Postdoctoral scholar in coastal drone research
Position Overview
Organization: Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Title: Postdoctoral scholar in coastal drone research
Position Details
Position Description
Dr. Corey Garza’s lab at the University of Washington (the Marine Landscape Ecology Lab), seeks to hire a Postdoctoral Scholar in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS). The position is supported by internal funding from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. The candidate hired into this position will have the opportunity to engage in research that utilizes aerial drones to map coastal habitats ranging from the rocky intertidal to kelp forests and statistical modeling to understand the drivers of spatial variation in coastal habitats.
The Marine Landscape Ecology Lab is dedicated to advancing the use of autonomous technologies and spatial analysis to understand the environmental drivers that shape the composition of coastal habitats across multiple scales of organization. Training the next generation of scientists is also a critical focus area of the lab. Reaching out to and providing opportunities to groups that have historically been underrepresented in the sciences is a central activity of the lab. The Marine Landscape Ecology Lab is committed to these goals and supports active participation in broadening participation activities by all members of the lab.
The project will involve:
· Conducting coastal habitat mapping with aerial drones
· Post-processing and analysis of drone imagery data
· Coordination of coastal mapping projects in British Columbia, California, and Washington
· Coordination of communications with external research partners
· Educational outreach and broadening participation efforts focused on the use of drones in coastal research.
The salary range for this position will be $76,000 to $77,976 per year, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination.
Postdoctoral scholars are represented by UAW 4121 and are subject to the collective bargaining agreement, unless agreed exclusion criteria apply. For more information, please visit the University of Washington Labor Relations website.
University of Washington Postdoctoral Scholar appointments are for a temporary, defined period not to exceed five years/60 months, including any previous postdoctoral experience.
Qualifications
Mandatory Qualifications:
Candidates will have a confirmed Ph.D. at the time of appointment, in a relevant discipline (e.g., marine ecology, quantitative ecology, ocean science, geoinformatics, statistics).
Qualifications:
· Have prior experience with the use of aerial drones for coastal mapping,
· Have an FAA Part 107 commercial drone license,
· Experience with remote sensing approaches for studying coastal environments,
· Experience with ArcGIS Pro and the ArcGIS Pro image analysis suite,
· Experience with statistical modeling in R, Python or Matlab
· Experience with machine learning based approaches for image analysis
· Familiarity with digital photogrammetry
· Adopt a rigorous and scholarly approach to their science, with evidence of this from presentations and publications,
· Demonstrate informed curiosity, with the ability to generate novel scientific questions,
· Be internally, intrinsically motivated to answer the project’s overarching research questions,
· Be a reliable team member who collaborators can always count on to come through on their promises,
· Be a respectful, professional, and generous team player who goes the extra mile to help their colleagues and maintains strong collegial bonds,
· Be an effective mentor for junior colleagues,
· Have a positive attitude in the face of obstacles or setbacks; have the professionalism to take these inevitabilities in stride,
· Have excellent time management skills; accomplish research goals by creating realistic but ambitious plans and initiating open communication when plans need to be adjusted,
· Have the willingness and the courage to discuss issues openly (i.e., to give and receive feedback, to celebrate successes, and to discuss ways to overcome challenges).
Instructions
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but those received by November 15, 2024, will be considered as a priority in the first screening. The position will start as soon as possible, but the anticipated start date is December 15, 2024, and no later than January 15, 2025. An earlier start date may be required for candidates who will need more time for training. The initial appointment will be 100% FTE for one year, with potential renewal for a second year.
Application Instructions:
All applications should be submitted through Interfolio. To apply for this position, please include the following in your application:
· A letter of intent explaining why you are a good candidate for this position.
· A current CV
· PDFs or DOIs of any written materials that demonstrate your previous research experience and your rigorous and scholarly approach to science.
· Contact information for at least three references in order of importance.
For any queries about this position, please reach out to Dr. Corey Garza at cgarza2@uw.edu
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.
Benefits Information
A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/. Appointees solely employed and paid directly by a non-UW entity are not UW employees and are not eligible for UW or Washington State employee benefits.
Commitment to Diversity
The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian, staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint (http://www.washington.edu/diversity/diversity-blueprint/). Additionally, the University’s Faculty Code recognizes faculty efforts in research, teaching and/or service that address diversity and equal opportunity as important contributions to a faculty member’s academic profile and responsibilities (https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/FCG/FCCH24.html#2432).
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Disability Services
To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.