Job Description Summary
Organization's Summary Statement: The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland, located just outside of Washington, D.C., seeks a postdoctoral associate. The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics is a unit of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and has financial and programmatic ties to the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station and the University of Maryland Extension. The Department offers an internationally recognized graduate program in agricultural, resource, and environmental economics. The department's research strengths are principally in the areas of agricultural, environmental, and natural resource economics, specifically production economics, sustainable agriculture, and international development. The department provides excellent office, data laboratory, library, and computer and operating support for research.
Physical Demands: • This is primarily a sedentary position involving extensive use of desktop computers. Substantial repetitive movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas, hearing is required to perceive information.
• Close visual acuity is required to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; viewing a computer; extensive reading.
Preferences: • experience with optimization, simulation, and/or spatial analysis;
• interest in integrating ecological and economic systems in applied research;
• strong writing skills and interest in producing peer-reviewed publications;
• ability to manage multiple projects and work independently while contributing to a collaborative research environment; and
• interest in stakeholder engagement, outreach, and decision support.
Experience or strong interest in invasive species, biosecurity, conservation, or related environmental management challenges is especially desirable.
Licenses/ Certifications: n/a
Additional Job Details
The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Maryland invites applications for a Postdoctoral Associate to support research on invasive species management, biosecurity, and environmental decision support. This is a one-year position, with potential for extension contingent on funding availability. This position offers an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated environmental and resource economist to contribute to cutting-edge work at the interface of economics, ecology, and decision science. The successful candidate will help advance research and decision-support tools related to invasive species and biosecurity, while contributing to peer-reviewed publications, applied products, and collaborative engagement with students and stakeholders.
The successful candidate is expected to work independently as well as in an interactive and dynamic team environment, with good written and oral communication skills.
Responsibilities:
The postdoctoral associate will contribute to a portfolio of projects related to invasive species management and biosecurity, including:
• refinement and parameterization of a decision-support tool for rapid response decision-making for new invasive species incursions;
• bioeconomic modeling of economic and behavioral tools for invasion management in complex management mosaics;
• application of optimization, simulation, and spatial analysis to environmental management problems;
• organization and integration of diverse ecological, economic, and geospatial datasets;
• preparation of peer-reviewed manuscripts and related research products;
• preparation of outreach materials, fact sheets, and decision-support products for applied and Extension-oriented activities;
• mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students contributing to project activities;
• participation in stakeholder-engaged research activities, which may include focus groups, surveys, and other forms of applied engagement.
Minimum…