded graduate research positions starting in Spring/Fall 2027.

The positions are with Ruiqing Shen (Assistant Professor) in the area of fire protection engineering, wildfire investigation, grassland fire behavior, process safety, and wildfire impacts on chemical and process infrastructure. Research topics include evaluating the reliability of fire behavior and fire pattern indicators in grassland wildfire investigations, and characterizing wildfire-induced exposure conditions and failure mechanisms of process-safety-critical infrastructure at the wildland-industrial interface.

Students will gain hands-on experience in field research, experimental fire testing, data analysis, fire modeling, and collaboration with fire management and process safety partners. The lab also emphasizes work with project partners and outreach/training activities.

Eligible backgrounds include Fire Protection Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Fire Ecology, Wildland Fire Science, or related fields. For MS applicants, a bachelor’s degree is expected; for PhD applicants, a master’s degree is expected. Preferred experience includes wildfire research, prescribed fire, fire investigation, field instrumentation, experimental fire testing, data analysis, and statistical/reliability analysis.

Funding is described as fully funded. Interested applicants should email [email protected] with a CV, transcripts, a brief research statement, and contact information for 2–3 references. Use the subject line: OSU SAFER Lab Graduate Application – MS/PhD – [Your Name].

No formal deadline is listed; the post says applications will be reviewed immediately and continue until the positions are filled.