Postdoctoral Associate

The Geosciences Department at Virginia Tech invites applications for a postdoctoral scholar in hydrogeodesy working under the advisement of Dr. Manoochehr Shirzaei (Geosciences).
The candidate will join an interdisciplinary team of faculty and students researching the deformation of the Earth's surface in response to natural and anthropogenic processes, such as tectonics, sediment and aquifer compaction, fracking, CO2 sequestration, and wastewater injection. A significant task (~80% of the time) of the candidate is developing and applying sophisticated multitemporal SAR interferometric methods in combination with the GNSS observations to measure 3D surface deformation time series and use these datasets to constrain various physical models of crustal deformation, with implication for future seismicity, sea-level rise, and groundwater availability. To this end, various geodetic, geologic, and hydrologic datasets (e.g., InSAR, GNSS, groundwater well levels), modeling approaches (e.g., elastic, viscoelastic, poromechanical), and inference techniques (e.g., Bayesian, Kalman, least squares) will be employed. This effort is expected to result in several publications in peer-reviewed journals. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to mentor (20% of the time) students and collaborate on grant proposals. This postdoctoral scholar position is anticipated to begin immediately for the duration of one year with the possibility of one additional year extension. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications, and funding is available to support conference travel.

Required Qualifications

Ph.D. in geodesy, geophysics, geosciences, engineering, applied mathematics, or other related disciplines. PhD must be awarded no more than four years prior to the effective date of appointment with a minimum of one year eligibility remaining.
Record of research and peer-reviewed journal publication.
Strong knowledge of math, physics and computer programing.
Strong communication skills.

Expertise in geophysical modeling and/or signal processing
Experience mentoring students
Experience working in interdisciplinary teams

Restricted

$52,500 – $57,500

January 15, 2023

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.