Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled
Portland State University
Position Details
Proposed Start Date09/16/2024RankL - Research AssistantWorking TitleGGR Research AssistantPosition NumberD93101RepresentationAU - AAUP Faculty TypeFixed Term Research/GrantFixed Term End Date:04/30/2026Position FTE1.0Term of Service12 month
Brief Description of PSU/School/Dept
Geographers study challenging social and environmental issues across scales by engaging diverse communities around the world. With geographic knowledge and skills, you can make a difference. Our faculty research and teaching programs include local, regional, and international interests in hydrology, water resources, climate science, Geographic Information Science, biogeography, sustainability, urban environments, land use analysis, cultural and political ecology, and K-12 geographic education. See https://www.pdx.edu/geography/
The Global Environmental Change Lab conducts use-inspired science and supports research in the areas of vegetation dynamics and disturbance ecology (fire, insect outbreaks, volcanic eruptions, and other disturbances), landscape ecology, land-use change, forest policy and management practices, and relies on cross-scale approaches that include statistical and process-based modeling, dendrochronology, GIS and remote sensing, and paleoecology.
Position Summary
- Lead modeling and online tool development of postfire conditions to project how forest ecosystems and their associated fire regimes in the Oregon Cascades will respond to future changes in climate and fire, as well as to current and emerging land management strategies.
- The primary duties of this 2-year position are synthesizing existing (old and new) and ongoing postfire and post-reburn forest development research for integration, parameterization, and validation of a simulation modeling framework (LANDIS-II).
- The candidate will work closely with multiple federal and state-level practitioners and management partners in the study areas to build spatial metrics to implement in the field that will improve forest resistance and resilience to climate change and altered fire regimes using the Resist, Accept, Direct (RAD) framework.
- A white paper, an online tool, and a peer-reviewed publication co-produced with managers are the expected deliverables.
- Candidates seeking a J-1 exchange visitor visa will be considered.
Primary ActivityR - ResearchMinimum Qualifications
Masters’ in ecology, environmental sciences, geography, forestry, or related field by the time of appointment
Preferred Qualifications
- A strong foundation in forest, landscape, and fire ecology, and demonstrated experience in data analysis, programming in R or Python and C++ or C#, and statistical analysis of spatial and temporal datasets.
- Evidence of emerging scholarship, including peer-reviewed publications and a strong desire to work with stakeholders and as part of a team.
- Prior experience in web-based tool development.
Key Cultural Competencies
• Creates an environment that acknowledges, encourages and celebrates differences.
• Functions and communicates effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities and cultural backgrounds.
• Seeks opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement
• Adheres to all PSU’s policies including the policies on Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment and the Professional Standards of Conduct.
Environmental Stewardship
Contributes to a culture of environmental stewardship, practices resource conservation, and actively works toward achieving long-term sustainability goals.
Professional Standards of Conduct
At Portland State University, all employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner which maintains a safe, respectful, and productive environment for faculty, students, administrators, and staff. It is the responsibility of every member of the Portland State University community to conduct themselves in accordance with our PSU Professional Standards of Conduct which are available at https://www.pdx.edu/human-resources/professional-standards-conduct-policy.
Total Compensation Range & Benefits Statement
Salary is dependent on several factors, and new employees will typically start around the Q1 level to allow for later growth within the salary band. PSU has a structured process for determining starting compensation, taking into account years of related experience, applicable skills, knowledge and abilities, market parity, and internal equity.
The starting annual salary for this position will be $63,480 but may be negotiated above this rate dependent upon the factors above, the budget of the hiring department, and approval from HR.
An excellent benefits package includes 95% premium paid healthcare; a generous retirement and vacation package; and reduced tuition rates for employee, spouse or dependent at any of the Oregon University System schools : https://www.pdx.edu/human-resources/benefits-psu
Please visit our total compensation calculator to see the full value of our benefits package : https://www.pdx.edu/human-resources/psu-total-compensation-calculator
Supplemental Questions Reference Requests
Accept ReferencesYesMinimum Number of References3Maximum Number of References3Cutoff DateSpecial Instruction for Reference Provider
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