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Research Scientist / Assistant Research Professor Positions in Hydrologic Modeling in a Cross-Institution Research Team 

We are seeking postdoctoral scientists to conduct integrated surface and groundwater modeling at regional scales at the University of Texas at Dallas (two positions) and Michigan State University (one position). Through these collaborative hires, Drs. David Hyndman (UTD) and Anthony Kendall (MSU) seek to create a core of scientific and modeling expertise, leading and enhancing the work of a vibrant team of graduate and undergraduate students. We have several collaborative research projects with researchers at multiple universities; projects include:

  • Understanding the hydrologic footprint of irrigated agricultural practices across the US, using model / data synthesis to understand paths toward sustainability.
  • Fusing integrated hydrologic models with remote sensing estimates of water storage to develop nowcast and reanalysis of groundwater levels and streamflow across the Great Lakes Region. 
  • Quantifying the combined effects of changes in land use and climate on hydrology across a region experiencing rapid urbanization. 
  • Developing hydrology, energy, agriculture, and ecosystem models to better understand the footprint of solar arrays, which are being rapidly installed in agricultural lands.

Applicants must have expertise in programming (such as Python, MATLAB, R, or FORTRAN), and a strong publication record. Prior hydrologic modeling experience is also required. Familiarity with groundwater modeling, data science, and spatial data analysis are desired. 

The initial positions are for one year (renewable based on performance). The MSU position will be a Postdoctoral Research Associate, with a long-term growth trajectory that could include promotion to Research Assistant Professor. At UTD, we are hiring at the Research Scientist level, however exceptional candidates with a strong record of successful grants may be hired as a Research Assistant Professor. These positions require writing peer-reviewed publications and research proposals to extend their position and help grow this interdisciplinary research team.

To apply, please submit: 1) an application letter detailing research interests and experiences, 2) a curriculum vitae, and 3) names and contact information for 3 references at: 

Please apply for only one of these positions. The search will remain open until suitable candidates are found, with a primary review of applications beginning on January 15, 2024. We will continue to review applicants after that date as well. For more information on the research conducted by this group, please visit hydrogeology.msu.edu. For other inquiries email Dr. Anthony Kendall at MSU (kendal30@msu.edu).

University of Texas at Dallas and Michigan State University are Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law and University policies.

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Hydrogeology Lab Postdoc Search 2019

THREE WATER SUSTAINABILITY POSTDOC POSITIONS

**Michigan State University and the Kansas Geological Survey/University of Kansas**

Position 1: Groundwater Sustainability Pathways for the High Plains Aquifer

Seeking a postdoctoral scholar with a passion for groundwater sustainability and a penchant for thinking big to help envision a sustainable future for the High Plains Aquifer. The successful candidate will lead integrated land surface-groundwater modelling efforts to evaluate agricultural practices for the past and future of the High Plains Aquifer at multiple spatial and temporal scales. The postdoc will be based at the Kansas Geological Survey (University of Kansas) and have the opportunity to collaborate widely within multi-institution NSF INFEWS and USDA NIFA projects to produce high-impact research.

This position is funded for 2 years with the opportunity for extension pending performance and funding availability, and includes an annual research/travel budget to support professional development. The preferred start date is September 2019 with flexibility for the right candidate. For more information, please contact Sam Zipper (samzipper@ku.edu).

Position 2: Food, Energy, and Water in the Amazon and Mekong River Basins

Seeking a postdoctoral scholar ready to take on large-scale modeling challenges in data-limited regions. The Amazon and Mekong River Basins are undergoing rapid hydrologic, climatic, and land use changes, affecting two of the world’s most important hydrologic systems and the people and ecosystems dependent upon them. The postdoc will lead integrated surface- and groundwater-modelling efforts at both watershed and regional basin scales to better understand these vital systems, and how they are affected directly by dams and indirectly via land use and climate changes. The successful candidate will interact with two large, interdisciplinary project teams including multiple US institutions as well as international collaborators.

This position is funded for 2 years with the opportunity for extension pending performance and funding availability. The start date for this position can be as early as May 2019, with flexibility for the right candidate. For more information, please contact David Hyndman (hyndman@msu.edu). For more information on the research group, please visit hydrogeology.msu.edu.

