Research Fellow

• Location:
  
  Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.

At Michigan Engineering, we develop the talent and technologies that move society forward and serve our state and national interests. Through discovery and innovation, we create the foundational knowledge and practical technologies to solve not only today's most pressing challenges, but also power industries and change lives. Our programs and community are designed to promote personal well-being and achievement, enabling everyone to unlock their potential and contribute with confidence.

The department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (CLaSP) has a research portfolio that spans climate, space, and planetary science with annual research expenditures of $20 to $30 million. CLaSP offers an exciting research and teaching environment with wide scope and rich expertise within the department as well as diversified interdisciplinary opportunities within the university. The climate research themes in CLaSP cover radiation, climate change, weather and climate modeling, remote sensing, atmospheric dynamics, carbon cycle science, atmospheric chemistry and air pollution, atmosphere-biosphere feedback, aerosol-cloud-climate interactions, as well as cryosphere research.

Professor Claire Pettersen and Dr. Aronne Merrelli in CLaSP are recruiting for a postdoctoral researcher (Research Fellow) position. This is an initial one-year appointment with possibility of renewal, contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of work and the availability of funding. Prof. Pettersen's group performs a variety of research on cold cloud and precipitation processes, by using datasets from satellite, aircraft, and ground-based instrumentation.

More details can be found on the group website: .

The primary research funding is through the NASA Polarized Submillimeter Radiometer (PolSIR) satellite project. PolSIR was selected as part of the Earth Venture Instrument-6 program, and is scheduled to launch in 2027. The PolSIR mission includes two satellites, each with a polarized submillimeter radiometer, in an inclined orbit that allows repeated sampling of Earth's tropics and subtropics. The submillimeter observations are well suited for characterizing tropical ice clouds, and will help reduce key uncertainties in our knowledge of the Earth system.

More details about PolSIR may be found at https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

The specific project supported in Prof. Pettersen's group involves the development and application of radiative flux products to investigate the radiation and dynamical coupled processes in tropical convective ice clouds. These products will be developed using colocated observations from the Advanced Baseline Imagers aboard the NOAA operational geostationary satellite platforms. The development work will involve coordination with the larger PolSIR team, including the science data operations group at the University of Wisconsin.

Science applications will involve collaboration with other members of Prof.

Pettersen's research group, as well as the larger PolSIR science team, including researchers at NASA-GSFC, Texas A&M, and Columbia University.

• Develop software packages to produce radiative fluxes at co-located to the PolSIR observation times and geometries
• Work closely with the PolSIR Science operations team to validate and monitor radiative flux products
• Use these products to investigate radiative effects of the tropical ice clouds observed by PolSIR
• Lead preparation of scientific manuscripts, conference presentations, software development, software technical documentation, and project reporting.
• Participate in a mentorship of junior researchers, including graduate and undergraduate researchers, and contribute to professional development projects within Dr. Pettersen's research group.

• A PhD. in atmospheric science, applied physics, or a closely related field
• Background in atmospheric radiation and passive radiometric remote sensing
• Significant experience in scientific programming in Python, MATLAB, or similar programming environments
• Strong communication skills, and interest in collaborative, team-based research
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, and prepare technical reports, scientific manuscripts, and conference presentations

Preferred candidates will have experience in one or more of the following areas:

• High volume datasets and High throughput…