Project Description: Prof. Greg Pasternack (https://pasternack.ucdavis.edu/) and Prof. Yufang Jin (https://jin.ucdavis.edu/) in the Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources at the University of California Davis invite applications for a postdoctoral scholar position to research urban stream corridor (USC) archetypes, including interdisciplinary ecological, hydrological, geomorphic, socio-economic, and hydraulic considerations. Urban areas in California span a wide range of “genetic” environmental conditions, yielding a variety of USC archetypes. In turn, USC archetypes have different physical hazards, support unique habitats and ecological functions, and present different opportunities and challenges for unhoused folks and their social support services. This is the hazard-habitat-unhoused (HHU) nexus. However, USC archetypes are poorly known, classified, or spatially mapped, so we cannot understand the present HHU nexus, let alone forecast how they will change in the future. We are seeking a highly motivated scholar to help design and then implement a rigorous experimental framework and field campaign to characterize and differentiate USC archetypes. This position will be 1 of 3 postdocs involved, with the others addressing (i) socio-ecology of USC unhoused folks and (ii) remote sensing and AI prediction of USC socio-geo-ecology for forecasting USC habitat and unhoused population dynamics. Applicants may also indicate their interest in one of the other open positions if that is as good or better for the applicant’s scholarship.
Job Duties: This position will involve a mix of USC fieldwork using classic river science methods & skills, modern geospatial & statistical analyses, scientific writing, and related academic duties. Fluvial hydro-geomorphic field skills will be needed to lead a field data collection campaign visiting and surveying many different stream sites within the Bay Area region of California. Geospatial and multivariate statistical analysis skills will be needed to create the experimental design and analyze resulting data to characterize and differentiate USC archetypes, using and potentially adding to existing algorithms in hand for these purposes. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the research, other professional skills and experiences that could be beneficial for hiring might include coding in R or Python3, working with topographic point cloud datasets, topographic surveying with total station and/or RTK GPS, operating aerial drones, outdoor and safety skills, hydraulic modeling, ecohydraulic analysis, ecological function analysis, desire & proficiency to publish in scientific journals, ability to communicate (oral and in print) research findings to multiple academic and nonacademic audiences, and/or transdisciplinary outreach with underserved urban communities.
Job Qualifications & Expectations: Applicants must possess a PhD from an accredited university by September 1, 2023 in one of the following fields: Physical Geography, Ecology, Civil (aka Infrastructural, Environmental, or Hydraulic) Engineering, Hydrology, Geology, Urban Studies, Applied Math, Statistics or related field. The scholar will be expected to adhere to project goals and tasks, while taking initiative with duties. The scholar will be expected to collaborate compassionately, inclusively, and effectively among diverse peers, students, and as part of the larger team that has multiple investigators and workers from academia, local government, and nonprofits, spanning diverse disciplines. Must be able to swim as a safety precaution. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Remotely located employment is not an option due to the field work involved. Must be licensed and willing to drive the field crew to USC survey sites in the Bay Area region. Demonstrated experience and skill with organization, time management, data management, oral and written communication, and scientific publication are preferred. The successful candidate will receive training as needed to supplement their initial capabilities.
Salary & Benefits: The initial appointment duration for this 100% time position is two years. All University of California postdoctoral scholars receive benefits and are paid according to the same union-negotiated salary scale with mandatory annual increases. The successful applicant’s salary will be determined based on their individual status with respect to “step” criteria at the time their employment begins.
Application & Contract Information: Applications are open for submission now and they will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications received before August 7, 2023 are guaranteed to be given full consideration. Candidates should send a well-crafted cover letter summarizing their research and career interests tying to their reason for applying for this job, a curriculum vitae, and contact information for three academic or professional references. All applications (e-mailed as a single PDF file) should be emailed to Professor Greg Pasternack <gpast@ucdavis.edu>.
University Information: This position is based in the. UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/). We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals’ with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct
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