Department

Envir Sciences and Engineering - 463001

Posting Open Date

05/04/2023

Application Deadline

06/02/2023

Open Until Filled

No

Position Type

Postdoctoral Scholar

Position Title

Post-Doc Research Associate

Vacancy ID

PDS003838

Full-time/Part-time

Full-Time Temporary

Hours per week

40

FTE

1

Work Location

Colorado, US

Position Location

Colorado, US

Hiring Range

Dependent on Experience and/or Qualifications

Proposed Start Date

08/15/2023

Estimated Duration of Appointment

12 Months

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The Department of Environment of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (ESE) focuses on the interface between people and the environment with interdisciplinary programs in air quality, atmospheric processes, human exposure and health effects, and sustainable water resources, drawn from faculty expertise In the physical and life sciences engineering and policy. The Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (ESE) is an academic and research department located in the Gillings School of Global Public Health and has 24 faculty, 29 joint and adjunct faculty, 14 administrative staff members, and 7 research staff members. It has about 120 graduate students. The mission of the Gillings School of Global Public Health is to improve public health, promote individual well-being, and eliminate health disparities across North Carolina and around the world.

Position Summary

The selected individual will join a NSF supported project in collaboration with NCAR and aimed at improving our understanding of the multiphase chemistry of water-soluble organic gases and their contribution to aerosol formation based on both laboratory measurements and air quality modeling. The postdoctoral fellow will focus on updating the gas- and particle-phase chemical mechanism for isoprene secondary organic aerosol formation in a chemistry-climate 3D model to incorporate the latest knowledge of gas-phase reactions, and the influence of phase state on acid-catalyzed multiphase chemistry. We plan to focus our research primarily over the African continent to investigate the impact of anthropogenic pollution on the formation of biogenic SOA in this understudied region.

This work will employ the newly developed MUSICAv0 global model configured at different scales from air quality relevant scales to global scales. The postdoctoral fellow will configure and conduct MUSICAv0 simulations with a refined grid over Africa, compare the model results with available organic aerosol observations from recent field studies (e.g., Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa, AErosol, RadiatiOn and CLOuds in Southern Africa, Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study) and satellite measurements, and analyze the results of the global-scale model domain. Sensitivity studies will be performed to investigate the importance of various environmental parameters (temperature, altitude), and types of SOA coating (biogenic or anthropogenic) on the isoprene SOA formation.

The postdoctoral fellow will work collaboratively with project leads and team members within NCAR’s ACOM laboratory, university PI and collaborators to advance the science in aerosol formation and representing this formation pathway in air quality and climate models while gaining post-doctoral research experience.

The Postdoctoral fellow will preferentially be located at NCAR in Boulder, CO for the entire duration of the project or will undertake a long-term visit at NCAR in Boulder CO, lasting for a minimum of 6 months and starting at the beginning of the project. This will ensure that the postdoctoral fellow is frequently interacting with the model developers at NCAR.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

PhD in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), or a closely aligned field.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

The candidate should be well organized, detail-oriented, and able to work independently.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

The candidate should have solid academic background in atmospheric chemistry, and the source fate and transport of air pollution. The candidate should have direct experience with air quality models. The candidate should have evidence of strong scholarship, excellent communication skills, a collaborative working attitude, and critical thinking capability.

Special Physical/Mental Requirements