Post-Doctoral Associate

Classification Title:

Postdoc Aso

Job Description:

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or visit Accessibility at UF .

A Post-Doctoral Associate position is available at the University of Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center located in Davie, Florida.  The post-doc will conduct research under the joint mentorship and supervision of Drs. Mica McMillan (Environmental Horticulture Dept.) and Braham Dhillon (Plant Pathology Dept.), in collaboration with The Davey Tree Expert Company.  The successful candidate should have a strong work ethic, excellent time and organizational skills, and be self-driven.

Projects will include but are not limited to ‘Alternative Fertilizer Methods for Palm Nutrition’ focused on developing fertilizers to enhance nutrient uptake and improve overall palm health.  Specifically, this candidate will focus on novel injection applications and methods to determine palm responsiveness to these applications. 

Concurrently, the post doc researcher will work in the field of ‘Palm Tree Tomography’ to address the gap in knowledge about the causes and risks associated with palm trunk failures.  These projects center around examining the use of minimally invasive methods to detect structural damage in palms.

Specific duties:

• Conduct field analyses using MiniRhizotron, RootSnap software and Remote Sensing Methods (RGB/Multispectral/LIDAR analyses).
• Conduct laboratory analyses and maintain laboratory equipment including but not limited to:  nutrient, root and leachate analyses
• Use of leaf spectrometry to correlate nutritional deficiencies in palm tree species with laboratory analyses
• Asses the utility of different tomography instruments to measure rot in the varied palm species grown across the landscape in Florida
• Morphometric data from healthy and diseased palms will be correlated to data on structural integrity across temporal and spatial scales
• The influence of different parameters like palm anatomy and physiology, environmental variables, and site related features on tomography will be examined
• Collaborate with statistical experts and conduct statistical analysis using SAS
• Produce manuscripts based on evidence-based data analyses
• Travel to research sites may be required and a valid Florida Driver’s License is necessary
• Ability to work in both indoor and outdoor environments and lift up to 50 lbs.
• Other laboratory and field duties as determined by project needs

Appointment:  Start date is Spring 2025.  This is an industry funded position for 1 year and could be extended depending upon additional funding.  The salary will be $58,656/year with benefits.  Housing is not included in this funding.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 56,000 students.  UF is a member of The Association of American Universities.  The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, and encompasses 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (REC) located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain). The School of Natural Resources and Environment is an interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed by several colleges on campus.  UF/IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, which includes approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout the