We are seeking a candidate for postdoctoral fellowship with 2-year duration (with potential for extension), to begin on a negotiated date in 2022 or 2023. Compensation will be between $72,340 and $86,706 annually depending on credentials.
The postdoctoral candidate position is located within the US Forest Service, Northern Research Station Work Unit NRS-08, "Communities and Landscapes of the Urban Northeast: Science and Application" with the duty station located in Philadelphia, PA. NRS-08 focuses on the communities and landscapes of the urban northeast. This geography is linked by common aspects of culture, history, climate, and ecology, all of which inform our unit's interdisciplinary nature. Our four primary locations - Amherst/Springfield, MA; New York City; Philadelphia; and Baltimore - encompass the urban, urbanizing, and urban-interface landscapes of the highly-developed and densely populated northeastern corridor of the US, where a large proportion of temperate deciduous forests are relatively small patches. The connectedness and comingling of forests and society is perhaps nowhere as pronounced as in the urban northeast, where the smallest forests are the most often seen, the most often used, and provide green space where it is most needed in densely populated areas. This reality informs the emphasis on social-ecology and co-production of scientific information.
The unit's problem areas recognize the fundamental and reciprocal relationships between forests and greenspaces, stewardship and engagement, and human health and well-being. The unit's vision is that communities are inviting, livable, socially connected and environmentally equitable, and resilient to extreme events; ecosystems that are made more healthy, functional, and resilient through science-informed management; and economies that thrive based on healthy ecosystem function, the inclusion of waste to wealth initiatives around urban wood, and the training and inclusion of underrepresented groups in the environmental workforce and sustainability leadership.
The postdoctoral research fellow will engage in research studies with the US Forest Service (primary mentor: Dr. Michelle Kondo) and university collaborators, on the association between urban greening and greenspace exposure, and human health and safety, focusing on urban environmental and health disparities.
The fellow will conduct research associated with Project VITAL, which aims to examine how greening vacant lots can improve adolescent health disparities in Baltimore, MD (PI: Kristin Mmari, co-I: Michelle Kondo). In particular, the fellow will help conduct quasi-experimental research on the impact of various greening initiatives on three primary adolescent health outcomes: violence, mental health, and food insecurity. In addition, the fellow will have the opportunity to engage in and lead research in the following areas:
The nature of this work requires collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders including community leaders, land managers, planners, policy makers, managers, and other scientists resulting in the need for a variety of communication strategies.
The candidate must have obtained (or is scheduled to obtain shortly) a doctorate in the field of geography, environmental health, epidemiology, biostatistics, psychology or a related field. Preference will be given to candidates who can exhibit the following skills and abilities:
Members of underrepresented racial or ethnic groups are highly encouraged to apply.
US Forest Service
Baltimore, MD