Physical Scientist at UW Climate Impacts Group

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The Climate Impacts Group (CIG) at the University of Washington is hiring! Keep your eyes peeled for multiple opportunities to join our team in the coming weeks and months.

Our first need is for a physical scientist to join our team of professional researchers devoted to use-inspired research. We are looking for a person with strong technical skills in manipulating climate model data, interpreting hydrological and meteorological data, and physical process modelling. This position is intended to support the CIG’s senior research staff in work coproduced with our local, state, federal and tribal partners. The CIG is a fast-paced, dynamic, and deadline driven environment, which requires the research scientist to bring strong organizational and project management skills as well as problem-solving and priority-setting abilities.

While we are open to applicants with at least 2 years of experience and a B.S. in computer science, mathematics, engineering, earth sciences or a related field, we would prefer a candidate with more experience (Master’s or PhD). This is a full-time staff scientist research position with no teaching expectations and no path to University tenure. For more details and to apply, go to this link.

Contact: Jason Vogel, jmvogel@uw.edu

Hydrology/Fisheries Faculty Position at Salish Kootenai College (Pablo, MT)

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Work for the only Hydrology Bachelor’s degree program at a Tribal College or University!

Salish Kootenai College Department of Hydrology is seeking a full time hydrology instructor with fisheries experience in applied hydrological measurements, fluvial processes, general fisheries biology and hydrological and fisheries management tools for natural and cultural resource management for tribal organizations.

The minimum requirements will be an M.S. (PhD preferred) in Hydrology, Fisheries, Geoscience, or closely related degree.

Apply on the Salish Kootenai College website.

Contact: Dr. Antony Berthelote

Hydrology Department Head

(406) 275-4080

antony_berthelote@skc.edu

Additional Information

eScience Institute Seminar: Joe Hamman, National Center for Atmospheric Research

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“Enabling science using open source software, big data platforms, and diverse communities; applications in climate and hydrologic research”

Please join the UW eScience Institute for a special guest seminar by Joe Hamman of the National Center for Atmospheric Research!

When: Thursday, September 19, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Where: WRF Data Science Studio, 6th Floor, Physics/Astronomy Tower

Abstract: Across many data-driven fields, the abundance of data and compute is offering researchers exciting opportunities for scientific discovery. Realizing these discoveries is, however, often impeded by unnecessary constraints on the research process. These constraints stem from a variety of sources, including the complexities of working with very large datasets, and the failure to follow best data science practices. In this talk, I will discuss how open source software, big data platforms, and vibrant and diverse communities are enabling a new paradigm of scientific research. We will explore how this new paradigm is enabling open science and scientific transparency in service of society. I will provide examples from the perspective of climate and hydrologic modeling, demonstrating how pressing challenges in these domains are being addressed through the community development of open software and infrastructure through the Pangeo Project. I will end by highlighting areas in the climate and hydrologic modeling domains where emerging data science methods are likely to play an important role in the research landscape in the coming years.

Bio: Joseph Hamman is a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). He received a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Washington (2016) and additional postdoctoral training in computational hydrology at NCAR (2016-2018). His work focuses on using emerging data sciences approaches in service of climate and hydrologic modeling research. He has made significant contributions to open source scientific software projects (e.g. Xarray, Dask, Jupyter) and helps lead the Pangeo Project – a community effort for big data in the geosciences.

Freshwater Exploration Series: Spring 2019 Event

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Dams in the Pacific Northwest

After the fall field trip to the Skagit River Hydroelectric project and the winter Student Roundtable, the Freshwater Exploration Series is moving downstream to the next activity: an expert panel on dam management strategies and future research needs. 

RSVP

What: Freshwater Exploration Series: Spring Panel on Dams in the PNW

When: Wednesday, May 8, 2019, 5:00-7:00 pm

Where: Electrical Engineering Building, Room 303

Details: This event will feature panelists from academia and industry of different backgrounds: engineering, fisheries, and humanities. The event will focus on answering questions curated by students during previous activities related to dam management strategies and future research needs. First, each speaker will give a brief (~10 minute) presentation, addressing questions from their unique professional perspectives. Then, the floor will be open for conversation between the panelists and audience, allowing us to dive deeper into the complexities and nuisances of dam impacts and management.

Panelists:

  • Chris Frans, Civil Engineer/Hydrologist, US Army Corps of Engineers
  • Erin Lowery, Fisheries Biologist, Seattle City Light
  • Margaret H. Redsteer, Assistant Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, UW Bothell

RSVP

Contact Claire Beveridge with questions: cbev@uw.edu

 

EPA Postdoctoral Research Opportunity

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Quantifying the role of surface water storage features in mediating watershed-scale nutrients

We are excited to share a new postdoctoral research opportunity to investigate, characterize, and quantify (via statistical, geospatial, and/or hydrological models) the role of landscape surface water storage features (e.g., wetlands) and their associated hydrological and biogeochemical functions on downstream water quality. This competitive, three-year postdoctoral opportunity is with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Application period ends May 2nd, 2019.

Overview

Many of the nation’s waterways remained affected by excess nutrients, which leads to harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, poor ecological condition and drinking-water quality. The focus of this research will be on identifying and characterizing landscape surface water features (e.g., natural, restored, and constructed wetlands and floodplain systems) that remove nutrients prior to reaching downstream surface waters and quantifying how surface water storage contributes to watershed-scale nutrient conditions. The research will be implemented using state-of-the-science combined “big data” (monitored gage-data analysis and synthesis, geospatial and remote-sensing applications) and watershed-modeling approaches (e.g., advanced statistical and/or process-based) to identify prioritized areas within large, regional-scale watersheds with the greatest effect in reducing nutrient runoff to surface-waters. A focus will be on areas vulnerable to harmful algal blooms and used for surface-water supplies and recreational activities.

The preferred candidate will have a Ph.D. in environmental engineering, hydrology, geography, environmental science, or a related discipline. S/he will have experience in (1) watershed hydrology and biogeochemistry; (2) watershed modeling; (3) advanced numerical and/or statistical methods for surface-water and landscape-scale analyses; (4) GIS/remote-sensing software and applications; and (5) scripting (e.g., Python, R) and/or coding (e.g., C++, Java, FORTRAN) language.

The candidate is expected to join our productive and enthusiastic research team of watershed hydrologists, biogeochemists, and systems ecologists this fall for a three-year federal postdoctoral research appointment.

Application information

Position specifics

Feel free to reach out with any questions: Dr. Heather Golden (golden.heather@epa.gov) and/or Dr. Charles Lane (lane.charles@epa.gov)