Position Description: The University of Kentucky seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate with expertise in ecosystem service assessment. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team of natural and social scientists working on a project that seeks to assess economic values of forest ecosystem services in Kentucky.
Job Summary: We are looking for a candidate with strong quantitative and geospatial skills (e.g., R, GIS, and remote sensing) to integrate land cover land use change with ecosystem service models (ESMs) such as InVEST. This Postdoctoral Research Associate will be expected to (1) develop customized land cover maps and other relevant spatial or non-spatial data to be used as inputs of the ecological service models, (2) conduct spatial modeling of land cover changes based on the historical trends, (3) build alternative harvesting and reforestation scenarios, (4) map past and current ecosystem services supplied by the forests in Kentucky, and (5) project changes in ecosystem services under various economic development scenarios. The postdoc will work under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Ochuodho and Dr. Jian Yang in the Department of Forestry at University of Kentucky. Qualifications: Ph.D. required in ecology, forestry, natural resources, geospatial technology, or a related field. The candidate should have a strong academic training in one or more of the following: ecosystem process modeling, environmental or natural resource economics, remote sensing of the environment. Preference will be given to those with a demonstrated knowledge of ecosystem function and expertise in technique for assessing ecosystem services in a spatially explicit manner, through strong publication records. Duration and Start Date: Initial appointment is for 1 year, and may be renewed for additional year(s) depending upon satisfactory performance, availability of funding and relevance of the position. Start date is July 1, 2017, but is negotiable. Starting Salary: $47,476 per year plus benefits as per university policy. Deadline: Review of application will commence May 25, 2017 and continue until the position is filled. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview. To Apply: Application documents as one pdf file including cover letter, CV, copies of unofficial transcripts, a copy of relevant publication and contact details of three referees, in that order should be sent to Dr. Jian Yang (jian.y...@uky.edu) or Dr. Thomas Ochuodho (thomas.ochuo...@uky.edu). Ensure to put “Postdoctoral Research Associate” on the subject line of the email. For more information about the Department of Forestry and the University of Kentucky, see www.ca.uky.edu/forestry and www.uky.edu. For information about living in Lexington, see www.lexingtonky.gov . The University of Kentucky is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from minorities and women.
