Assistantships & Fellowships
Postdoctoral Fellow in Digital Soil Mapping
Division of Plant and Soil Sciences
West Virginia University
Morgantown , WV 26506-6108
Rank and Salary
The Division of Plant and Soil Sciences in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design at West Virginia University, is seeking to fill a postdoctoral position in soil sciences. The position is a 12-month, non-tenure track, 100% research position. The position is in the National Soil Survey Center-Geospatial Research Unit, which is supported 100% by external funds. The position is for a minimum of 18 months, contingent upon continued external funding. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Responsibilities
The postdoctoral fellow will conduct research on the development of digital soil property maps at regional and continental scales in support of the GlobalSoilMap.net project. Efforts will include regionalizing and disaggregating existing vector soil survey information, incorporating existing and new point data, and investigating the use of raster data sources to improve the spatial prediction of soil classes and soil properties. Applicants should have an interest in studying soil variability and spatial modeling, as well as an understanding of geographic information science and statistical modeling techniques.
Qualifications
A PhD in Soil Science or related field is required. Additional requirements include demonstrated expertise in spatial and multivariate statistics, geographic information systems, and database management, as well as effective written and verbal communication skills. Experience with SQL Server, Access, or any ESRI software is highly desirable.
Location
WVU is located in Morgantown, a vibrant community of 45,000 in the Appalachian Mountains on West Virginia’s northern border adjacent to Pennsylvania. Morgantown has been recognized as one of the best small cities in the US. World-class healthcare, recreation, education and art facilities complement a strong business community. WVU is a Division I Research institution and serves as the state’s major research, doctoral degree-granting institution serving 29,000+ students in 185 degree programs offered by 15 academic schools and colleges.
The Division of Plant and Soil Sciences is one of five divisions in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. Disciplines within the Division are agronomy, entomology, environmental microbiology, genetics, horticulture, plant pathology and soil science. The Division is the home of the National Soil Survey Center-Geospatial Research Unit, a collaboration between the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and WVU. The mission of the NSSC-GRU is to enhance the capacity of the NRCS to produce, utilize, and apply soil, natural resource, and conservation information through the innovative application of geospatial technologies. The NSSC-GRU operates both locally and nationally to support the NRCS by developing tools and techniques to both improve and accelerate the production and update of soil survey and resource inventories.
Application
Applicants must submit an application letter with specific information on disciplinary focus, professional activities, and other information relevant to meeting the position qualifications; detailed curriculum vitae specifying education, experience and qualifications; transcripts; and three reference letters to Dr. Barton Baker, Division Director, Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, WVU, PO Box 6108, Morgantown, WV 26506-6108. Phone (304) 293-4817; Fax (304) 293-2960.
Electronic applications will not be accepted. Review of applications will begin after February 1, 2011 and continue until the position is filled.
West Virginia University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.