Postdoctoral Scholar

Job Description

Postdoctoral researcher(s) are sought to participate in research projects focused on mapping, monitoring, and modeling vegetation cover, composition and structure, incorporating climate, land use, and disturbance dynamics. The successful candidate(s) will work with members of the Goetz GEODE Lab and collaborators, using satellite and airborne observations to analyze the influence of multiple factors on vegetation dynamics, habitat quality and restoration potential with an emphasis on Arctic, boreal and tropical ecosystems.

We are seeking postdoctoral researchers (2) to participate in research projects focused on mapping, monitoring, and modeling vegetation cover, composition and structure, incorporating climate, land use, and disturbance dynamics. The successful candidate(s) will work with members of the Goetz GEODE Lab and collaborators, using satellite and airborne observations to analyze the influence of multiple factors on vegetation dynamics, habitat quality and restoration potential with an emphasis on Arctic, boreal and tropical ecosystems. The successful candidate can begin as early as Spring 2019.

The position(s) will involve:

• Contributing to NAU’s satellite and airborne remote sensing activities.
• Processing multi-sensor imagery, primarily satellite-based but also airborne remote sensing including drones, to derive geospatial products characterizing ecosystem properties (e.g. vertical canopy structure, habitat quality, biomass, regrowth).
• Advancing analyses of vegetation dynamics and response to anthropogenic and environmental drivers of change.
• Presenting research results locally and at professional meetings.
• Collaborating with a diverse group of scientists.
• Facilitating collaborations between the Goetz GEODE lab and other researchers at NAU and beyond.
• Writing and assisting with the writing of research proposals and peer-reviewed journal articles.
• Training and mentoring graduate and undergraduate student researchers.

Minimum Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have a Ph.D. in Remote Sensing, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Geography, and/or a related discipline.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Ability to synthesize complex information and develop structured analyses in written and visual form
• Ability to perform complex geoprocessing and manipulate large datasets using personally developed scripts
• Fluency in performing geospatial tasks in a multi-operating system environment (Windows/Linux/Mac/Solaris)
• Knowledge of programming / script writing (Python, R, GDAL, C/C#, SQL, Perl, Java, and/or IDL)
• Skill in using digital image processing software packages including open source options as appropriate
• Experience working in high performance computing environment
• Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary research team
• Ability to work effectively in a culturally diverse and interdisciplinary research environment

This position is responsive to GEODE lab research priorities and thus specific tasks and duties must be completed, on schedule, by the postdoctoral research scholar(s) in response to timelines and deadlines.