Position 3: Water, Agriculture, and Nutrients in the Great Lakes Basin and California Central Valley

Seeking a postdoctoral scholar eager to quantify the role of agricultural practices in water and nutrient cycling in diverse agricultural landscapes spanning the US and Canadian Great Lakes Basin, as well as California’s Central Valley. The postdoc will lead efforts to develop integrated surface- and groundwater-models for these two regions, and to integrate new capabilities into those models. In particular we are looking to add explicit nutrient cycling and transport, informed by existing nutrient surface application and statistical transport models. We are working in those regions with a variety of collaborators in disciplines including remote sensing, ecology, agronomy, sociology, and economics to better understand the role that agriculture plays in water resources.

This position is funded for 2 years with the opportunity for extension pending performance and funding availability. The start date for this position can be as early as May 2019, with flexibility for the right candidate. For more information, please contact David Hyndman (hyndman@msu.edu). For more information on the research group, please visit hydrogeology.msu.edu.

Application Details and Required Qualifications

Common qualifications for all three positions include:

  • expertise in groundwater and/or land surface modelling;
  • ability to work both independently and collaboratively;
  • strong communication skills as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications/conference presentations; and
  • a water-related Ph.D. by the start date.

Experience with integrated models, GIS, and high-performance computing are considered a plus.

Unique qualifications by position include:

  • Position 1: Coding experience (any of Python, R, FORTRAN, MATLAB, C, etc.) is strongly desired, experience working in irrigated agricultural landscapes is a plus
  • Position 2: Coding experience (any of Python, R, FORTRAN, MATLAB, C, etc.) is required, knowledge of dam operations and management is a plus.
  • Position 3: Coding experience (any of Python, R, FORTRAN, MATLAB, C, etc.) is required, knowledge of irrigated agricultural landscapes and snow hydrology is a plus.

To apply, send Sam Zipper (samzipper@ku.edu) an email with the subject line ‘Water Postdoc’ and the following materials as a single PDF file:

  • Short (1-2 page) cover letter including which position(s) you would like to be considered for, why you are excited about them, and how you meet the qualifications.
  • Full CV.
  • Contact information for 3 references.

If you are interested in position 1, please also submit materials via the KU HR portal to http://employment.ku.edu/staff/13903BR – you can use the same cover letter for all 3 positions.

For full consideration, submit your application by April 15, but review of applications will continue until suitable candidates are found.

Michigan State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law and University policy.

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University’s programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Executive Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, IOA@ku.edu, 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, (785)864-6414, 711 TTY. http://policy.ku.edu/IOA/nondiscrimination

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2018 Summer REU Student Position

Remotely Sensing Irrigation with Multi-Platform Imagery, Cloud Computing, and Machine Learning

Project Description

The Hydrogeology Lab at Michigan State University (hydrogeology.msu.edu) seeks a summer 2018 Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) student for a project involving remote sensing of irrigation, cloud computing, and machine learning algorithms. Irrigation is rapidly expanding in parts of the Midwestern US where farmers have traditionally been reliant on rainfed agriculture. The causes of this expansion are many: shifts in crop prices, new/different crops being grown, more efficient technologies, government incentives for adoption, and the desire to reduce risks from changing rainfall patterns. The effects of this rapid expansion will reverberate throughout the hydrologic cycle, impacting water supplies, stream flows, land-atmosphere feedbacks, and water quality.

This project consists of three primary components: 1) working with remote sensing data from different platforms within cloud-based tools such as Google Earth Engine, 2) developing a robust training and validation dataset for machine learning algorithms, and 3) helping to improve those algorithms and incorporate advances from the fields of deep learning and artificial intelligence.

Despite the importance of irrigation to the hydrologic cycle in agricultural regions, very little data are available on its spatial and temporal extent. Our lab has been working to create Annual Maps of Irrigation (AIM) in the High Plains Aquifer region, as well as within southwestern Michigan. Within this REU project, we seek to expand those efforts and apply data from latest generation satellite platforms to supplement more traditionally-used Landsat data for irrigation mapping. The REU student on this project would build upon existing methodologies within Google Earth Engine (GEE) to integrate these latest products.

