Overview
We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join an interdisciplinary team in the Department of Geographic and Environmental Sciences at the University of Louisville working on a NASA-funded project, "Advancing land cover/land use characteristics in short-range numerical weather prediction systems for urban areas," (#80NSSC25K7495). The project addresses NASA Biosphere Land-Cover/Land-Use Change priorities, including the Land Use for Digital Twins (LU4DT) sub-element, by improving the representation of urban land cover and land-surface properties in short-range numerical weather prediction and Land-Earth System Digital Twin applications. Using the greater Louisville, Kentucky area as a test bed, the project integrates high-resolution, multi-sensor Earth observation data with large eddy simulations (LES), in situ meteorological observations, and scenario-based urban heat island (UHI) mitigation analyses. The postdoctoral researcher is budgeted for 18 months beginning in Project Year 2, when the project is expected to place strong emphasis on data analysis, model integration, scenario generation, publication preparation, and other research deliverables.
Position Description and Responsibilities
The postdoctoral researcher will work across the project's four linked objectives, with substantial effort devoted to integrating remote sensing data with Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)-like models. This includes generating simulation-ready land-surface parameters, parameterizing and running models on high performance computing (HPC) clusters, validating model output, and producing research and dissemination products. More details on the project website, found here: https://lcluc.umd.edu/projects/advancing-land-coverland-use-characteristics-short-range-numerical-weather-prediction
Research Environment
The successful candidate will join a collaborative University of Louisville team spanning remote sensing, geospatial science, atmospheric dynamics, numerical weather prediction, and meteorological observations. This position reports to Dr. Andrea Gaughan, PI and Professor in the Department of Geographic and Environmental Sciences but the successful applicant should anticipate close collaboration with other co-PIs, the University of Louisville Center for GIS and local governmental and community partners. The position offers opportunities to contribute directly to NASA LCLUC/LU4DT science, high-resolution urban modeling, open research products, peer-reviewed publications, and applied urban heat decision support.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Numerical Weather Modeling & Remote Sensing Integration
• Ingest high-resolution, remotely sensed gridded land-surface products into atmospheric modeling systems, specifically focusing on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and Noah-MP LSM integration.
• Modify, configure, and execute numerical weather prediction workflows on HPC platforms, including LES experiments that evaluate model sensitivity to dynamic atmospheric and land-surface parameters.
• Process and aggregate multi-source Earth observation data (optical, radar/SAR, LiDAR, and infrastructure datasets) into spatially dynamic, simulation-ready parameters (e.g., albedo, canopy properties, surface roughness) for model input.
• Post-process, analyze, and visualize numerical model outputs to evaluate model performance against nested WRF simulations and field observations.
Meteorological Data, Validation & UHI Scenarios
• Collaborate with the project team on managing, processing, and quality-controlling observational data from the local meteorological micronet.
• Quantitative assessment of model accuracy by comparing simulation output against in situ micronet data.
• Execute scenario-based WRF simulations to assess how urban heat island (UHI) mitigation strategies (e.g., greening, reflective surfaces) alter localized meteorological metrics.
Research Dissemination
• Lead and co-author peer-reviewed scientific publications, present findings at scientific conferences, and build reproducible code and data workflows in alignment with open-science practices.
Minimum Qualifications:
Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, Meteorology, Geography, Remote Sensing, Geospatial Science, Environmental Science, or a related discipline completed by the appointment start date.
Proven experience working with numerical weather prediction models (e.g., WRF) or regional atmospheric modeling systems.
Experience processing and analyzing remote sensing, geospatial, meteorological, or model data.
Proficiency in scientific programming, such as Python, Fortran, R, or shell scripting.
Experience working in Linux/Unix computing environments.
Record of research productivity, including peer-reviewed publications or comparable scholarly outputs.
Strong written, oral, and collaborative communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
Hands-on experience with WRF, Noah-MP, WRF-LES, FastEddy, or similar modeling systems.
Experience integrating Earth-observation or gridded land-surface data into atmospheric or land-surface models.
Experience deriving land-surface parameters from Sentinel, Landsat, LiDAR, SAR, or Google Earth Engine.
Experience with HPC systems, parallel computing, and large NetCDF or related datasets.
Experience with model validation using meteorological observations.
Background in urban meteorology, urban heat island modeling, or land-atmosphere interactions.
Experience with machine learning for land-cover classification or geospatial parameter estimation.
Competencies:
Project planning and execution
Data analysis and interpretation
Numerical modeling
Remote sensing and geospatial analysis
Research communication
Organization and time management
Critical thinking and problem solving
Collaboration and teamwork
Physical Requirements:
Light lifting or carrying 25 lbs. or less
Computer lab-based environment
Skills:
Numerical weather modeling, remote sensing, geospatial analysis, land surface modeling, scientific writing
Additional Information:
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required of individuals in this job. Other duties may be assigned as determined by management. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this job.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Louisville is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, pregnancy, or veteran status.
If you require assistance or accommodation with our application process due to an impairment or disability, please email the contact listed above directly, or reach out to the Employment team at
[email protected] or 502.852.6258. Assistance and Accommodations Computers are available for application submission at the Human Resources Department located at 215 Central Avenue, Ste 205 - Louisville, Kentucky 40208.
About the University of Louisville In 2023, the University of Louisville celebrates its quasquicentennial, the 225th anniversary of the 1798 beginnings of higher education in Louisville. One of the nation’s first city-owned, public universities, UofL today is a vital ecosystem that creates thriving futures for students, our community and society. As one of only 79 universities in the United States to earn recognition by the Carnegie Foundation as both a Research 1 and a Community Engaged university, we impact lives in areas of student success and research and innovation, while our dynamic connection with our local and global communities provides unparalleled opportunities for students and citizens both. The university serves as an engine that powers Metro Louisville and the commonwealth and as a classroom for UofL’s more than 23,000 students, who benefit from partnerships with top employers and a wide range of community service opportunities. To learn more, visit louisville.edu. The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a member of the Kentucky state university system.