Research Associate - Livestock Spatial Modeler

Research Associate - Livestock Spatial Modeler

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University’s second largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: achieving next-generation scientific breakthroughs requires an understanding of the world’s complex, interlocking systems;

ensuring access to nutritious food and a healthy environment is a fundamental human right; and ensuring a prosperous global future depends on the ability to support local people and communities everywhere. By working in and across multiple scientific areas, CALS can address challenges and opportunities of the greatest relevance, here in New York, across the nation, and around the world.

The Research Associate will contribute to the Dillon Lab’s multidisciplinary research program evaluating the sustainability of animal-source foods. The position combines spatial analysis, livestock systems modeling, and environmental assessment to inform regional food system planning and grazing-based production strategies. Projects include assessing agricultural production capacity and land suitability, livestock performance, and environmental tradeoffs in New York State, the NYC Watershed, and the broader Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.

The successful candidate will implement and support modeling projects focused on animal performance, pasture productivity, and environmental impacts, particularly in grazing-based livestock systems. The Research Associate will collaborate in multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaborative work with economists, agronomists, soil scientists, local government representatives, computational staff, and other research partners.

• Conduct spatial analyses to analyze watersheds, foodsheds, and manure sheds in New York State and the broader Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.
• Support evaluation of social, environmental, and economic tradeoffs associated with livestock production under varying policy and market scenarios.
• Support comparative evaluation of livestock nutrition and performance models for grazing beef and dairy systems.
• Contribute to life cycle assessment (LCA) of animal-sourced foods produced in New York State and the broader Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.
• Integrate biophysical and environmental models into broader food systems modeling frameworks.
• Contribute to peer-reviewed manuscripts, technical reports, and presentations.

Research – 90%

Mentoring – 10%

• PhD in Animal Science, Environmental Science, Agronomy, Plant Science, Soil Science, Agricultural Engineering, or related quantitative field.
• Demonstrated experience in GIS-based spatial analysis.
• Experience with quantitative modeling in agricultural or environmental systems.
• Proficiency in R, Python, or related analytical tools.
• A record of peer-reviewed publications.

• Experience with livestock nutrition or performance modeling.
• Familiarity or experience with life cycle assessment methodologies.
• Experience integrating spatial and biophysical models.
• Experience in interdisciplinary research teams.

The Research Associate will support mentorship of graduate and undergraduate students in activities such as modeling research methods, modeling best practices, and developing manuscripts. They will at times supervise undergraduate students working as research assistants or interns in the lab.

Please apply via Academic Jobs Online:…