Postdoctoral Scholar / Air Emissions Measurements

Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis. The position will work on air emission measurements at commercial dairies and data analysis. Position is for two years with renewal potential based on performance and funding.

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) recently adopted the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Strategy (SLCP) to reduce emissions of black carbon, methane and other SLCPs, including emissions of manure methane from California dairies. Recent legislation requires implementation of the SLCP strategy by January 1, 2018. The strategy includes a 40% methane emission reduction from 2013 levels by 2030. There is a great need to understand and quantify existing (baseline) methane and other air emissions on dairies that are considering the use of Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) practices given the fact that farmers will have to show a 40% reduction within the 2030 period. Assessing emissions from commercial dairy open sources is not a trivial task due to a large number of complicating variables. Flux chamber/wind tunnel will be deployed to monitor the air emissions.

This position is primarily to conduct the Baseline Emissions Measurements for selected dairies and also lab based experiments by working closely with the project PI, Dr. Frank Mitloehner, and his staff to carry out the project’s scope of work. The individual will have primary responsibility to operate and maintain a Mobile Agricultural Air Quality (MAAQ) laboratory under supervision. The individual will be responsible for transporting the MAAQ lab to selected dairy farms, setting-up the MAAQ lab at the field sites, designing the experiments based on the project tasks, calibrating the gas analyzers and monitoring sensors, and collecting the observational data. The individual will be expected to process, analyze, and interpret data, and prepare project reports, technical publications and presentations.

Qualifications: Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences, Agricultural- or Environmental Engineering or related field. The individual should possess the ability to conduct independent air emission measurements. Instrumentation experience, Labview software, and data acquisition system experience is preferred. Excellent oral and written communication skills and a team-oriented perspective are required.

How to Apply: Submit cover letter, curriculum vitae, sample of related publications, and the names and contact information for three references to: