Post-doctoral fellowship in coupled human-natural water systems in Utahs
Wasatch Front
The University of Utah and Utah State University seek a post-doctoral fellow to
participate in a new NSF EPSCoR funded project on
water sustainability in the Wasatch
Front of northern Utah. This region is experiencing rapid population growth and
urbanization as well as changing climate and
water availability. Understanding water
sustainability in this region requires an
interdisciplinary approach to studying the
biophysical, social, and engineered aspects of local water supply, management,
redistribution, recharge, and consumption. The iUTAH project (innovative Urban
Transitions and Aridregion Sustainability) is a
multi-campus capacity building program
focused on interdisciplinary research, training,
and outreach in local water sustainability.
The program seeks a post-doctoral fellow to work
with a team of hydrologists, ecologists,
climate scientists, social scientists, planners, and engineers to:
Lead an effort to refine a conceptual model
that represents the major water pools
and fluxes in our study domain that guides the
study of human-natural interactions
related to local water sustainability.
Oversee the inventory and documentation of relevant models currently used by
Utah scientists to study aspects of the water system in the Wasatch Front,
including hydrologic, ecological, climate, land use, and agent-based models.
Contribute to an ongoing inventory of historic
and current data on the inputs,
outputs, and system states associated with these models.
Work with stakeholders and scientists to
develop a suite of scenarios representing
future changes in the water system that can be used as a common basis for model
evaluations by the interdisciplinary project team.
Within this broad framework, the fellow will be
expected to conduct an independent
research project on coupled human-natural water
processes using local datasets and/or
developing and linking water related models in
the study region. The initial appointment
is for one year, with the option of renewal for
an additional year. The fellow will choose
either the University of Utah in Salt Lake City
or Utah State University in Logan, but will
also meet frequently with project participants at
other campuses in Utah. For more
information about the iUTAH project visit http://
http://iutahepscor.org/. Applicants
should hold a Ph.D. in ecology, hydrology, climate science, natural resource
management, engineering, sociology, or planning
with relevant experience in studying
water issues. Applications should consist of a
single pdf file that contains a cover letter, a
statement of research interests, a c.v. and the
names of three references. The review of
applications will begin on November 1, 2012 and
applications will be received and
reviewed until the position is filled. The
appointment start date is flexible, but early in
2013 is preferred. Inquiries and applications
should be directed to Prof. Diane Pataki,
[email protected].
