Postdoctoral Research Associate

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Job Posting Title

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Job Description Summary

Research Exempt

Job Description

Erin Teich’s computational soft matter lab within the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Wellesley College is seeking a highly motivated, independent, and creative postdoctoral researcher to join our team! This position is fully funded by a new project, The Emergence of Collective Intelligence: Understanding Human Behavior through AI Agents, which is an international collaborative effort that will combine machine learning, neuroscience, physics and complex systems to explore how collective intelligence emerges in human groups and AI agents. The postdoctoral researcher who joins this group will develop models informed by network science, information theory, and statistical physics to analyze patterns of interaction among human and AI agents during cooperative gameplay, in order to elucidate underlying mechanisms of communication which give rise to successful cooperation and group intelligence. Work on this project will give the postdoc access to an international and interdisciplinary collaboration consisting of scholars in Madrid, Halle, and London, and will feature monthly or biweekly Zoom meetings with these collaborators, as well as yearly in-person meetings. The postdoc will also have the opportunity to work on other projects in the lab that are focused on predicting and designing mechanical response and self-assembly behaviors in granular and colloidal materials, using simulation and analytical tools from network science, statistical mechanics, and control theory. This position is renewable for up to 3 years, and is ideal for young scientists who are interested in developing an independent research program while working closely with highly-motivated undergraduate researchers within in a culture of excellence and inclusion. To apply, please upload a CV, a brief statement of interest, and a list of three possible references. You may upload your three references in the same section as your resume/cover letter.

Primary Position Responsibilities

• Development of network models for the collaboration of agents (human and AI) as they play online task-oriented games

• Analysis of online experiments in which humans and AI agents play task-oriented games

• Coordination and collaboration with other members on the grant (biweekly Zoom meetings, yearly in-person meetings)

• Simulations and analysis related to additional projects in soft matter, to be developed in coordination with E. Teich

• Mentorship of Wellesley undergraduates

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Research mentorship and guidance of the undergraduates who work in Erin Teich’s lab.

Basic Qualifications

• PhD in physics or a closely related field

Skills and Abilities

Required:

• Fluency in Python

• Well-versed in statistical physics and soft matter theory and computation 

• Research Independence

• Enthusiasm for collaboration with researchers at other institutions

Preferred:

• Curiosity about and enthusiasm for teaching and mentoring at a small liberal arts college 

• Demonstrated track record for or interest in mentoring undergraduates

• Well-versed in aspects of network science and/or complex systems

Company Description

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