Postdoctoral Scholar in Agricultural Sustainability in California

Postdoctoral Scholar in Agricultural Sustainability in California

Position overview

Position title:

Postdoctoral Scholar in Agricultural Sustainability in California

Salary range:
Commensurate with qualifications and experience. The posted UCSC salary scales set the minimum pay based on the individual’s Experience Level, which is determined by the number of months of postdoctoral service at any institution. A reasonable estimate for this position is $69,073 - $74,281.

Percent time:
Full-time (100%).

Anticipated start:
As soon as possible after the initial review of applications.

Position duration:
The initial appointment is for a minimum of two years, with the possibility of reappointment. The total duration of an individual’s postdoctoral service may not exceed five years, including service at any institution.

Open date:
November 4, 2025.

Next review date:
Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date:
Wednesday, Nov 4, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Dr. Crystele Leauthaud in the Environmental Studies Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) invites applications for the position of Postdoctoral Scholar in Agricultural Sustainability in California.

In the Environmental Studies Department at UC Santa Cruz, we see environmental problems as human problems, with societal causes, impacts, and solutions. We use methods spanning the natural and social sciences to deliver collaborative, solutions-focused insights on food systems, conservation, sustainability, climate change issues, and environmental justice.

This position will focus on studying agricultural sustainability in California. California’s agriculture is at the forefront of agricultural productivism. At the same time, it is incredibly diverse, both in cropping systems and farm types. As it faces unprecedented challenges in the form of pressures on its profitability and productivity related to natural resources depletion and climate change, regulations, labor, urbanization and many other factors, different solutions are emerging such as organic agriculture and regenerative agriculture and agroecology, which are different facets of agricultural sustainability.

Substantial research exists on sustainable practices on local scales, yet we are far from having a larger, state-wide knowledge of agroecological farming systems. There is little knowledge of where, why, and how sustainable agriculture is occurring in California. Current research mostly focuses on specific practices (e.g., no-till, cover crops, diversification, etc.) using limited datasets acquired through on-farm interviews or surveys. However these small samples do not provide a spatialized understanding of current dynamics.

A larger scale of analysis would be relevant to inform policy makers, but also to evaluate impacts at a larger scale and imagine transformation pathways. Remote sensing and spatial data analysis present a potential path forward for scaling-up our understanding of agroecological systems at the state wide level.

The overarching goal of this postdoctoral scholar is to characterize the existing different forms of sustainable agriculture in California, with a focus on spatializing this information at higher scales (bioregions, and the state of California). This project lies at the interface between agricultural sciences and the analysis of spatial datasets, including data acquired through remote-sensing.

The position will require the incumbent to consistently demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills (reading, writing, and speaking) in English and to successfully and independently complete the following activities:

• Search and compile existing spatial datasets (fields, farm limits, land cover, irrigated fields, etc.), including Ag census data
• Acquire new spatial datasets through remote-sensing
• Elaborate a methodology that combines multiple indices to characterize…