Complex Hazards Decision Frameworks Postdoc

How to Apply

For consideration for this opportunity, please send the following materials in a single PDF file to Paige Fischer ([email protected]) with "Compound Hazards Postdoc" in the subject line. The single PDF file should include the following:

• Cover letter describing your relevant experience and scholarly interests
• Curriculum vitae
• Relevant publications or a writing sample

Materials will be reviewed as they are received.

Who We Are

Mission Statement

At the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), we are at the forefront of building a more sustainable and just world for all by transforming the impact of higher education and reimagining the future. We are advancing action through innovation, research, education and engagement in society, and developing leaders who are empowered to halt the climate crisis and create an environmentally sound future for generations to come.

To learn more about SEAS and our values, please visit our website at https://seas.umich.edu/about/seas-values.

School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)

The School for Environment and Sustainability (https://seas.umich.edu/) is at the forefront of building a more sustainable and just world for all by transforming the impact of higher education and reimagining the future. We are advancing action through innovation, research, education, and engagement in society, and developing leaders who are empowered to halt the climate crisis and create an environmentally sound future for generations to come. The University of Michigan is a top-ranked public university with excellence in research and teaching. Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, is a town known for arts, culture, parks, and restaurants.

Western Forest and Fire Initiative (WFFI)

The postdoc will work as part of the Western Forest and Fire Initiative (WFFI), an interdisciplinary working group of faculty, students, and postdocs that studies human and ecological adaptation to wildfire hazards using an integrated social-environmental systems framework. WFFI research projects are supported with funds from the Kathy and Steve Berman Family, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and other sources.

Job Summary

Prospective postdoctoral fellows interested in decision-making in the context of complex natural hazards and environmental change are encouraged to apply for a position in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. The postdoctoral fellow will collaborate with a transdisciplinary research team to:

1. Investigate how public health and natural-hazard professionals make decisions to protect communities from co-occurring wildfires, wildfire-smoke events, and heat waves
2. Develop frameworks to support these decisions.

Research activities will include focus groups and workshops with public health and natural-hazard professionals. These activities will integrate information about wildfire hazards and professionals' mental models of those hazards into decision-making frameworks.

The postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for producing a peer-reviewed publication, presenting a paper at a professional conference, and developing a practitioner-oriented resource. The position is funded by an award from NASA's Earth Action Wildland Fires program.

This position will be a one-year, full-time, term-limited appointment. The start date is flexible.

Mentoring

The postdoc will be advised by Dr. Paige Fischer (University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability) and collaborate with a team of University of Michigan postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, and faculty members, including Dr. Gretchen Kepple-Aleks (Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering) and Dr. Marie O'Neill (School of Public Health), as well as external faculty members, including Dr. Matt Hamilton (University of Wyoming) and Dr. Heidi Huber Sterns (University of Oregon). 

Responsibilities*

• Help design, conduct, and analyze data from focus groups and workshops
• Write and submit a manuscript to a scholarly journal
• Make a paper presentation at a professional meeting
• Co-develop a practitioner-oriented output (i.e., related to a decision framework)
• Interact with faculty, PhD students, other postdoctoral fellows, and practitioners to design, conduct, and interpret the research

Required Qualifications*

• Ph.D. in sociology, human geography, public health, public policy & planning, or another related field
• The PhD is required either at the time of appointment or must be obtained within four months of the start date
• Formal training and research experience with topics such as risk perception, protective action or risk mitigation behavior, natural hazards, or climate change adaptation
• Formal training with social science data research and stakeholder engagement methods, such as focus group interviews, workshops, and qualitative data analysis
• Candidates for this position must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position

Modes of Work

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan (flexible)

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Application Deadline

Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled. Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.