TITLE: Post-Doctoral Research Associate for Agroecosystem Research
DEPARTMENT: School of Agriculture, Communities, and Environment
REPORTS TO: Principal Investigator
CLASSIFICATION: Staff-12 months

JOB SUMMARY:

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will serve as a lead support person to assist the PI, staff, and students in performing research in the Long-Term Agroecosystems Research (LTAR) at the College of Agriculture, Community, and the Sciences (CACS). The person would also support PI’s research and education activities to enhance environmental, soil, water quality, microclimate monitoring, Geographic Information System (GIS), and remote sensing research programs as part of the PI’s recently funded Evans Allen, NextGen, and other research and education grants. This position also assists in mentoring undergraduate and graduate research to enhance environmental science, GIS, and remote sensing programs. This position will be supported by Evans Allen and other grant funding for 3 years. Continued funding after that time is subject to funding availability and performance evaluation.
The post-doctoral research associate will be a key member of the Center of Geospatial Intelligence and Environmental Security research team and will be involved in ecological and agroecosystem change research, including such topics as microclimate, watershed management and modeling, sediment analysis, soil formation, water scarcity and security, geomorphology, land cover change, application of remote sensing and Geoscience in agricultural and environmental studies.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Practical experience in research methodology in agroecosystem, soil, biomass, and watershed studies.
• Experience measuring water quality dynamics and training students on the topic.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team with excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Commitment to working successfully with a diverse student population.
• Specialized or moderate skills in spatial statistics, data analytics, pixel and object-based image analysis and feature extraction, SWAT, Google Earth Engine, ERDAS IMAGINE, ENVI, R, and/or Python.
• Analytical ability to include geospatial mapping and data analytics skills using ArcGIS Pro.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, along with problem-solving expertise
• Must be able to manage multiple projects and set priorities.
• Experience publishing in peer-reviewed journals and developing competitive grants.
• Possess the ability to perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of a Ph.D. in Geography, Natural Resources, or related field and concentration on GIS, Remote Sensing, digital agriculture, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated or potential ability for developing competitive grants and publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Licensing and Certifications:

• None are required, but UAV-Drone Pilot and GISP are encouraged.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States. At this time, Kentucky State University is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa.
Internal Candidates are Encouraged to Apply.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I have received, reviewed and fully understand the job description for _____. I further understand that I am responsible for the satisfactory execution of the essential functions described therein, under any and all conditions as described.
Employee Name ____________ Date _____ (printed name)
Employee Signature ________________
KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY is an Equal Opportunity Employer
The functions, qualifications, knowledge/skills, and physical requirements listed in this job description represent the essential duties of the job, which the incumbent must be able to perform either with or without reasonable accommodation. The Job Functions listed do not necessarily include all activities that the individual may perform

• Additional duties to be performed as assigned