The Wetland Landscape Ecology lab in the University of Texas Department of Marine Science seeks a postdoctoral researcher interested in the remote sensing of landscape-scale wetland flood and habitat dynamics. The successful applicant will work on a funded project conducted in partnership with Ducks Unlimited. The project goal is to evaluate surface water flooding and other wetland habitat characteristics in the Prairie Pothole region, a depressional wetland landscape in U.S. Great Plains. This project will develop open-source models that can serve as the basis of long-term monitoring and conservation programs by research and non-profit organizations.
The position is a one-year appointment with a possible extension in later years, and has a tentative start date of 1 September 2020. The position is located at the UT Marine Science Institute (www.utmsi.utexas.edu), in Port Aransas, TX, and a possible remote start is negotiable. The Marine Science Institute is situated on Mustang Island, with close proximity to sandy beaches, estuarine habitats of the Gulf of Mexico, and the city of Corpus Christie, TX. The successful applicant will also have access to the resources available at the University at Texas at Austin, such as the Texas Advanced Computing Center (www.tacc.utexas.edu).
Required qualifications: The applicant should have experience in remote sensing analyses, as well as experience programming in the R statistical language. A track record of successful publications and a PhD degree received within the last 3 years in ecology, geography or a related field are also required.
Desired additional qualifications: Experience working with LiDAR, SAR and spectral reflectance data will be helpful for this position, as well as experience with Google Earth Engine, data science and/or reproducible workflows. Past experience researching wetland landscapes will also be useful.
To apply: please send a cover letter outlining your research interests and goals (no more than 2 pages), a curriculum vitae, and contact information for three professional references, including their name, email, phone, and address. These materials should be emailed as a single pdf to Jessica O’Connell (jessica.oconnell@utexas.edu), Assistant Professor in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Texas. For more information about the work conducted in my lab, see the web page: www.landscapemodeling.net. Applicant review will begin 25 June 2020 and continue until the position is filled.
The University of Texas at Austin is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to making a final offer of employment.