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Graduate | Postdoctoral Opportunities

Community-engaged research in Flood Hazards 
Washington University in St. Louis – Geomorphology Group

Review of applications will begin October 31, 2025 and continue until the position is filled.

The WUSTL Geomorphology Lab is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to join an interdisciplinary team investigating links between flooding, environmental pathogen levels, and related intestinal infection risk in low-resource regions of the United States. starting January 2026 as part of a newly funded, multi-disciplinary project:  “Predicting Flood-Related Health Threats in At-Risk U.S. Communities.” This position will focus on integrating high-resolution field monitoring, remote sensing, and statistical and numerical modeling approaches to improve predictive flood hazard mapping. The postdoc will work as part of a larger, interdisciplinary research team to explore the connections between flood exposure, environmental pathogen prevalence, and human health.

The successful candidate will lead efforts to:

  • Design, deploy, and maintain environmental sensor stations, including quarterly travel for installation and servicing to flood prone regions in Illinois and Mississippi. 
  • Apply computer vision and machine learning approaches to integrate ground-based imagery, remote sensing data, and lidar data for high-resolution flood detection and mapping. 
  • Develop and calibrate hydraulic flood models for each study site, informed by sensor networks and image-based observations. 
  • Conduct cross-disciplinary geospatial analyses linking modeled flooding patterns with soil pathogen and participant data to investigate flood-related health risks.  

The postdoc will join a cohort of graduate students and postdocs across Earth Science, Environmental Engineering, Data Science and Statistics, Microbiology, and Anthropology. Together, this team will conduct community-engaged research, integrating field measurements, remote sensing data, and modeling to address urgent challenges at the intersection of natural hazards, human health, and social equity.

Required Qualifications

  • PhD in Earth or Environmental Science, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Geography, Computer Science, or a related field at time of appointment. 
  • Demonstrated experience in computer vision/machine learning, remote sensing, development of environmental sensor networks, or flood model development. 
  • Strong quantitative and data analysis skills. 
  • Strong scientific writing and presentation skills. 
  • Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team. 
  • Skills Development Opportunities  

This position offers extensive training in:  

  • Interdisciplinary research collaboration, including mentoring from faculty members with expertise in anthropology, hydrology, microbiology, environmental engineering, and data science. 
    Advanced applications of computer vision techniques for high-resolution flood monitoring and modeling. 
  • Community-engaged research methodologies. 
  • Grant writing and research development. 
  • Mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. 
  • Access to professional development opportunities through WashU’s Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. More information on being a postdoc at WashU can be found at: https://postdoc.wustl.edu/prospective-postdocs/.  

Application Materials  - please submit the following materials through the WashU application portal

  • Cover letter detailing research interests, relevant experience, and description of how this position fits your career goals (maximum 2 pages) 
  • Current CV   
  • Contact information for three professional references    

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Postdoctoral Scholar Program

Open until December 1, 2025 

WHOI invites applications for eighteen-month Postdoctoral Scholarships that are designed to extend the education and training of the applicants and to advance their research careers. WHOI is the largest private, non-profit oceanographic institution in the world.  Our mission is to advance understanding of the ocean and its interaction with the Earth system, and to communicate this understanding for the benefit of society.  Awards are granted to recent doctorates in oceanography, chemistry, engineering, geology, geophysics, mathematics, meteorology, physics, biology, economics, marine policy, and any field that may contribute to WHOI’s core mission.

For more information, visit the WHOI website.