Job Information
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Immersive Modeling; Graduate Research Assistant, PhD in LOGAN, Utah
Immersive Modeling; Graduate Research Assistant, PhD
Requisition ID: 2024-8693
of Openings: 1
Location: US-UT-Logan
Category: Other
Position Type: Non-benefited (hourly) Part-Time
Job Classification: Non-Benefited
College: College of Engineering
Department: Utah Water Research Laboratory
Advertised Salary: Compensation depends on MS or PhD hire
Overview
Human drawdown of reservoirs and uncertainty in future water supply put agricultural users, urban users, Tribal Nations, and ecosystems at risk of water shortages. Marginalized communities face disproportionate risks and limited ability to manage vulnerability due to inequities in access to water infrastructure and information. System goals to protect critical reservoir elevations conflict with user goals to sustain deliveries. User and ecosystem goals also conflict with each other. Our project goal is to apply immersive online collaborative modeling to adaptively manage massive infrastructure systems and reduce conflicting system, user, Tribal, and ecosystem vulnerabilities to water shortages. Within a model session, basin partners personify water users. They develop assumptions to define the user's risk and articulate strategies to manage their vulnerabilities. Then they adapt strategies to manage vulnerability in response to their modeled available water, other's choices, and real-time discussion of choices. We use discussion to understand why and how basin partners perceive risk and make decisions to manage vulnerability.
Find more information about the project and related research at http://rosenberg.usu.edu.
Questions about the position? Email david.rosenberg@usu.edu with the subject line "Question - Immersive Modeling Graduate Researcher Position".
Responsibilities
Successful applicants will:
Guide immersive modeling sessions using existing models.
Improve existing models in response to discussions with basin partners.
Build new immersive models at spatial scales from individual users to transboundary (e.g., with Mexico and Tribal Nations). Guide their use.
Collaborate with partners at Federal and State Agencies, Contractors, Tribal Nations, environmental non-governmental organizations, and researchers at sister universities.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
MS degree in engineering or a related field.
First author of 1 paper published in or submitted to a peer-reviewed journal
Strong written and oral communication skills in English.
Preferred Qualifications:
Motivated.
Experience working with quantitative and qualitative data.
Programming skills in an open-source language such as Python or R.
Experience collecting, managing, synthesizing, and/or interpreting datasets that are Gigabytes and larger.
Ability to work with a diverse array of basin partners.
Required Documents
Before submitting your application, hold your own immersive model session.
Download an immersive model for Lake Mead based on the principle of divide reservoir inflow - here.
Move the model file into Google Drive.
Invite one or more collaborators, colleagues, friends, or family members to join.
Follow the remaining instructions on the ReadMe-Instructions... For full info follow application link.
USU recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the university's academic mission of learning, discovery, and engagement. USU is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate in any of its programs and activities based on race, color, religion , sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy or local, state, or federal law (https://equity.usu.edu/non-discrimi ation).