Aurora

Aurora is our weekly newsletter aimed at faculty, staff, and students of the department.

Volume
22

No.
5

Employment Opportunities
 

Two Postdocs, One PhD Student – EarthCube Geochronology and Cyberinformatics, University of Wisconsin - Madison

We seek two postdocs and a PhD student to join a new NSF EarthCube (http://earthcube.org) project aimed at addressing a ‘grand challenge’ in the Earth sciences: to seamlessly blend geochronological information into an integrated four dimensional digital Earth so that we may fully understand dynamic Earth system evolution through time. We envision that these postdocs will work as a team with the PIs during the 3 year tenure of this grant. We recognize that few applicants for these positions will have all skills equally developed; as such, cross-training is part of the project goal for all participants.

The Ph.D student will be expected to work with the postdocs and with project PIs. The student may pursue a PhD in either (1) laboratory-based chronostratigraphic studies and development of laboratory cyberinfrastructure, or (2) in developing capabilities of the synthetic databases to ingest new geochronologic data and update age models of Earth history that are used to test hypotheses in the geosciences.Applicants for the postdoc positions should send a CV, brief letter of interest, and thenames and contact information for three references, to Professor Brad Singer: bsinger@wisc.edu. Students interested in pursuing the PhD should contact one of the following Professors collaborating on this project to discuss applying to the Department of Geoscience or the Department of Geography:

Shaun Marcott, smarcott@wisc.edu
Steve Meyers, smeyers@wisc.edu
Shanan Peters, peters@geology.wisc.edu
Brad Singer, bsinger@wisc.edu
Jack Williams, jwwiliams1@wisc.edu

We will begin a review of applications on November 1, 2017. Applications will be reviewed until these positions are filled.  For mor information, please see here.

Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Aquatic Environments, University of Lethbridge

The University of Lethbridge invites applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Aquatic Environments. Knowledge of prairie/foothills environment would be an asset. The successful candidate may have expertise in assessment of the effects of environmental stressors on aquatic ecosystem processes, food webs, the cycling of contaminants, mitigation of their effects, eutrophication of lakes and rivers, reservoir and river management, climate change, flow regimes, watershed processes, fisheries resources, and/or expertise in the spread of exotic invasive species, and their impact on native flora and fauna.

The successful candidate will be nominated for a Tier 2 CRC, and, upon successful nomination, will be hired at the Assistant or Associate Professor level, depending on qualifications and experience. The proposed Chair will be expected to develop a rigorous, independently funded and internationally recognized research program, and to participate in the University’s Water and Sustainable Environments Institute, whose members conduct research on the management and conservation of water and aquatic resources, water quality, flow regimes, fisheries, riparian processes, watershed management and hydrology. The candidate will contribute to service and teaching in the Environmental Science Program and one of its participating departments.

The successful candidate will benefit from the newly renovated Westcastle Field Station, together with an established network of collaborations with government agencies including Alberta Environment and Parks (Alberta Fish and Wildlife), Environment Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Parks Canada, as well as Non-Governmental organizations such as Alberta Conservation Association, and Trout Unlimited. In addition, the candidate will benefit from the unique and leading‐edge Aquatic Research Facility (ARF) that occupies the basement level of the new $27 million Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building, and incudes controlled environment chambers.

Applications will be considered until October 16, 2017. The nomination of the selected candidate will be submitted to the CRC program by April 2018, with the expected decision date by the program in October 2018. The anticipated starting date for the position is January 1, 2019.

For more information and how to apply, please see here.

Postdoctoral position in Paleoceanography, Universidad Austral de Chile

The Research Center Dynamics of High Latitude Marine Ecosystems (IDEAL) invites applications from outstanding young scientists for a postdoctoral position in paleoceanography to participate in a research project aimed at reconstructing marine environmental change at various timescales in Antarctic and Subantarctic regions.

he candidate will integrate the team of the Center’s Research Line 1 Marine productivity in a changing ocean. He/she will be involved in multi-proxy studies aimed at reconstructing past trends in ocean productivity, circulation, sea ice variability, ocean temperature, and the impact of freshwater input from rivers and meltwater into subantarctic (mainly Magellan region) and antarctic marine systems, based on Quaternary high-latitude sediments. Micropaleontological analyses are key to the project, and hence the candidate is expected to have advanced knowledge in marine micropaleontology, mostly marine diatoms and diatom-based paleoceanographic reconstructions since the Southern Ocean represents a major sink of biogenic opal in the World Ocean. Interest in the use of biomarker and isotope proxies as paleoceanographic tools, is also a valuable asset.

Closing date: October 20 2017.  For more information and how to apply, please see here.

Programs and Events


Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), Professional Development & Community Engagement (PDCE), UBC

The PDCE office at the UBC Faculty of Education is proud to be offering two online MOOCs this fall:

A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course. Our MOOCs are modular, self-paced and non-credit online courses offered by the University of British Columbia, and delivered on the edX platform.

Please share the information about these MOOCs (below) with faculty and staff of the  Environmental Studies Program , or with anyone else whom you feel would benefit and may find them of interest. We are excited to be offering these courses, and to be sharing them with you!

For more information, please visit pdce.educ.ubc.ca/MOOC. 

UBC Bulletin, Public Consultation - Stadium Neighbourhood

On Thursday September 28, we will be launching a campus-wide public consultation to begin planning UBC’s next neighbourhood in the area around Thunderbird Stadium.

During this first phase of consultation, we will be seeking ideas from the campus community on how we can create a vibrant new neighbourhood that supports UBC’s academic mission, advances sustainability and connects our facilities, destinations and existing neighbourhoods.

This will be the first of a multi-phase consultation and technical process over the next 18 months to help create a plan for the new neighbourhood. The plan will provide direction for parks and open spaces, services and amenities, types of housing, transportation connections, building types, and the location of a rebuilt Thunderbird Stadium.

I hope you will encourage those in your Faculties and Portfolios to share their ideas and insights on living, working, studying and playing at UBC to help guide our planning decisions.

An overview of the overall planning process is available at planning.ubc.ca/stadium. Detailed information will be available when the first phase of consultation begins on September 28, which will include three public open houses and an online survey.

Please reach out to me at any time if you would like to discuss the neighbourhood plan and public consultation.

MDD Student Field Trip Funding Application

The Mineral Deposits Division of the Geological Association of Canada supports students interested in the study of mineral deposits and exploration with an annual field trip funding competition.  These competitive awards are located to successful student groups who demonstrate a need for financial support to offset expenses for a field trip focused on economic geology.

Application due date:  October 31, 2017

Awards available:  awards up to $1,500

For more information and how to apply, please see here.

Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellowships 2018-2019

The Azrieli Foundation is delighted to announce our Call for Applications for Postdoctoral Fellowship the 2018-2019 academic year.   Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellowships enable the best and brightest academics to pursue post-doctoral research in Israel for 1-2 years, in all fields of study. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or have completed a doctorate at a Canadian university. 

The fellowships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence. Candidates are assessed by leading experts and academics for their potential to make cutting-edge contributions to their respective fields. Aspects of personal merit and leadership abilities are also taken into consideration.

For more information and to apply before December 7th, 2017 please see the following attachments:

Call for Applications
Postdoctoral Fellows 2018-19

SFU Earth Science Seminar Series

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