Job no: 514463
Work type: Post Doc (Amherst Only)
Location: UMass Amherst
Department: Landscape Arch & Regional Plan
Union: Post Doc
Categories: Postdoctoral Research Associate, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Description

We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work with Drs. Elisabeth Hamin Infield and Henry Renski in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, starting in the Fall 2022. The successful candidate will contribute to efforts to model the projected levels of climate-change induced migration in the Northeastern United States with particular attention to the impacts of such on receiving areas. As part of these efforts, the candidate will work closely with other researchers and stakeholders from around the Northeast on developing a major research grant application(s) to support additional research and related community outreach and planning activities. The candidate is also expected to prepare scholarly publications on this topic.

Essential Functions

• Contribute to efforts to develop models and pilot data explaining the migration response to climate change events, and its impacts on communities in the Northeastern U.S.
• Work with a multi-disciplinary team on research grant applications.
• Present research to internal and external academic audiences.
• Develop and write, usually collaboratively, scholarly publications on this topic.
• Help plan and organize scenario-based workshops for on climate migration in the U.S. Northeast.
• Work collaboratively and effectively to promote teamwork, diversity, equality, and inclusiveness.

Minimum Qualifications

• Holds a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning, Economics, Geography or other Social Science, or will graduate by August 2022.
• Have been academically active for no longer than 2 years post-PhD.
• Significant experience working with socio-economic/geospatial data and managing large datasets.
• Knowledge of empirical data analysis methods common to research in the Social Sciences.
• Familiarity with climate change science with an emphasis on human behavior and community impacts.
• Available to travel to Amherst, Massachusetts roughly once a month for team/stakeholders meetings. Travel expenses will not be covered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in interdisciplinary teams.
• Knowledge or interest in agent base modeling or similar simulation techniques.
• Knowledge or interest in domestic migration processes, patterns and data sources.
• Interest in mentoring master's student(s) as part of the team.
• Grant writing/grant development experience.
• Strong academic writing skills.
• Residence within the Northeastern U.S., or willingness to relocate.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

• Typical office environment.

Additional Details

• Start date of the position is October 2, 2022.

Work Schedule

• Flexible and remote work eligible, with commitments to scheduled meetings and monthly in-person meetings.
• Candidates work full-time (40 hours per week, Monday – Friday) for 8 months.
• Reappointment possible contingent upon availability of additional funding and candidate's performance.

Application Instructions

Candidates should submit a cover letter describing their interests and skills as they relate to the position description, a CV, a research paper (working or published), and the names and contact information of three (3) professional references. The search will remain open until filled.

Questions can be addressed to Henry Renski at hrenski@umass.edu and Elisabeth Hamin Infield at emhamin@umass.edu.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.

Advertised: Jun 13 2022 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: