The person hired into this position will contribute their primary expertise in hydrologic remote sensing and secondary expertise in science activation (community science, K-12/informal education, or science communication) as part of the NASA-funded Researchers Inspiring Public Participation in Lake Education and Science (RIPPLES) project. RIPPLES brings together NASA data, hydrology experts and a team of experienced science educators to implement innovative, multi-faceted science learning that uses local lakes to engage and inspire educators, citizen scientists, and other lay publics. The goal of RIPPLES is to engage people across the United States in science learning experiences featuring local lakes to build understanding of Earth’s water cycle and NASA’s role in studying it using satellite-based remote sensing and crowdsourced data collection. The successful candidate will work with a team of remote sensing hydrologists and science engagement and education specialists to develop materials using NASA data for formal and informal education. They will serve as part of a team extending and expanding the Lake Observations by Citizen Scientists and Satellites (LOCSS) lake water level data collection network, play a major role in developing a Zooniverse-based platform for community analysis of remotely sensed imagery of lakes, provide remote sensing and hydrology expertise in developing project education materials, and mentor educators in summer programs focused on building hydrology and remote sensing expertise. The successful candidate will be expected to author peer-reviewed publications describing their work and present their work at national conferences. The initial appointment for this position is for one year, with possible reappointment for up to four additional years if funding remains available. Please contact Tamlin Pavelsky (pavelsky@unc.edu) with questions about the position.
