Postdoctoral fellow for Global to Regional Origins of Water Stress (GROWS)
The University of Wyoming (UW) department of Atmospheric Science (ATSC) invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship focused on leveraging spaceborne and suborbital observations for machine-learning aided global model development and physical understanding of the water cycle as part of the NASA-funded Global to Regional Origins of Water Stress (GROWS) initiative. As the Mountain West faces an unprecedented ‘mega-drought’, understanding and predicting water transport in this region is of critical importance. This fellowship is funded through a UW-led collaboration with the following NASA centers: GISS, JPL, and GSFC. The successful candidate may begin in August of 2023 and will work on using observations from a variety of platforms to constrain how moisture converges into the Mountain West and the origin of regional water stress. They will leverage the perturbed parameter ensemble created in the development of the GISS-E3 model to constrain and understand how global climate affects regional water stress.
The qualified applicant should have experience working with climate model data and observations and a background in atmospheric science. They should have a strong foundation in programming and experience in using machine learning to develop surrogate models, or an interest in learning how to develop surrogate models. The postdoctoral scholar will be expected to participate in a UAV field deployment as well as providing mentorship to the graduate student supported by GROWS.
The position is a 1 year appointment with renewal up to 3 years. GROWS places a premium on advancing your career through conference travel and collaborating closely with our colleagues at NASA centers is a key element of the proposal, including a two-week secondment to NASA-GISS in New York City.
The UW is a land-grant university located in Laramie, WY. The location is both scenic and accessible: Denver International Airport is a short flight from the regional airport or a 2.5 hour drive. Laramie hosts a laid-back, outdoorsy lifestyle with a low cost of living. The UW ATSC is a vibrant department boasting unrivaled supercomputer facilities and a research aircraft. UW is reserved 13% of total core-hours at the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC). ATSC hosts the UW King Air, which flies as part of the NSF Lower Atmosphere Observing Facility (LAOF). ATSC is a graduate-only, research-focused department with a group composition of 7 faculty and 5 research scientists by the start date of fall 2023. UW and ATSC encourage candidates who will support and advance our mission of enhancing diversity to apply. Information on UW diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts may be found on the UW webpage.
Applicants should submit a CV, a one page statement of research interests, and the contact information of 3 references. For further information, please contact daniel.mccoy@uwyo.edu.
Apply here: UW Candidate Experience