GSR Position
The California Center for Sustainable Communities (CCSC) is seeking a Graduate Student
Researcher (GSR) with an interest in water policy. CCSC is a research center at the UCLA Institute
of the Environment and Sustainability and is under the direction of Dr. Stephanie Pincetl. The
GSR will assist in the collection and analysis of data related to water governance in Los Angeles
County and will collaborate closely with a postdoctoral researcher.
This is a part‐time, paid position for the 2014‐2015 school year.
Overview of the Position
This is a unique opportunity for a GSR with an interest in water governance and policy in
California. The position will be located at CCSC, but the researcher will have an opportunity to
work with scholars, practitioners, water managers, and policymakers.
The candidate should have a working knowledge of theoretical concepts related to political
ecology, institutional organization, and /or policy and governance. Ideally, the candidate will
also have some background in urban infrastructure and water management. The ability to work
in an interdisciplinary team of engineers, biological scientists, and social scientists is required.
The project seeks to analyze the complex institutional architecture of water governance in Los
Angeles County, and the position will involve the collection and analysis of relevant data, adding
to the work that is currently being conducted. In so doing, we will build and examine a
significant database of information about water in LA County, which has never been assembled
in one place before.
The position will require strong research skills and the ability to write, communicate, and
undertake independent research. Knowledge of GIS is a plus. This project is nested within
several other ongoing projects researching water in the Southern California area, and an ability
to work collaboratively and synthesize information is essential.
Overview of the Research Project
In the twenty first century, there is perhaps no bigger question facing the Los Angeles area than
its future water supply and the challenges that come with managing water in this region. Water
supply systems and the institutional architecture of distribution and management were
established in an era of resource abundance, relative wealth, and a much smaller population. They were also created in a time when fragmented governance was the public administration
norm.
Today that model has produced a chaotic, complex, and dysfunctional water system that is illequipped to meet the demands of the twenty first century, particularly during extended periods
of drought. Nearly a hundred different entities are formally involved in the management of
potable water in LA County – spanning public, private, wholesale, and retail. These entities
charge different prices, operate under different forms of governance, and serve customers who
may reside in different cities. Separate agencies generally manage stormwater, wastewater, and
recycled water.
This research documents the complex architecture of water resources management in Los
Angeles County, including the different types of water supply and their origins, and the
implications of this fragmented system for water management and equity. It tracks the
interconnections among these different systems and management organizations, as well as the
gaps between them. For example, water supply and wastewater systems are physically and
organizationally separate; thus, using wastewater to augment the water supply presents
extraordinarily difficult structural and fiscal obstacles. Institutional silos separating the
management of different sources of water – supported by rules, regulations, budgets, habits,
and procedures – are replete, but known largely anecdotally. Moreover, water management
agencies can transcend or bifurcate each other’s boundaries, cutting across local governments
and special districts, but rarely corresponding to watersheds. This study aims to document these
disjunctures thoroughly. The research will inform policy for water resources management and
governance. It will address issues related to efficiency and efficacy by pointing out overlaps,
gaps, inconsistencies, and silos among the systems, as well as possibilities for greater
collaboration and synergy.
The GSR will work closely with a postdoctoral researcher and the rest of the team to focus on
aspects of this complex system, in part determined by the candidate’s interest and expertise,
such that this component complements and fleshes out the full research endeavor.
Application Process
Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to Stephanie Pincetl at
spincetl@ioes.ucla.edu and Debbie Cheng at dcheng@ioes.ucla.edu. Applications will be
accepted until the position is filled.
For questions, please contact Debbie Cheng at dcheng@ioes.ucla.edu.