Four Postdoctoral Researcher Positions in Coastal Watershed Hydrology, Hydrodynamics, and Water Quality

Our multi-institutional team is seeking up to four postdoctoral researchers for an interdisciplinary project titled: Coupling lake, watershed, and estuarine models to better understand the role of engineered freshwater discharges in driving the severity, location, and timing of harmful algal blooms. The collaborative project is led by the University of Florida’s Center for Coastal Solutions and is funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers – Engineering Research and Development Center.

The overarching project goal is to develop data- and model-driven guidance for Lake Okeechobee flow releases and Caloosahatchee River watershed management based on an improved understanding of the interactive effects of engineered discharges, watershed flow and nutrient deliveries, phytoplankton community dynamics, and river/near-shore hydrodynamics.

We invite you to join our vibrant and supportive group of PIs, postdocs, and graduate students at UF, USF, and NCSU! Brief position descriptions and PI contact information are listed below; contact PIs for more information and application instructions. Positions are available immediately, and applications will be reviewed until positions are filled. Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in a relevant field and have a strong record of peer-reviewed publications, excellent communication skills, and a passion for collaborative research.

  • Dr. Mauricio Arias (USF) – Hydrodynamic-water quality simulation and optimization. Applicants should have experience in hydrodynamic-water quality modeling (e.g., Delft3d), mathematical programming (e.g., Python), and optimization algorithms. mearias@usf.edu, www.watershedsustainability.org.
  • Dr. David Kaplan (UF) – Modeling water and nutrient fluxes from coastal watersheds. Applicants should have expertise in watershed model development (e.g., HSPF), multi-model integration, and experience or interest in machine learning methods. dkaplan@ufl.edu, www.watershedecology.org.
  • Dr. Elise Morrison (UF) – Nutrient source tracking. Applicants should have experience in environmental biogeochemistry, analysis of dissolved and particulate organic matter, and collection/preparation of samples for stable isotope analysis. elise.morrison@essie.ufl.edu, faculty.eng.ufl.edu/elise-morrison/.
  • Dr. Maitane Olabarrieta (UF) – Modelling nearshore transport and water quality. Applicants should have experience in nearshore and estuarine circulation, numerical hydrodynamic and wave models (e.g. ROMS, WW3, SWAN), and mathematical programming (Python/Matlab). Familiarity with bio-geochemistry models and/or data assimilation is highly encouraged. maitane.olabarrieta@essie.ufl.edu, www.essie.ufl.edu/people/name/maitane-olabarrieta/.