Opportunities for Graduate Study and Research
Potential graduate students who are interested in using creativity and curiosity to understand our changing natural world can contact Alex at robel (at) eas.gatech.edu. Ongoing project and group interests are detailed on our research webpage. Graduate students should apply through the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences or the Program in Ocean Sciences and Engineering. To learn more about how we strive for an equitable, safe and positive group and community, see our vision for our group culture and ethics.
Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Stochastic Ice Sheet Project
Detailed Description: The postdoctoral fellow will work on the Stochastic Ice Sheet Project. The project scope includes: (1) the development of StISSM, a stochastically parameterized version of the Ice-Sheet and Sea-Level System Model in which small-scale processes are simulated by stochastic processes, and (2) large ensemble simulation with StISSM of the past and future evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet, for the purposes of conducting attribution studies on recent observed mass loss in Greenland and decomposing sources of uncertainty in future ice sheet change. The fellow’s responsibilities are flexible and depend on their interests and experience, but may include (though not limited to) simulation and then analysis of output from high-fidelity ocean, atmospheric and ice sheet models and observations of processes in order to develop stochastic parameterizations within StISSM. The postdoc will also have the opportunity to mentor and work together with a graduate student on other aspects of the Stochastic Ice Sheet Project. See GT news story for more background on this project.
Desired Skills: A successful candidate for this position may have a range of different skills, and we emphasize that any interested candidates should reach out to the project lead (Alex Robel) with questions about the applicability of their skill set to this project. Some useful past experiences (not all required in a single candidate) include: Earth system modeling of any type (ocean, atmospheric, ice sheet, geophysical, geodynamical, etc.), computer programming and shell scripting (language flexible, but experience with MATLAB, Python, and/or C++ are a plus), and scientific writing (in the form of manuscripts and project reports). The ability to work in a collaborative team setting and willingness to contribute to research group activities are highly desired.
Term: This is a two-year fellowship, reviewed annually on the basis of fellow performance, with extension to a third year possible. Salary is negotiable within rates set out by the University System of Georgia and is commensurate with the cost of living in the Atlanta metro area.
Location: The Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) is consistently ranked as the top public university in the Southeastern US, is among the best universities in the world across a range of science and engineering fields, and awards more engineering degrees to women and underrepresented minorities than any other university in the United States. GT is located within the exciting and diverse city of Atlanta, a center of American music, food and culture. Atlanta is also located an hour from the Appalachian Mountains, where world-class hiking and climbing opportunities are found, including the Southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.
Application eligibility and details: Candidates will be considered who have a PhD (or anticipated completion of a PhD by September 2021) in any relevant science or engineering field. Interested candidates may apply by e-mailing application materials to Alex Robel (robel (at) eas.gatech.edu), in the form of a single PDF with: (1) CV, (2) contact information for three references that can speak to the candidate’s qualifications for this position, and (3) a short statement (less than 300 words) explaining their interest in this position and relevant previous experience/research. Review of applications will begin October 31, 2020.