One PhD student and two Postdoc positions at University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES, https://www.umces.edu/) has one PhD level graduate student and two postdoc positions open for an NSF funded research project on the Innovations at the Nexus of Food Energy and Water Systems (INFEWS). One postdoc position will locate at the Joint Global Change Research Institute in College Park, MD, while two other positions will locate at the Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, MD. Position 1: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Agriculture and Land Use Modeling Location: Joint Global Change Research Institute, College Park, MD. We are recruiting an individual with research experience in the area of agriculture and land use modeling to work on developing and tuning crop yield-response behaviors in GCAM, an integrated assessment model of agriculture, land use, energy, water, and climate. The key tasks in this position are to (1) review the existing literature on modeling of crop yield, and relevant historical datasets; (2) develop, test, and implement functional forms characterizing the response of crop yields to several variables of interest; and (3) parameterize and tune the functions for incorporation into a global integrated assessment model with about 300 regions and 12 crop types. The selected candidate will join an interdisciplinary research team at the Joint Global Change Research Institute, a collaboration between the University of Maryland and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (see http://www.globalchange.umd.edu/). The Institute focuses on quantitative modeling of Human-Earth systems, primarily to advance the science and inform the policy discussions pertaining to climate change mitigation and adaptation. This position will also work closely with researchers from the sponsoring institute, the Appalachian Laboratory at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, and may need to travel to Frostburg several times a year for meetings. The research areas will involve agricultural economics, statistical modeling, and computer science. The successful applicant must have (1) a PhD received within the last 5 years or within the next 8 months, (2) a strong publication record, and (3) experience with computer-based modeling, ideally in R, C++, and/or Python. This is a full-time appointment with benefits, renewed annually for up to 3 years, subject to satisfactory performance. Position 2: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Sustainable Agriculture Assessment Location: Appalachian Laboratory, Frostburg, MD. Applications are invited for a postdoctoral researcher position at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Appalachian Laboratory (UMCES-AL), working with Professor Xin Zhang. The selected candidate will work closely with the PI on developing an indicator system and a database to measure several aspects of sustainability and resilience of agricultural production. The key tasks in this position include (1) review literature and data related to sustainable agriculture; (2) identify major characteristics of sustainable agricultural production in environmental, social, and economic dimensions, and synthesize data from various sources to provide quantification of each characteristic; (3) evaluate and visualize sustainability in agricultural production with the indicator system; and (4) develop methodologies to assess the resilience of agricultural production for a country, and examine the trade-offs between resilience and sustainability. Qualifications: A PhD in environmental/agricultural economics, environmental science and policy, statistics, computer science or a closely related field is required. The successful candidate will have a working knowledge of sustainable agricultural production, strong quantitative skills, and proficiency in at least one basic programming language (e.g. Matlab, R). Experience with remote sensing data, data visualization, Industry Ecology, and Econometrics is desirable but not required. Excellent writing and communication skills are essential. The position will be based at the Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, MD. Frostburg is a small college town in the mountains of western Maryland. The area provides a great quality of life and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. The major metro areas of Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Pittsburgh are all within a 2.5 hour drive. This is a full-time appointment with benefits, renewed annually for up to 3 years, subject to satisfactory performance. Position 3: PhD level graduate student in environmental statistics Location: Appalachian Laboratory, Frostburg, MD. Applications are invited for a PhD level graduate student at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, working with Professor Xin Zhang and Professor Vyacheslav Lyubchich. The key tasks in this position include developing a statistical approach to quantifying relevance and importance of the factors (such as resource inputs, climate and soil conditions) influencing the long-term dynamics of agriculture yields around the world. It will involve: 1) Working on the ways to investigate yield patterns across temporal and spatial scales and identify the relevant ecological and socioeconomic drivers. 2) Running extensive data analysis using modern statistical and machine learning techniques in a multivariate domain. 3) Work closely with the research team to synthesize research findings and to prepare the results for publication. 4) Present research findings at scientific meetings. Qualifications: The successful candidate will have 1) excellent training in statistics and mathematics (a MSc in Statistics or a closely related field is desirable); 2) proficiency in R and other languages for statistical computing; and 3) genuine interest and working knowledge of the methods for spatio-temporal multivariate analysis, including time series modeling and forecasting, and machine learning. Working knowledge of the crop production system and climate science is desirable but not required. The position is based at the UMCES Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, Maryland and comes with a highly competitive stipend and benefits package. Three years of support are available through research assistantships, with additional support possible through competitive teaching assistantships. Finalists for the position will also be encouraged to apply for fellowships through UMCES: www.umces.edu/education/graduate/fellowships. The student will matriculate through the Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Sciences Program (MEES) at the University of Maryland, College Park and will be based at the Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg for the duration of the project. Start Date: Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until qualified candidates are found. To apply send an email to Xin Zhang ([email protected]) containing following documents as a single PDF: (1) a statement of interest, (2) a CV, (3) contact information (names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses) for three references, and (4) copy of academic transcripts (optional). Please indicate in your subject line “[INFEWS positions]”. Informal inquiries are also welcome. Information about AL and UMCES can be found at: http://www.al.umces.edu/. UMCES is an affirmative action, EOE. Individuals with disabilities, veterans, women and minorities are encouraged to apply.
