The Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management (NREM) at Oklahoma State University invites applications for a full-time, eleven-month, tenure-track position (75% Research and 25% Teaching) in fire modeling. Oklahoma is an ecologically rich and diverse state with ecosystems ranging from mesic forests in the east to shortgrass prairie in the west. Fire has been a primary ecosystem management practice in Oklahoma since initial Native American settlement and continues today with application of prescribed fires. Urban/exurban development, infrastructure establishment, fire exclusion and resultant increase in fuel loading, and climate change make management using fire more difficult and increase the risk and impacts of wildfire.
We are seeking a candidate to contribute to research related to understanding wildland fire behavior and risk in Oklahoma and the United States. Application and/or development of models to understand fire behavior at multiple spatial scales is required. Possible outcomes of research include improved management of fuels and smoke with prescribed fire, reduction of wildfire risk and mitigation of its effects to infrastructure, reduced impacts of smoke on human health, and improved ecosystem function. The successful candidate is expected to work closely with multidisciplinary faculty in natural resources, climatology, social science, and engineering to meet the needs of diverse stakeholder groups. The successful candidate’s teaching program will contribute to the department’s undergraduate and graduate programs. Specific instructional assignments, including undergraduate academic advising, depend upon the candidate’s expertise and the needs of the department.
Review of applications will begin December 15, 2020, and will continue until a suitable candidate is identified.
