Postdoc in Offshore Renewable Energy Modeling at Cal Poly

[ryankwalter]

The Center for Coastal Marine Sciences at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate to lead a data analysis and modeling research project to inform the potential for offshore renewable energy (wind, wave) production on the central California coast.

The project is applied and interdisciplinary among physical oceanography, atmospheric dynamics, geography, statistics (geospatial), and possibly ecology, economics, and social science. The ideal candidate will have strong quantitative skills, including experience with data analysis techniques, statistical analysis, and mathematical modeling in MATLAB, R, or a similar programming language. Experience working with and modeling wind and wave data is desired but not required. A Ph.D. in physical oceanography, atmospheric dynamics, marine science, engineering, statistics, geography, ecological modeling, or a related field is required.

The successful candidate will lead peer-reviewed scientific publications and present results at national and international scientific meetings by conducting rigorous, applied research to inform public discussion and guide the future of offshore renewable energy. In addition, this project is unique opportunity to inform public policy through direct interactions with government agencies at local, state, and federal levels. Finally, there are additional optional opportunities to mentor students and teach classes.

Preferred start date would be Fall 2016 or early 2017 but may be negotiable (earlier or later). The appointment would be up to two years, with the possibility of additional years contingent on performance and additional funding. The postdoctoral associate will report to Drs. Ryan Walter (Physics), Crow White (Biology), and Benjamin Ruttenberg (Biology), with additional input from Dr. Dean Wendt (Director, Center for Coastal Marine Sciences), and Hon. Sam Blakeslee (Director, Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy). Staff from at least one federal agency would be active collaborators. Salary is commensurate with experience but will be competitive. Full benefits would be included.

Project Background and goals: California law requires that renewable energy comprise 50% of its electricity by 2030, and the central California coast near Cal Poly may be an ideal location for offshore renewable energy production. This project will provide critical information to prepare for future marine renewable energy development along the central California coast through: (1) an analysis of the regional capacity for power generation and available grid connections; (2) delineation of feasible scenarios of offshore wind and wave energy projects for this area; and (3) the ability to understand, evaluate, predict, and monitor potential environmental consequences from offshore renewable energy development.

See http://www.marine.calpoly.edu/ and http://www.iatpp.calpoly.edu/projects/e ... iative.asp for more information about Cal Poly’s CCMS and IATPP.

Interested? Email Dr. Benjamin Ruttenberg (bruttenb@calpoly.edu) with a single PDF file containing a CV and a brief cover letter describing qualifications, experience and interest (with “LastName_FirstName.pdf” as the file name)