Employment & Opportunities

Post-doctoral Position - UBC

The Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Columbia invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in the field of coupled biological/chemical/physical ocean modelling. The successful applicant will conduct research as part of a group developing SalishSeaCast, a coupled numerical model, based on the NEMO model, of the Salish Sea. The physical model is fully coupled to a biological model (SMELT) and a carbon model (SKOG). This post-doctoral fellow will focus on oxygen, including evaluation of the model, dynamics of oxygen within the Salish Sea and impact of anthropogenic nutrient sources on oxygen.

The position is for one-year, renewable for a second and third year and preferred start dates are Sep-Oct 2022. The application deadline is Jul 16, 2022 but will be extended if a suitable candidate has not been found.

Project and Responsibilities

This project will focus on oxygen with the Salish Sea and in particular, within the Puget Sound Region. The candidate will confirm the oxygen formulation within SalishSeaCast and evaluate the oxygen results against available Canadian and US observations. They
will update the nutrient fluxes, particularly the nitrate ux, from the rivers and add those appropriate for the municipal outfalls. The next step of the project will be to investigate the main controls of oxygen in the system and compare to previous analyses, including those for nitrate and carbon. Sensitivity to the parameters/parameterizations of the major controls will be estimated. The applied component of the project will include nutrient manipulations from rivers and municipal outfalls to determine the impact of these loadings on the system. In collaboration with the larger group at UBC, an investigation of the past and future oxygen cycling will be possible.

Additional responsibilities will include: reporting to the funding agency, publication of the main results in peer-reviewed international journals and partial supervision of undergraduate students working on this project and mentoring graduate students working other
aspects of SalishSeaCast.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

A Ph.D. together with a strong background in coupled numerical modelling of ocean systems. Such a background could, for example, be demonstrated with one or more published papers in the field. The position is for one-year, renewable for a second and third year and preferred start dates are Sep-Oct 2022. Salary is dependent upon educational level and experience; the minimum salary is $58,000 per year plus benefits.

How to Apply

Applications, including a CV, copies of two relevant publications, and the names, e-mails and phone numbers of three referees should be sent to Dr. Susan Allen ( ). The application deadline is Jul 16, 2022, but it will be extended if a suitable candidate has not been found.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow - University of Nebraska

The Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Nebraska has an opening for a non-tenure track Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in Atmospheric Sciences. We are seeking a recent Ph.D. recipient with an interest in developing skills and experience in university teaching. This would be a 1-year postdoctoral appointment with the possibility of extension based on satisfactory performance and availability of funding. Teaching duties will be four classes per year (two per semester), including at least two of the following: Atmospheric Thermodynamics; Physical Meteorology (radiation transfer); Advanced Synoptic Meteorology; and Satellite Meteorology. Any remaining course load would be assigned by the Chair.

The candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences, Meteorology, or Climatology at the time of appointment. Preference will be given to candidates with prior teaching experience.

The Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences offers a B.S. degree in Meteorology-Climatology (as well as a B.S. degree in geology) and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences with an optional specialization in Meteorology-Climatology. Atmospheric science research in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences focuses on meteorological hazards and climate change. Additional information about atmospheric science research and teaching in the Department can be found at here.

To apply, go to here and complete the faculty/administrative form. Applicants must attach 1) a cover letter, 2) a curriculum vitae, 3) a statement of teaching philosophy, and 4) names and contact information for at least three references.

Review of applications will begin July 18, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled. The start date for this position is August 15, 2022.

The UNL Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation. See here.

Chromite MSc project - University of Ottawa

The Newmont Chair in economic geology at the University of Ottawa is sponsoring an MSc project. The ~1 m thick UG2 chromitite of the ~2 Ga Bushveld Complex is one of the largest platinum-group metal deposits in the world. However, the mechanism(s) by which it crystallised and accumulated remain(s) controversial, and several distinct models for this exist in the literature. These models span a range of magma chamber processes, including in situ crystallisation, crystal settling and emplacement of crystal slurries. This project will investigate the origin of the UG2 chromitite via a detailed mineralogical, microstructural and geochemical study of a continuous core section through the ore body, sampled from the western lobe of the Bushveld Complex. Specific techniques to be applied include separation and analyses of platinum-group minerals in the chromitite, and the construction of an Os isotope stratigraphy through the thickness of the unit. The main project goal is to resolve whether the chromitite was formed as a product of one crystallisation event, or if it preserves evidence for incremental assembly. It is anticipated that the data produced in this project will provide valuable new insights into magmatic ore deposit formation, as well as processes operating in open system magma chambers more generally.

This project will suit students with strong interests in magmatic petrology, mineralogy and radiogenic isotope geochemistry. Please direct requests for more information and/or formally express interest by contacting Professor Brian O’Driscoll at bodrisco@uottawa.ca. The project will be based at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Ottawa. This project is fully funded and has a start date of September 2022 or January 2023. Formal expressions of interest should be accompanied by a current CV, an (unofficial) academic transcript, and the contact details of two referees.