[ES_JOBS_NET] Postdoctoral Researcher Position Investigating the Interface between Roots, Regolith, Rocks, and,Climate—the R3-C Frontier - UC Riverside

[Hoori Ajami]

*Postdoctoral Researcher Position Investigating the Interface between 
Roots, Regolith, Rocks, and,Climate—the R3-C Frontier - UC Riverside*

A postdoctoral researcher position is available in the Department of 
Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Riverside. This 
position is split between two laboratories within the Department: the 
Catchment Hydrology and Spatial Analysis Lab 
(https://www.hooriajami.ucr.edu/) and the Pedology Lab. We are looking 
for a highly-motivated, independent researcher to join a collaborative, 
NSF-funded project to address four key knowledge gaps at the interface 
between roots,
regolith, rocks, and climate (aka the R3-C frontier):

(1) In what ways do bedrock properties interact with overlying regolith 
to influence the development of the soil pore networks and soil 
hydraulic properties that control water flow?
(2) How does the spatial distribution of mineral weathering, influenced 
by the development of pore networks from bedrock-regolith interactions, 
control the manner in which roots acquire water and nutrients?
(3) How do critical zone thickness and root water uptake dynamics 
interact to regulate evapotranspiration dynamics under changing water 
supply and demand conditions?
(4) Do roots modify soil structure by imposing depth-dependent wet-dry 
cycles that mediate aggregate size distributions, and thus the ability 
of the regolith to  preserve organic carbon?

The successful candidate will lead the hydrologic modeling experiments 
using R-SWMS, ParFlow.CLM, and EcoSLIM at four of the project sites 
(Reynolds Creek CZO, Coal Creek, CO, Konza Prairie Biological Station, 
and Southern Sierra CZO) and assist with the analysis of proximal sensed 
imaging (multistripe laser triangulation and VisNIR hyperspectral 
scanning) of soils and regolith samples. The postdoctoral researcher 
will be expected to participate in field work, laboratory analysis, and 
regular and annual project meetings as well as lead papers stemming from 
this work. This position will provide the successful candidate with 
professional development opportunities (e.g., modeling, field work, and 
laboratory analysis) within the context of a highly collaborative and 
interdisciplinary team. In addition, this position will provide multiple 
opportunities to mentor undergraduate and graduate students focused on 
interdisciplinary careers in STEM and participate in the development of 
learning materials centered around the findings in this project.

*Qualifications:*
The successful candidate should hold a PhD degree in soil science, 
hydrology, critical zone science, ecosystem ecology, or related field 
with a demonstrated record of quantitative research experience. The 
candidate should have experience with hydrologic modeling, analyzing 
complex datasets using scripting languages such as R, Python, or MATLAB, 
and have a record of publishing in peer reviewed scientific journals. 
Candidates with proximal or remote sensing experience applied to soils are
preferred. Candidates must have received a PhD within the past five 
years from an accredited college or university.

*Application contents:*
- One page cover letter describing the applicant’s research experiences 
and interests
- Curriculum vitae
- Names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers for 3 references

*Contact:*
Applications or informal inquiries can be sent to Dr. Hoori Ajami at 
hooria at ucr.edu and Dr. Daniel Hirmas at daniel.hirmas at ucr.edu with R3-C 
POSTDOC as the subject line.

UCR is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse 
undergraduate student body. Its mission is explicitly linked to 
providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first 
generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred 
qualification.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative 
Action Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the 
achievement of excellence and diversity amount its faculty and staff. 
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment 
without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender 
identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or 
any other characteristic protected by law.

-- 
Hoori Ajami
Associate Professor of Groundwater Hydrology
Department of Environmental Sciences
University of California, Riverside
Room 2322 Geology
Riverside, California 92521
Office: (951) 827-4778
E-mail: hoori.ajami at ucr.edu
Web: http://envisci.ucr.edu/faculty/ajami.html

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://mailman.ucar.edu/pipermail/es_jobs_net/attachments/20210811/3cfa6565/attachment.html>