Clemson University is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work on use and management of saline irrigation waters in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) applications, with primary expertise in water desalination processes and salinity management. The project is funded by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is a collaboration involving Clemson University and other institutions. The successful applicant will be co-supervised by Profs. David Ladner and Gary Amy at Clemson, and will interact with other researchers with expertise in plant science, hydroponic (soil-less) crop cultivation, CEA, and life-cycle assessment. Increasingly frequent regional droughts induced by climate change have raised concerns about food security. The collaborative team is developing a sustainable agriculture platform with provision of tailored-quality irrigation water derived from saline water sources (e.g., brackish groundwater, oil-and-gas produced water, seawater) with corresponding management of saline brines and wastes.
Applicants must have an earned PhD (or equivalent) in environmental, chemical, or mechanical engineering, or a closely related field. The successful applicant will have research experience in membrane-based water desalination and management of desalination brines. Although not a requirement, some general knowledge of agricultural sciences would be of interest. Responsibilities of the Postdoctoral Research Associate will include leading a team of graduate and undergraduate students in assessing partial desalination and complete desalination with blending for provision of irrigation water with a targeted salinity for various salt-tolerant crops as well as management of resultant desalination brines and saline agricultural return flows. The appointment will initially be for one year, with an expectation to retain the postdoc up to three years as they successfully complete project tasks.
To apply, send a cover letter, CV, statement of research interests, and a list of three references as a single PDF document to ladner@clemson.edu. Applications will be reviewed as received with the intention to make a hiring decision by April 30th, 2023.
Clemson University is an AA/EEO employer and does not discriminate against any person or group on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, pregnancy, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or genetic information. Clemson University is building a culturally diverse faculty committed to working in a multicultural environment and encourages applications from minorities and women.