Postdoctoral Researcher

~ The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)unleashes the power of science to transform the way society understands and manages the environment. ~

By conducting cutting-edge research into today’s most pressing environmental problems, we are developing new ideas to help guide our state, nation, and world toward a more environmentally sustainable future through five research centers—the Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, the Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in Baltimore, and the Maryland Sea Grant College in College Park. 

Position Overview

A two-year postdoctoral position (Postdoctoral Researcher - spatial modeling of tree responses to climate change) is available in Matt Fitzpatrick’s spatial ecology lab at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science – Appalachian Lab (AL).

Responsibilities

• The postdoc will lead the development of spatial modeling methods to understand and predict changes in the distribution and abundance of trees in response to climate change, with a focus on the response of red spruce (Picea rubens) to climate change since the Last Glacial Maximum.
• The position is ideally suited to researchers with interests in combining paleoecology, genomics (including ancient DNA), stable isotopes, experiments, and novel spatial modeling methods to better understand and forecast how organisms respond to environmental variation. 
• More details about the project can be found here. 

Qualifications

• A completed Ph.D. in ecology, biogeography, statistics or a related field.
• The ideal candidate will have demonstrated expertise in statistical modeling and spatial analysis in R, including species distribution modeling.
• Candidates with interest or expertise in process-based modeling are highly encouraged to apply.
• A promising record of research productivity is highly valued and the successful applicant will be an independent, motivated scientist who communicates well and thrives in a collaborative setting.

Additional Information

• The position is available starting as early as May 2019 and ideally no later than August 2019.
• The initial appointment is for 1 year, renewable for a second year.
• The postdoctoral researcher will be based with Matt Fitzpatrick at AL, but will join a network of collaborators at AL (Drs. David Nelson, Cathlyn Stylinski), the University of Vermont (Dr. Stephen Keller; ecological genomics), Uppsala University (Dr. Laura Parducci; forest paleogenetics), and researchers at the US Forest Service.
• AL is located in Frostburg, Maryland, a small college town in the central Appalachian Mountains that provides a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment unique to smaller, research-intensive institutions.
• The postdoc will be provided the opportunity to lead the research project and coordinate collaborations.
• Review Start Date: 04/01/2019