Job Description

The Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech is hiring a postdoctoral associate. This position will be funded by a newly acquired ESTCP project entitled, Evaluation and validation of vegetation, fuel, and fire behavior tools and technology in hardwood-dominated forest ecosystems of Virginia and the eastern United States. The project is being led by Dr. Adam Coates and includes Dr. Carrie Fearer, Dr. Verl Emrick, and Dr. Mark Ford as Co-PIs.

Goals for this project include:
(1) Inventory of fuels, using traditional transect methods and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), throughout hardwood-dominated locations in Virginia, including several Department of War installations and bases and large sections of the George Washington-Jefferson National Forest
(2) Investigation of TLS metrics for the calculation and determination of unique wildlife habitat metrics
(3) Utilization of fuels inputs from this region in fire behavior modeling
(4) Creation of monitoring protocols that can be implemented to advance fuels monitoring and management across the Commonwealth

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Forest Resources or a similar discipline. PhD must be awarded no more than four years prior to the effective date of appointment with a minimum of one year eligibility remaining.
• Experience in remote sensing
• Publication record in peer-reviewed journals
• Strong analytical stills, including the use of statistical software (R, JMP, SAS, etc.)
• Ability to lift and move over 25 pounds with or without aid, working in extreme weather conditions, exposure to noise, and traverse uneven terrain with considerable standing, walking, stooping, and bending.

Preferred Qualifications

PhD in Forest Resources or a similar discipline. PhD must be awarded no more than four years prior to the effective date of appointment

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Restricted

Salary Information

60,000 max budget

Hours per week

40

Review Date

3/29/2026

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

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