Post-Doctoral Associate - UMD Swenson College of Science and Engineering

Company: University of Minnesota
Location: Duluth
Posted on: January 27, 2023

Job Description:

Apply for JobJob ID352721

LocationDuluth

Job FamilyAcademic

Full/Part TimeFull-Time

Regular/TemporaryRegular

Job Code9546

Employee ClassAcad Prof and Admin

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McKnight Post-Doctoral Associate

Applications are invited for a McKnight Foundation sponsored postdoctoral associate (job code 9546) in the Swenson College of Science and Engineering (SCSE) at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). This is a two-year research and teaching position beginning Summer 2023 or later with teaching duties (one course per semester) in SCSE departments depending on candidate qualifications and departmental need. The remainder of the time will be engaged in engineering-focused research with the assigned department. The initial appointment will be for two years with further appointments contingent upon performance and availability of funding.

Job Duties

Teaching (50%): Teach two courses annually (one per semester) in the assigned department(s), depending on qualifications. Develop course content as needed.

Research (50%): Participate in ongoing engineering-related research projects.Co-author and present research papers in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. Co-author grant proposals to internal and external agencies. Participate in collaborative meetings with internal and external faculty members. Supervise undergraduate and Master's students.


Qualifications





Required Qualifications

* An earned doctorate from a regionally accredited university in Engineering or related field
* Ability to teach undergraduate or graduate courses in Engineering or related fields

Preferred Qualifications

* Highly motivated team player
* Passionate about teaching
* Fluent in spoken and written English with good writing skills

