The School of Sustainability at Arizona State University (ASU) seeks applications for a Postdoctoral Research Scholar. The Scholar will join a dynamic team of interdisciplinary scholars in the Southwest Urban Integrated Field Laboratory (SW-IFL) project. SW-IFL is a Department of Energy (DOE)-funded research initiative that aims to address critical urban climate challenges in the southwestern United States through extensive field observations and advanced modeling approaches. The project focuses on understanding the impacts of urbanization on climate, health, and infrastructure and developing strategies to enhance urban resilience in the face of climate change. SW-IFL seeks to engage stakeholders and provide scientists and decision-makers with high-quality, relevant knowledge capable of spurring and guiding responses to environmental concerns. The SW-IFL is a partnership involving the three public universities in Arizona, two national laboratories, and industry.

The Scholar will work directly with Drs. Jennifer Vanos, Associate Professor in the School of Sustainability (SOS), and Ariane Middel, Associate Professor in the Schools of Arts, Media, and Engineering (AME) |Computing and Augmented Intelligence (SCAI). This work is funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), Grant DE-SC0023520.

This is an in-person position on ASU’s Tempe campus. This is a full-time, fiscal-year (12-month), benefits-eligible appointment, with no tenure implications. The position is for one year, with renewal possible based on funding availability and excellent performance. The anticipated start date is August 2024.

Job Description:

Drs. Jennifer Vanos and Ariane Middel seek to fill one Postdoctoral Research Fellow appointment to contribute to the SW-IFL project. The successful candidate will be expected to organize and partake in fieldwork on heat and air pollution using numerous high-end instruments (e.g., MaRTy, spectrometer, mobile sensors, IoT devices) in outdoor field conditions. The candidate will also post-process and analyze data using tools such as R, Matlab, and Python. The successful candidate should have a strong understanding of dynamic urban climate processes at the micro-, local-, and mesoscale.

The successful candidate will also mentor undergraduate and/or graduate students, help with outreach and community events, attend lab meetings, lead publications, and contribute to writing grant proposals. The Scholar may also collaborate with other faculty across ASU, their graduate students and faculty, and students involved in the DOE SWIFL project.

Description of Labs

The SHaDE Lab is an urban climate research group directed by Dr. Ariane Middel in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering (AME). The lab explores the “hot” topic of urban heat in three dimensions: heat as it can be sensed by biometeorological instrumentation, heat as it is experienced by humans, and heat as it can be modeled using simulations.

The Human Biometeorology Laboratory within the Walton Center for Planetary Health is led by Dr. Jennifer Vanos. The lab assesses the impacts of weather and climate (specifically extreme heat and air pollution) on human health. The lab maintains a large thermal chamber, open lab space, private lab space, and numerous instruments for biometeorological studies.

As defined in its design aspirations, ASU has a deep commitment to use-inspired, public-serving work in both the local and global contexts. This commitment is further articulated in ASU’s Charter, declaring the university’s enduring commitment to the communities in which it is embedded.

Essential Duties:

• Organize and conduct outdoor fieldwork on heat and air pollution.
• Post-process, analyze, and visualize data.
• Coordinate research output among the team members, facilitate the development of reports and conference presentations, and lead as well as assist in the dissemination of high-impact publications.
• Communicate and collaborate with local stakeholders, city staff, and communities regarding results and adaptation strategies for health protection.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree in Atmospheric Science, Environmental Science, Engineering, Geography, or a related field at the time of employment.
• Demonstrated fieldwork experience.
• Demonstrated understanding of the dynamics of urban climate across spatial and temporal scales.
• Demonstrated ability to work across disciplines and on a team.

Desired Qualifications:

• Strong quantitative background in urban climate and/or human biometeorology.
• Demonstrated experience with field work and meteorological instrumentation.
• Demonstrated experience with GIS, computer programming, and scripting languages for data post-processing and visualization.
• Demonstrated experience in publishing high-quality peer-reviewed research, including high-quality data visualizations.
• Demonstrated experience in communicating research products through oral communication (e.g., presentations at international conferences).

The initial deadline for accepting applications is August 2, 2024. If not filled, reviews will occur every week thereafter until the search is closed. To apply, candidates must submit the following materials.

• A cover letter describing relevant experience and interest in the position (not to exceed two pages)
• A complete Curriculum Vitae, including a list of publications
• Contact information for three references (name, phone number, and email)

This is a paperless search, and only materials submitted electronically, as outlined above, will be considered. Questions related to the search may be addressed to Ariane Middel (Ariane.Middel@asu.edu)