Postdoctoral Fellow Position – UNC

Postdoctoral Fellow Position

Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences

University of Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC

The Joint Fluids Laboratory at UNC is looking a highly motivated individual to join the experimental group in the area of stratified mixing. This position is funded by NSF as part of the Minimal Ocean Mixing System (MOMS) project. The goal is to conduct experiments in our large stratified tank (9m X 3m X 1m) to simulate turbulent mixing in conditions as close as possible to oceanic conditions, yet amenable to the type of carefully controlled experimental conditions typical of laboratory settings. This will be achieved by injecting energy at large spatial and temporal scales, allowing the system to setup a forward cascaded first by means of wave-wave interaction, until energy reaches scales below the Ozmidov scale where homogenous turbulence is expected to develop. 

The ideal candidate should have a PhD in Physical Oceanography, Engineering, Applied Math or equivalent; be familiar with the fluid dynamics of turbulent stratified flows and the experimental techniques that are used to measure properties in flows (PIV, LIV, Synthetic Schlieren, ADV, conductivity and temperature sensors,…); proficient in data acquisition and data analysis. Due to the unprecedented size of the experiment, we are seeking for an individual who can think outside the box, who does not shy away from challenges, and that can work with other graduate and undergraduate students. We strongly encourage members of underrepresented minorities to apply. 

The initial appointment is for one year, with the possibility of renewal dependent on successful progress and funding availability. Start date is negotiable although preference will be given to candidates that can begin immediately. Salary range is commensurate with experience according to NSF scale for postdocs. Position is a benefit eligible position. For fullest consideration send electronic file containing statement of research interest and experience, curriculum vitae, and names of three references to: Prof. A. Scotti email: ascotti@unc.edu.

Chartered in 1789, UNC Chapel Hill is the oldest public university in the USA. The department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences was recently formed when the Department of Marine Sciences, the Institute of Marine Sciences and the Department of Geology merged. 

The Joint Applied Mathematics and Marine Sciences Fluids Lab (JFL) is an interdisciplinary research lab in the Carolina Center of Interdisciplinary and Applied Mathematics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The lab is a collaborative effort between professors, postdoctoral research associates, graduate students, undergraduate students and high school students in the Departments of Mathematics, Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, Biology, and Physics.

This world class laboratory covers 4500 square feet and includes a thirty-six meter wave tank, a saltwater facility, a large scale wind tunnel, several recirculating flumes, and many small scale experimental setups, with the necessary equipment to make quantitatively accurate measurementsUNC Chapel Hill is located in historic Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The weather is beautiful year-round, with temperatures rarely dropping below freezing during winter. The Outer Banks and the Appalachian Mountains are within easy drive from town. The town has the typical feeling of a University town, yet it is immersed in a larger urban context, which includes Durham and Raleigh, the State capital. Culinary and artistic endeavors abound.