About the Department





We have funding available to support multiple McKnight Teaching Postdoctoral Fellows within our engineering and computer science programs. This two-year fellowship also includes a research stipend for the Fellow to spend on supplies and travel. The McKnight Fellow will be expected to teach one course per semester and carry out research. The teaching assignment is open for any area of engineering or computer science. Importantly, upon identifying a Fellow and through discussions with them, the PI will provide a mentoring plan that describes the strategy for the Fellow to develop the research, teaching, and mentorship skills necessary for a successful career. Please contact the potential mentor directly, or Associate Dean Erin Sheets further information about how to apply. Chemical EngineeringVictor Lai: 2 projects related to soft tissue biomechanics: (1) Development of a bioengineered tissue construct to study Lyme Disease (collaboration with Dr. Ben Clarke from the Medical School); (2) Bridging cellular and tissue level mechanics via experimental characterization and computational modeling (collaboration with Dr. Jean Regal from the Medical School, Dr. Victor Barocas from Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities). Web.Civil EngineeringManik Barman: The postdoc will work/manage the following three existing research projects (i) Mitigation of tenting of transverse cracks and joints in asphalt pavement (ii) Cost Estimate of B vs. C Grade Asphalt Binders, and (iii) Towards the Development of Pavement-Specific Structural Synthetic Fibers. Web. David Saftner: The McKnight postdoc would join a research team including civil engineering education leaders from around the country. On-going research projects focus on the impact of teaching methods on student learning. Additional efforts would include investigating the effectiveness of academic leadership training and the impact of pandemic-related teaching changes on student learning, especially in courses with laboratory and field components. Web.Computer ScienceArshia Khan: This project is an innovative robot assisted AI-enabled solution to address the mental health concerns in rural areas. We will partner with Monarch Healthcare Management and recruit older adults living in their nursing homes with high stress levels. We will use wearable sensors as well and monitor participant's quality of life. Web.Peter A. H. Peterson: Adversarial Thinking (AT) is seen as perhaps *the* critical skill for cybersecurity research and practice, but it is not well-defined; as a result there is no test for it and thus no way to measure it in students or evaluate educational interventions meant to improve the skill. Starting from a consensus-based identification of AT's critical components developed as part of the mentor's NSF CAREER project, the postdoc would help develop, validate, and apply a non-technical test that measures AT in individuals, leading to improvements in AT and thus cybersecurity. The postdoc -- who ideally would be specifically interested in cybersecurity education teaching and research -- might also develop AT interventions to test and would also be invited to join the mentor's other ongoing cybersecurity education projects and collaborations to broaden their research base and make connections in the field of cybersecurity education. Web.Andrew Sutton: The postdoc would conduct research analyzing algorithms for combinatorial optimization problems. This would involve both theoretical research and designing computational experiments. They would be joining the PI's algorithms lab and would also help to mentor MS and undergraduate students. Web.Electrical EngineeringDavid Anderson: Earplugs, active earmuffs, and augmented reality headsets disrupt pinna spectral cues necessary for localizing sound sources and interfere with binaural audio correlation properties required to determine source distance and width, causing disorientation for the user in critical use situations. Research will involve extending the azimuthal lab setup to measure monaural spatial similarity metrics in elevation as well, correlating scores with published human subject performance for earplugs and AR devices, building a system for measuring and analyzing binaural percept distortion characteristics with white noise bursts, correlating with published human subject performance, and designing, building, and testing an in-ear microphone for measuring earplug-distorted HRTFs in human subjects.Peng Fang: The postdoctoral fellow will join pioneering research on solving the short flight range issue with electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (E-VTOL) aircraft. In this project, the postdoctoral fellow will explore and build new power architecture that utilizes high-energy density hydrogen fuel cells as the primary energy source for the first time. The goal is to demonstrate a fuel cell-battery hybrid power system that can extend the flight range of existing E-VTOL aircraft three times. The postdoctoral fellow will receive scientific and leadership training through regular research discussion, project planning, and supervision of undergraduate and graduate students. Web. Imran Hayee: Optimizing traffic flow and power distribution grid for smart cities by applying artificial intelligence and neural networks. The project will also include optimal scheduling of home appliances integrated with distributed energy resources incorporating a variety of environmental issues. Web. Mechanical and Industrial EngineeringVenkata Gireesh K Menta: The postdoctoral fellow would be working potentially on: 1) adaptive 3D printing using a large format robotic 3D printer; 2) establish and investigate 3D printing using recycled plastics etc. Web. Hessam Mirgolbabaei: Artificial Intelligence Approach-Based Low-Dimensional Manifold Forecasting and Simulation: It has been proved that for any manifold of dimensionality higher than 10, the results of multivariate data analysis will not often change significantly if a subset of the variables is chosen, as the discarded variables are redundant. A potential topic is the development of an accurate prediction methodology for the norovirus outbreak through contaminated water. Another application will be towards Container Analysis Fire Environment (CAFE-3D) to simulate heat transfer from large fires to engulfed packages for transportation risk studies. Since risk studies require multiple simulations, analysis tools must be rapid as well as accurate. The purpose of the proposed research is to save computational time, make computationally prohibitive calculation possible, and/or gain a sufficient lead time (e.g., norovirus outbreaks). Web. Yongzhi Qu: The McKnight Postdoctoral fellow is expected to work on machine learning for smart manufacturing and industrial artificial intelligence. In particular, the candidate will work on self-supervised learning, pattern recognition and system identification for semiconductor manufacturing processes towards in-situ quality control and process optimization. Web. Turuna Seecharan: In addition to developing a metric to present driver's stress level based on electrodermal activity, the postdoctoral fellow will assist with using behavioral economics to understand sustainable decision-making and improve a gamified eco-driving application. Web.Ping Zhao: The potential research project will focus on the development of thin-film PVDF polymers with nanostructure integration for both energy harvesting and blood pressure/flow sensing within an artificial heart in the medical field. The major tasks in this project will include fabrication and characterization of the PVDF thin films and prototype of energy harvesting and sensing devices. With nanostructure incorporation in the PVDF films, the performance of the energy harvesting and sensing devices is expected to be significantly improved. Web.

