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Post Doctoral Research Associate - Water & Sanitation Infrastructure in Alaska
UMass Amherst | |
United States, Massachusetts, Amherst | |
September 10, 2023 | |
About UMass Amherst UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region. Job Description and Labs in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering invite applications for a Post Doctoral Research Associate in the field of water quality, sanitation, and environmental health. The Post Doctoral Research Associate will work on an interdisciplinary National Science Foundation-funded Navigating the New Arctic project focused on bridging Indigenous Knowledge and science to develop community resilience to future water cycles, river systems, and coastal change. We seek candidates who have knowledge of community-engaged research, small water and wastewater systems, and/or Arctic communities. The project will involve working with community staff in two Alaskan communities to co-develop and carry out a science plan that addresses local priorities for research and joins Indigenous Knowledge of the landscape change with western science methods. The goal is to forecast the rates of landscape change and their impacts on the community to inform our partner communities' planning for future water/sanitation and other infrastructure and provide a predictive framework for similar communities over the coming decades. Specifically, the Post Doctoral Research Associate will contribute to a household survey to measure the costs households incur to cope with irregular water supply and assess preferences related to water and sanitation services, collect samples of water and wastewater for analysis, and model the health and financial impacts of water and sanitation infrastructure changes. The Post Doctoral Research Associate will work closely with an interdisciplinary team of engineers, geoscientists, Indigenous Knowledge-holders, educators, environmental scientists, and economists. The position is based at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is in collaboration with Alaska Pacific University, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of South Carolina, and community partners in Mekoryuk and Kongignak, Alaska. The Post Doctoral Research Associate will be co-advised by Dr. Caitlyn Butler and Dr. Emily Kumpel. There may be opportunities to contribute to other projects in the Butler and Kumpel labs.
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Application Instructions Along with the application, please submit a CV, cover letter and contact information for three (3) professional references. The search will remain open until filled. UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action. |