Additionally, the student will work to develop more robust validation and training data for classification algorithms, including working with the MSU Kellogg Biological Station’s Long-Term Ecological Research (KBS LTER) personnel to identify farms being actively irrigated during the 2018 growing season in order to obtain in-season irrigation data. Other sources of data might include aerial imagery that would be used to provide development validation data for the machine-learning algorithms running on the GEE platform.

Deep learning, which is commonly used to refer to an advanced class of artificial neural network algorithms, has made tremendous strides in the fields of language, image, and pattern recognition. These developments are beginning to be applied to remote sensing applications both commercially, and within academia. We hope to improve on the machine learning algorithms previously used in our irrigation classification work by incorporating deep learning for irrigation detection.

Fellowship Description

The ideal candidate will be motivated and interested in developing research skills. Previous experience working with GIS/remote sensing data, and some exposure to coding with scripting languages (e.g. R, Python, MATLAB), would be beneficial. Regardless of background, the candidate must be eager to learn new techniques and be tenacious in the face of early setbacks. We will provide ample opportunities for guided self-instruction, and a community focused on similar topics and methods. Our lab is large (20+ active researchers at all levels) and active, working on projects spanning the Great Lakes, US, and the globe.

The position will be for 11 weeks, from May 21 – August 3, 2018 and will be based at MSU in East Lansing MI. The student will need to find housing on campus or nearby campus. The student will work on average 40 hours a week and receive a stipend of $8000 to cover housing, living expenses, travel to MSU, and up to $500 in research supplies. The stipend will be paid in two payments, June 15 and July 15, 2018. Any travel for field research, presentations, or meeting off campus will be covered by the mentor’s lab.

The student will be responsible for 1) meeting all requirements of their mentor, 2) writing a blog post about their research for the KBS LTER website, 3) attending a professional development seminar at KBS on creating research posters on July 10, and 4) presenting a professional research poster at the KBS summer research symposium on August 1, 2018 at KBS.

This project is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Ecological Research (KBS LTER) program. Priority will be given to non-MSU students who may not have many research opportunities at their college or university and under-represented minority students. Please note, students must be a U.S. citizen to apply.

Apply by sending CV or resume, unofficial transcript, and a 1-page statement of interest describing why you are excited about this opportunity and what makes you an ideal candidate to Dr. Anthony Kendall at kendal30@msu.edu. Apply by March 1, 2018 for full consideration, applicants will be accepted through March 15th, 2018. Please email Dr. Kendall or Dr. David Hyndman (hyndman@msu.edu) with any questions.

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Hydrogeology Lab Postdoc Search 2017

Postdoctoral Research Opportunities, Watershed Hydrologic Modeling at Michigan State University

We are hiring multiple postdoctoral associates to lead data analysis and modeling efforts for ongoing and new watershed hydrology projects at the Hydrogeology Lab at Michigan State University. The lab focuses on predicting the responses of hydrologic systems to changes in climate, landscape, and land management. In particular, we seek to develop and improve the tools to make these predictions, and to apply them to better understand how to improve sustainability of land use practices and adapt to future changes. Our highly interdisciplinary research is conducted in collaboration with researchers across MSU and universities nationwide.

The successful candidates will apply and develop cutting-edge methods in: real-time simulation, big-data compilation, processing, and analysis; modeling data-limited regions; improving landscape hydrologic models; and coupled process models of agriculture, ecosystems, and climate with hydrologic models. Applicants must have expertise in programming in a language such as Python, MATLAB, R, or FORTRAN. Prior hydrologic modeling experience is also required. Familiarity with GIS and spatial data analysis is desired, and big-data experience is a plus.

Postdoctoral researchers will be actively mentored toward their professional goals. We will work with the successful candidate to develop individualized mentoring plans focused on technical skills training, professional networking, establishing interdisciplinary collaborations, mentoring students, and eventual job placement.

We will begin reviewing applications on June 15, 2017, and the search will remain open until suitable candidates are found. Start date is flexible, with 2017 being preferred. For more information on the research group, please visit hydrogeology.msu.edu.

To apply, please send an application letter detailing research interest and experiences, curriculum vitae, and names of 3 references (with telephone numbers and email addresses) to:

Please direct questions about the positions to Dr. David Hyndman (hyndman@msu.edu) and cc all correspondence to geosci@msu.edu.

Michigan State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law and University policy.