Postdoctoral Positions

The systems Ecology Lab (SEL) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is seeking three (3) lateral thinking, energetic, and team-oriented postdoctoral candidates to fill the following positions funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF):

1. Geographical Information System (GIS)/ ecoinformatics specialist.
2. Ecologist or atmospheric scientist with expertise in establishing and managing eddy covariance towers designed to measure carbon, water and energy fluxes.

A more detailed description of each position follows: 

1. Geographical Information System/ Ecoinformatics specialist.

The chosen applicant will facilitate the development of the terrestrial Circumarctic Environmental Observatories Network (CEON, www.ceoninfo.org). This position will focus effort on assessing the current capacity and optimal design for a terrestrial CEON through the development of:

• Collaborations with established and developing US and international arctic terrestrial monitoring networks, research stations and other research or monitoring programs.
• Web-based map layers and cyber tools that enhance and facilitate access to information, web services and data related to the entities outlined in ‘a’ above.
• Cyber tools and analysis that evaluate the spatial and temporal significance of current and proposed environmental observing capacities in the Arctic and improve opportunities for cross site and interdisciplinary synthesis of observations and research findings.

Candidates are expected to have excellent GIS and spatial analysis skills, interpersonal and written abilities, and knowledge of web based mapping and information tools. Applicants with demonstrated skills in advanced web-based programming, international and/or cross-disciplinary collaboration and networking, and remote sensing or modeling are strongly encouraged to apply. This position will require extensive international travel but will otherwise be based at UTEP in El Paso, Texas.

2. Ecologist or atmospheric scientist with expertise in establishing and managing eddy covariance towers designed to measure landscape level carbon, water and energy fluxes.

UTEP’s CyberShARE Center of Excellence (website under development at (http://cybershare.utep.edu/) includes several environmental science sub projects. One of these is focused on establishing an eddy covariance and micrometeorological tower in the northern Chihuahuan Desert at the USDA Jornada Experimental Range, which hosts the Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program. The successful candidate will:

• Assist in the establishment of an Eddy tower and micrometeorological observing system that align to specifications outlined by Ameriflux and the developing National Ecological Network (NEON).
• With graduate students, establish a semi-autonomous robotic tram system and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to sample hyperspectral reflectance adjacent to the instrument tower/s outlined above.
• Develop a vegetation monitoring program that includes variables needed to best explain and scale ecosystem processes from the leaf to the landscape level.
• With personnel in the CyberShARE Center, develop novel data processing, analysis and dissemination tools.

Candidates are expected to have a background in micrometeorology, hydrology and/or plant physiology, and technical expertise with eddy covariance-based heat, water, and carbon flux measurement equipment. Applicants with experience in programming, data management, modeling, remote sensing and scaling flux and other ecosystem processes over multiple spatial and temporal scales are strongly encouraged to apply. The candidate for this position will be establishing a new disciplinary field for the lab and are expected to play a key role in the submission of proposals to advance this line of work. This position will be based in El Paso, Texas and require frequent travel to our field site on the Jornada Experimental Range, approximately 1.5 hours away.

Details of employment common to all positions described above

All positions are available immediately and will be filled as soon as appropriate candidates have been identified. Appointments will be made for 12 months initially and extended thereafter depending on performance and availability of funds. Review of applications will begin on April 28^th 2008. Candidates must have a PhD and a current driver’s license at the commencement of these positions. Salary will range between $38,000 and $40,000, depending on qualifications and experience. Benefits include retirement, group health, dental, life and disability insurance plus annual and sick leave. Successful applicants will have the potential to contribute to the preparation of grant proposals, develop a teaching portfolio, mentor graduate and undergraduate students, and conduct outreach activities to improve their credentials in preparation for future employment opportunities if they wish. Minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply, please email the following information to Dr Craig Tweedie (ctweedie at utep.edu).

1. A cover letter that introduces the applicant and describes which of the above positions is of interest and why.
2. CV.
3. An example of writing ability.
4. Contact information for three referees – two of which should be familiar with your most recent research endeavors.

Information about the Systems Ecology Lab at the University of Texas at El Paso:

The Systems Ecology Lab has grown rapidly since it was initiated three years ago. Personnel include two GIS/programmer technicians, 14 graduate students and over 20 undergraduate students who work part time on the lab’s various projects. Our facilities include an ecology lab, a GIS/image processing lab, an engineering lab, and a suite of 7 offices. SEL is focused on:

1. Understanding environmental change and plant and ecosystem structure and function in extreme environments, namely the Polar Regions and the Chihuahuan Desert;  
2. Developing novel technologies and cyberinfrastructure that improve capacities for monitoring and assessing environmental change, and enhancing interdisciplinary and international collaboration; and
3. Creating educational and life changing opportunities for the next generation of environmental scientists – especially students from underrepresented groups. Approximately 90% of the personnel in SEL are from underrepresented groups.

  Recent field-based projects have included land cover change, carbon balance and remote sensing studies in the Arctic, similar projects in the Chihuahuan Desert, and an education project in Antarctica for students and teachers. Our Cyberinfrastructure-related projects have focused on developing web-based mapping applications that improve access to information and data related to environmental monitoring and research in the Arctic and improving trust in data collected by our field-based instrumentation. Engineering projects are focused on improving infrastructure for autonomous ground-based hyperspectral remote sensing using robotic tram systems, the development of controlled growth chambers for trace gas studies, and the development of semi-autonomous ground and aerial vehicles that have the capacity to improve multi-scale environmental monitoring and assessment. SEL is linked to several national and international collaborations and networks and lab personnel travel regularly to national and international conferences to present findings from our most recent studies. More information about SEL is available at a website currently under development ~ www.sel.utep.edu and at several of our other websites: www.baidims.org, www.ceoninfo.org, www.ipyroam.org, www.armap.org, and www.arcticsciencefunding.org. More information about SEL and the positions currently being offered can be obtained by emailing Dr Craig Tweedie at ctweedie at utep.edu.