How To Apply





Applications must be submitted online. To apply, go to https://humanresources.umn.edu/jobs and search for job ID 352721. First, submit the application with a cover letter and CV/resume in pdf format. Then, return to the "My Job Applications" page to attach the additional documents, also in pdf format. Complete applications include the online application, cover letter, and resume/CV, plus additional documents as follows: (1) contact information for three professional references, (2) teaching/research philosophy, (3) diversity statement. Even if you provide this information within the application, you must also attach the requested additional document(s). Please do not miss this important step in the application process. Applications missing any of these documents may not be reviewed.Applicants must be able to demonstrate authorization to work in the United States at the University of Minnesota-Duluth by the start date. Final candidates may be asked to provide additional information.If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact a University of Minnesota Access Consultant at 612-624-3316.

Diversity





The University of Minnesota Duluth values diversity and inclusion and believes they are essential to achieving excellence. We have a strong institutional commitment to diversity in all areas and strongly encourage women, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, Black, Latinx, Asian American, Hawaiian/Island Pacific, mixed race and disabled scholars to apply. We favor candidates who can contribute to the College's distinctive educational objectives, which promote interdisciplinary perspectives, intercultural understanding, and concern with social responsibility and the ethical implications of knowledge and action.The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Veterans and individuals from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu.

Employment Requirements





Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

Please note: All employees at the University of Minnesota are required to comply with the University's Administrative Policy: COVID-19 Vaccination and Safety Protocol by either providing proof of being fully vaccinated on their first day of employment, or complete a request for an exemption for medical exemption or religious reasons. To learn more please visit: https://safe-campus.umn.edu/return-campus/get-the-vax.

About the U of M





University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD)The University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD) consistently ranks among the top Midwestern, regional universities in U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" issue.Overlooking Lake Superior, UMD provides an alternative to both large research and small liberal arts environments and attracts students looking for a personalized learning experience on a medium-sized campus of a major university. A firm liberal arts foundation anchors a variety of traditional degree programs, as well as professional and graduate students that draw on UMD's many research institutes and labs. UMD is a regional comprehensive land- and sea-grant state university, one of five coordinate campuses within the State of Minnesota system and with a total enrollment of approximately 11,000 students. SCSE is the largest college at UMD comprising approximately 3200 undergraduate students, 240 graduate students, 180 faculty, and 80 permanent staff. The college includes the science departments of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, Physics and Astronomy, and Mathematics and Statistics, as well as the ABET-accredited departments of Computer Science, Electrical, Chemical, Civil and Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. There are significant opportunities for fostering existing and creating new ties with local, regional, and national industry stakeholders. Situated at the western tip of Lake Superior, the city of Duluth offers an enticing selection of adventures for four season outdoor enthusiasts as well as a rich variety of cultural opportunities. Metropolitan Minneapolis/St. Paul is less than three hours south of Duluth.A dynamic city on a hill situated at the western tip of Lake Superior, Duluth was named Outdoor magazine's Best Outdoors Town in 2014, celebrating its access to the outdoors and to Lake Superior -- the largest freshwater lake on earth by area. Duluth is home to hundreds of miles of biking, hiking, and skiing trails, including the Superior Hiking Trail, a 300+ mile trail intersecting Duluth, and the Duluth Traverse, an 85-mile multi-use biking and hiking trail stretching across town. In addition to the outdoors, the Twin Ports area has vibrant music, arts, crafts and craft brewing scenes, and a variety of award-winning restaurants. Duluth is a truly wonderful place to live, with great schools, health care, and affordable housing. It mixes its historic small-town feel with a dynamic urban economy and many cultural offerings.Duluth, with a population of approximately 85,000 people, is located at the head of beautiful Lake Superior. As a major shipping port, over 1,000 vessels from around the world pass under its iconic Aerial Lift Bridge, annually. Duluth is a popular tourist destination, with 3.5 million people visiting the city annually, for a $780 million economic impact. More information about Duluth can be found at www.visitduluth.com.Smoking, chewing tobacco and the use of electronic cigarettes prohibited on all UMD property, including indoor facilities, campus grounds and University vehicles.

Keywords: University of Minnesota, Duluth , Post-Doctoral Associate - UMD Swenson College of Science and Engineering, Engineering , Duluth, Minnesota