Post-doctoral Researcher Position

Position Summary

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering invites applications for a post-doctoral researcher to work on model development in the area of transportation, land use and climate change. This is an opportunity to be involved in challenging projects that will have significant impact on public policy in Oregon. Over the past two decades, Oregon has been a leader in the development of state-of-the-art integrated land use and transportation modeling tools. This important innovation continues as Portland State University (PSU) is partnering with Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to develop and apply analytical tools to identify the effectiveness of different scenarios and policy actions on greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

The post-doctoral researcher will be physically located in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at PSU. There is a wealth of transportation expertise at PSU across several departments and a strong and growing specialization in transportation and the environment. The post-doctoral research will play an active role in the newly formed Oregon Modeling Collaborative (http://www.pdx.edu/omc/), an initiative that brings together the technical, policy and scholarly expertise of faculty at four institutions of the Oregon University System (Portland State University, University of Oregon, Oregon State University and Oregon Institute of Technology) and the public agencies that comprise the Oregon Modeling Steering Committee (http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TPAU/OMSC.shtml). In addition, PSU is the administrative home of Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (http://otrec.us/), a federally-funded National University Transportation Center.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will work closely with a team of faculty, agency staff and students to:

• Mature existing analytical tools and develop new models of travel demand, land use and climate change;

• Update, develop and test a series of scenarios to evaluate the effectiveness of state and local policies in the transport sector; and

• Make recommendations on approaches to address recent state legislation mandating the evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to advance their own research interests, while at the same time working on issues important to Oregon Modeling Collaborative.

Required Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess a PhD in civil engineering, urban planning, environmental or resource economics, geography, or a related field, and will have solid technical skills related to travel demand modeling. S/he must be a self-starter and independent worker. Essential skills include:

• Experience with econometric estimation of linear and limited dependent variable models, particularly discrete choice models;

• Experience with high-level application programming (R and Python preferred);

• Strong writing and oral communication skills; and

• Good interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Desirable qualities include experience with:

• Scenario modeling and simulation;

• GIS analysis;

• Development of graphic user interfaces for decision support tools;

• Database programming and manipulation; and

• Project management skills.

Compensation

The starting annual salary rate for this position will be competitive with an excellent benefits package including fully paid healthcare; a generous retirement and vacation package; and reduced tuition rates for employee, spouse or one dependant at any of the Oregon University System schools. The position is funded for a two-year period, with possible continued funding depending on research and development results and available funding. We offer a collegial and intellectually stimulating work environment.

To Apply

Applications should be submitted electronically to Dr. Kelly J. Clifton (kclifton@pdx.edu) no later than July 23, 2010. The application should include a letter of interest that describes relevant experience, a current curriculum vitae, a sample of work, and contact information for at least three references. Review of applications will begin upon receipt and the position will remain open until finalists have been identified.