Postdoctoral Fellow l

Overview

The Riverscapes Assessment and Monitoring (RAM) Lab at Utah State University’s Department of Watershed Sciences invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow. This role will focus on evaluating the effectiveness of low-tech, process-based restoration strategies at improving riverscape health. The successful candidate will conduct comparative analyses between control sites (riverscapes without restoration interventions) and treatment sites (riverscapes that have undergone restoration actions) to determine the impact of these interventions on overall riverscape health. Three years of monitoring is already done for nine treatment sites and eight control sites in the Klamath and Warner Lakes Basins in Southern Oregon. The fellow will complete one additional year of monitoring following an established protocol, and then write at least one journal article on the short-term (<3 year) results around the efficacy of LTPBR. Additionally, the fellow will be responsible for disseminating their findings through peer-reviewed publications.

Responsibilities

• Monitoring of low-tech process-based river restoration projects
• Perform analyses related to effectiveness of restoration actions
• Produce peer-reviewed publication(s) for presenting research findings

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with PhD in a field of study related to earth or watershed science (e.g., geomorphology, hydrology, aquatic ecology).
• Strong oral and written communication skills, demonstrated through prior peer-reviewed publications.
• Proficient in data analysis.
• Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a research environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency with geospatial analysis (in desktop GIS and using Python or other programming languages).
• Programming skills (e.g., python, SQL)
• Experience in riverscape monitoring
• Experience in or familiarity with low-tech process-based restoration (https://lowtechpbr.restoration.usu.edu) of riverscapes.
• Familiarity with the standards of the Riverscapes Consortium (https://develper.riverscapes.net)
• Familiarity with QRiS (https://qris.riverscapes.net) and the LTPBR V2. Monitoring Protocol, both of which will be used to assess the data.

Required Documents

Along with the online application, please attach:

 

1. Resume or CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV” 

2. Cover letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application 

 

 

The following documents to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under "Documents 1-10"

 

3. Two letters of recommendation

4. Writing Sample(s)

5. Transcript(s)

 

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Advertised Salary

Commensurate with experience, plus excellent benefits

ADA

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.

College/Department Highlights

The S. J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources is nationally and internationally recognized for its research, extension, and teaching on natural and socio-environmental ecosystems. It is a high-impact college at Utah State University with over $15M in research funding annually, 55 tenure-track faculty in three departments, and close partnerships with federal and state natural resource agencies.  

 

The Department of Watershed Sciences in QCNR is a powerhouse in the science of ‘wet’ ecosystems, including rivers, lakes, wetlands, reservoirs, and the watersheds that feed them. Faculty are committed to making science useful for planning, management and restoration efforts, and are well-positioned to study and solve complex, interdisciplinary problems with a cadre of ecologists, hydrologists, geomorphologists, biogeochemists, and others. 

University Highlights

Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah’s premier land-grant, public service university. As an R1 research institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge through research and scholarly activities, providing a high-quality undergraduate and graduate education at an affordable price.

 

USU enrolls 28,900 students, both online and in person at locations throughout the state. Utah State’s 30 locations include a main campus in Logan, Utah, residential campuses in Price and Blanding, and six additional statewide campuses, along with education centers serving every county. USU Online educates students from