[ES_JOBS_NET] Snowtography-Informed Forest Management

[Smith, William Kolby - (wksmith)]

Dear Colleagues,

We are seeking a postdoc to lead hydrologic modeling for SnowSmart Forestry, advancing forest management for snow, water, and wildfire resilience.  Details below:

🌲 Join the University of Arizona as a Postdoc in SnowSmart Forestry — lead cutting-edge snow modeling to shape forest, water, and wildfire resilience
Join the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and Environment to lead cutting-edge work in the SnowSmart Forestry Project. We’re seeking a postdoctoral scholar to drive hyper-resolution snow modeling that informs forest management strategies conserving snowpack — critical for water supply, forest health, and wildfire resilience (YouTube Video<https://youtu.be/eaor9omosZE>).
You’ll collaborate with hydrologists, ecologists, foresters, and water managers across the Colorado River Basin. Using three years of snow data from Colorado’s Dolores and Mancos watersheds, you’ll train the SnowPALM model, develop thinning prescriptions on 40 acres of ponderosa pine, and monitor results with Snowtography and drone LiDAR.
What we offer:

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Salary: $70–75K + competitive benefits
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Initial 1-year appointment, renewable up to 3 years with annual raises
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Mentorship from leading scientists Dr. Joel Biederman<https://www.ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/tucson-az/southwest-watershed-research-center/people/joel-biederman/>,  (YouTube,<https://youtu.be/eaor9omosZE> Google Scholar<http://tinyurl.com/googlescholar-jabiederman>, Research Gate<https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joel_Biederman>) and Dr. William K. Smith<https://profiles.arizona.edu/person/wksmith> (Google Scholar<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KZoNTJcAAAAJ&hl=en>, Research Gate<https://www.researchgate.net/profile/William-Smith-45>).  Additional mentors will include Dr. Jake Kurzweil<https://mountainstudiesinstitute.squarespace.com/staff-bios/jake-kurzweil>, Dr. Patrick Broxton<https://snre.arizona.edu/patrick-broxton>, and Ms. Nina Williams<https://dwccollaborative.org/team/nina-williams/>.
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Location: Tucson, AZ — affordable, vibrant, and outdoors-focused, with travel to Colorado

What you bring:

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Ph.D. (by end of 2025) in hydrology, engineering, computer science, atmospheric sciences, ecology, or related field
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Strong record of publications and references
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Skills in modeling, GIS, large datasets (LiDAR), plus coding (Python/R)
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Willingness to travel and do occasional fieldwork (sensor installation, maintenance, etc.)

Bonus: You’ll also manage data, facilitate meetings, and engage diverse stakeholders — building connections with future employers across forestry, water, and environmental sectors.
📩 Apply: Send cover letter, CV, and three references to Dr. William K. Smith at wksmith at arizona.edu<mailto:wksmith at arizona.edu>. Also, members of the SnowSmart Forestry team will be at AGU and would be happy to meet with any interested applicants to discuss this opportunity in more detail.

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William K. Smith
Associate Professor,
Earth Dynamics Observatory,
School of Natural Resources and the Environment,
N417 Environment & Natural Resources 2,
University of Arizona
Email: wksmith at arizona.edu<mailto:wksmith at email.arizona.edu>
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KZoNTJcAAAAJ&hl=en
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