Jobs:Job-00711

Four postdoctoral positions at Boston College

Boston College, Massachusetts, United States
Start reviewing process: 1 August 2022

Posting: Position: 4 Postdoctoral Opportunities Start reviewing process: 1 August 2022

The Boston College Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences has openings for four postdoctoral researchers, to be supervised by professors Mark Behn, Noah Snyder and Ethan Baxter. To apply please email a CV, a cover letter outlining research experience and goals for the position you are applying to, and the names of three references to mark.behn@bc.edu, noah.snyder@bc.edu, and/or ethan.baxter@bc.edu. Feel free to reach out to any one of us with questions. Depending on the goals of the postdoctoral researcher, these positions could also include teaching a course for undergraduate and/or graduate students. Mentoring in research project management, proposal writing, teaching, and academic service will be important parts of these positions. Review of applications will proceed as they are received. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department and BC, and we specifically seek individuals from underrepresented groups.

Opportunity 1. Interactions of humans and geomorphic processes

We seek an individual with a recent PhD in geomorphology or a related field and strong interest in exploring how humans influence geomorphic processes. This individual will join a team of researchers at Boston College studying the response of rivers to land-use and climate changes, led by Noah Snyder. The specific project(s) will depend on areas of mutual interest. Possibilities include, but are not limited to: (1) developing high-resolution records of watershed disturbances from lake and reservoir sediments; (2) quantifying the timescale of legacy sediment persistence in river valleys; and (3) modeling the upstream and downstream effects of dams and dam removal. This position is funded for 1.5 years.

Opportunity 2. Geodynamic modeling

We seek an individual with a recent PhD in geodynamics or related field with a strong quantitative background in one or more of the following areas: geophysical modeling, thermodynamics, rock mechanics, petrologic modeling, or cryospheric processes. This individual will join a team of researchers at Boston College studying active deformation in marine, terrestrial, and glacial environments, led by Mark Behn. The specific project(s) will depend on areas of mutual interest. Possibilities include, but are not limited to: (1) deformation and differentiation of lower continental crust; (2) geodynamic modeling of mid-ocean ridges and transform faults; (3) interactions between surficial and lithospheric processes; and (4) feedbacks between subglacial hydrology and ice sheet dynamics. This position is funded for 1.5 years.

Opportunity 3. Coastal processes modeling

We seek an individual with a recent PhD and strong background in quantitative geomorphology, sediment transport, coastal processes, geodynamics, math and physics, and/or computer modeling. This individual will join a team of researchers at Boston College studying sediment erosion, transport, and deposition in rivers, reservoirs and coasts led by Mark Behn and Noah Snyder. The postdoctoral position will involve the formulation, development, and analysis of numerical models to explore how climate and land-use change over the next decades to centuries will influence hydro-eco-geomorphic processes in estuaries, salt marshes, reservoirs and adjacent environments. Experience with Delft3D or similar models is desirable. This position is funded for 1.5 years.

Opportunity 4. LA-ICPMS Geochemistry

We seek an individual with a recent PhD in geochemistry. The individual will work under the direction of Prof. Ethan Baxter and within the Center for Isotope Geochemistry, which is Directed by Dr. Steph Walker and Asst. Director Andrew Lonero. This individual will join an active team of geochemists studying dynamic lithospheric processes led by Ethan Baxter and will also engage with research in sedimentary transport and provenance. The postdoc will help establish and utilize our brand new LA-ICPMS system for a range of research applications including: (1) Trace element mapping of minerals, (2) Routine solution geochemistry on rocks and sediments, (3) In-situ U-Pb, Rb-Sr, and/or Lu-Hf geochronology. The postdoc will split their time between method development, analysis of bulk rock and sediment samples for existing projects, and independent research. The postdoc is currently funded for 12 months.

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Of interest for:

Marine Working Group

Terrestrial Working Group

Coastal Working Group

Hydrology Focus Research Group

Chesapeake Focus Research Group

Geodynamics Focus Research Group

Coastal Vulnerability Initiative

Continental Margin Initiative

River Network Modeling Initiative