Post-Doctoral Scholar - Gough Labs (SLSS)

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc. is seeking a NASA-supported postdoctoral scholar with remote sensing expertise to work at Virginia Commonwealth University. This position involves investigating the relationship between coastal wetland vegetation indices and ecosystem production, while mentoring students and collaborating with various partners.

The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in ecology or related field, expertise in lidar and hyperspectral sensing, and a passion for team-oriented science.

Qualifications

• Proficiency in communicating science through peer-reviewed publications and presentations.
• Ability to work with large datasets and conduct analysis in R or Python.
• Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary, team-oriented science.

Responsibilities

• Engage partners from various organizations to investigate ecological relationships.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate student collaborators.
• Communicate project findings through various formats.

Skills

Lidar

Hyperspectral remote sensing

Thermal remote sensing

Data analysis in R or Python

Communication through publications

Education

Ph.D. in ecology, earth science, environmental sciences or related field

Job description

Advertising Summary

The Gough lab at Virginia Commonwealth University seeks a NASA-supported postdoctoral scholar with remote sensing expertise to join an interdisciplinary team investigating relationships between coastal wetland vegetation indices and ecosystem production, biodiversity, and habitat provisioning. The postdoc will engage partners from NASA, the Chesapeake Carbon Consortium, Ameriflux, The Nature Conservancy, and the environmental services industry, and support NASA’s Mid-Atlantic Gas Emissions Quantification (MAGEQ) and BlueFlux initiatives to model and scale wetland trace gas fluxes and quantify ecological co‑benefits such as biodiversity. The postdoc will leverage data from NASA Goddard’s Lidar, Hyperspectral, & Thermal airborne imager (G-LiHT), and UAS and terrestrial lidar platforms to characterize vegetation structural, compositional, and functional traits across mid‑Atlantic coastal wetlands and to examine how remotely sensed vegetation traits relate to trace gas fluxes, biodiversity, and habitat provisioning.

The Gough lab is a collaborative team-oriented group, with projects investigating forest and wetland carbon cycling, vegetation structure-function interactions, ecological responses to disturbance, relationships between art and science, and the efficacy of nature-based solutions. In addition to leading the science activities described above, a postdoctoral scholar will mentor undergraduate and graduate student collaborators, engage private and public sector collaborators, and communicate project findings through peer-reviewed publications, technical and policy documents, and presentations at scientific meetings. Questions and inquiries are welcome.

Position requirements

A Ph.D. in ecology, earth science, environmental sciences or a related field.

Required qualifications

• Experience with lidar, hyperspectral, and/or thermal remote sensing applications in ecology and earth science.
• Proficiency communicating science through peer-reviewed publications and presentations.
• Ability to work with large datasets and conduct analysis in R or Python.
• Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary, team-oriented science.

Preferred qualifications

• Fundamental knowledge of wetland biogeochemistry, biosphere-atmosphere interactions, and plant ecology.
• Experience mentoring student researchers.
• Prior experience working with remotely sensed vegetation indices.

Salary Range

Starting at $60,000

Benefits

All VCU employee types are eligible for a wide array of benefits to support you during your employment at VCU.

FLSA Exemption Status

Exempt

Hours per Week

40

ORP Eligible

Yes

Contact Information

Contact Name: Chris Gough
Contact Email: [e-mail]