PhD in computer science, environmental engineering, chemical engineering, applied mathematics, or other related computational field

The post-doctoral scientist/engineer will be part of a team of EPA researchers developing tools and models to address water infrastructure challenges, such as building resilience to climate change and natural disasters, replacing aging infrastructure, and addressing environmental justice. With more than 50,000 drinking water systems in the United States, billions of dollars in infrastructure improvements needed, and disparity in reliable access to high quality water and a well-trained workforce, new approaches and solutions are needed to ensure that all Americans have access to safe, clean, and reliable water supplies. EPA has developed and maintains several widely used open source water infrastructure models and tools, including EPANET for water distribution systems, the Water Network Tool for Resilience (WNTR), treatment performance and cost models, and premise plumbing models. As water systems are modernizing to digital platforms, additional technological approaches, including data analytics and artificial intelligence are becoming feasible. This postdoctoral appointment will conduct research that incorporates the human element and other data needed for decision making into these traditional physics-based models through new computational approaches, for example, agent-based modeling, geospatial analysis, and data analytics. Research will demonstrate and assess the benefits of adding social, behavioral, economic, and climate data into water infrastructure system design and optimization. These new approaches will also be considered through the lens of the end users who may range from experienced engineers to brand new water utility employees, with a goal of making these tools accessible to all water systems with diverse capabilities and workforces. Through such advancements, this research will lead to improved tools for local, state, and federal water management decisions.
https://cfpub.epa.gov/ordpd/PostDoc_Position.cfm?pos_id=1595