Pedometrics

2 Postdoctoral Fellow Position at West Virginia University

TWO POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW POSITIONS IN SOIL SCIENCE

The Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, in the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences at West Virginia University, is seeking to fill two postdoctoral positions in soil science. Both positions are 12-month, non-tenure, 100% research positions. Both positions are in the National Geospatial Development Center. Each position is for a minimum of two years. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES
The postdoctoral fellows will conduct research on the development of digital soil property maps at regional and continental scales in support of the GlobalSoilMap.net project. Efforts will include regionalizing and disaggregating existing vector soil survey information, incorporating existing and new point data, and investigating the use of raster data sources to improve the spatial prediction of soil classes and soil properties. Applicants should have an interest in studying soil variability and spatial modeling, as well as an understanding of geographic information science and statistical modeling techniques.

QUALIFICATIONS
A Ph.D. in Soil Science or related field is required. Additional requirements include demonstrated expertise in spatial and multivariate statistics, geographic information systems, and database management, as well as effective written and verbal communication skills. Experience with SQL Server, Access, or any ESRI software is highly desirable.

HOW TO APPLY
Applicants must submit an application letter with specific information on disciplinary focus, professional activities, and other information relevant to meeting the position qualifications; detailed curriculum vitae specifying education, experience, and qualifications; transcripts; and three reference letters to Dr. Barton Baker, Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, PO Box 6108, Morgantown WV, 26506-6108. Phone (304) 293-4817; FAX (304) 293-2960. Electronic applications will not be accepted. Review of applications will begin after October 31, 2009 and continue until the positions are filled.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit http://www.caf.wvu.edu/plsc/soilscience/postdocs_DSM.pdf, or contact Jim Thompson (304-293-6023 x4348; james.thompson@mail.wvu.edu).

WVU is committed to widening its faculty diversity. Women and minorities and those with disabilities are encouraged to apply. West Virginia is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer

4 Postdoctoral Positions in France

The INRA infoSol unit is looking for Postdoctoctoral applicants.

1) Spatial analysis and modeling of trace elements distribution in France on the basis of the French soil monitoring data.
Skills : geostatistics, soil science, trace elements, modelling. Duration: 18 months. Starting date ASAP, ca 1,800 € € net per month.

2) Spatial analysis and modelling of soil organic carbon in France on the  basis of the French soil monitoring data
Skills : geostatistics, soil science, carbon, modelling. Duration:  18 months. Starting date ASAP, ca 1,800 € € net per month,

3) Spatial analysis and modelling of soil organic carbon in a region of  France on the basis of the French soil monitoring and historical data. Skills : geostatistics, soil science, carbon, modelling. Duration: 24 months. Starting date ASAP, ca 1,800 € € net per month,

4) Digital Soil Mapping of a French region using DEM, geological maps,  point data and gamma ray airborne measurements
Skills : mapping, classifiactions, regression trees, remore sensing, grid data processing, GIS statistics. Duration 12 months. Starting date December 2009 or January 2010, ca 1,800 €€  net per month, for this application canditates should be foreigners (NOT FRENCH).

Applications 1 to 3 are open to all nationalities, application 4 is only for non French.

Fluent English (at least scientific one) is required, knowledge of some French is appreciated but not mandatory.

Applicants should send their CVs, list of publications and a letter to: Dominique.Arrouays@orleans.inra.fr

Assistant Professor Position in Climate Change Science

Tenure-Track Associate/Assistant Professor Position in Climate Change Science
Terrestrial Biogeochemistry
Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Cornell University has recently established a Climate Change Initiative as part of its Center for a Sustainable Future (CCSF, http://www.sustainablefuture.cornell.edu).  The Center serves to focus and integrate the growing interest across departments in sustainability, as well as to generate real-world impacts.  As part of the Climate Change Initiative, the Center is facilitating the hiring of several faculty members over the next three years in the biological and physical sciences, social sciences, engineering and humanities.

We are now seeking applications for a tenure track position at the ASSISTANT or ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR rank in climate change science, with a focus on Terrestrial Biogeochemistry. We seek candidates who link
terrestrial processes with climate by employing theoretical and empirical approaches at the regional to global scale such as modeling, remote sensing and/or spatial information technologies, data-assimilation, and spatio-temporal statistics.  The position will focus on the interaction of climate-related terrestrial surface processes with global environmental change.  For example, a candidate may focus on connections between soil- and vegetation-related greenhouse gas emissions or carbon sequestration with changes in land use, cover and management.  This “open department” search seeks to place outstanding candidates in departments they best match.  Potential home departments are Biological and Environmental Engineering and Crop and Soil Sciences. The position will involve 50% research and 50% teaching responsibilities and developing an internationally recognized and externally funded research program in Climate Change Science.

Qualifications:  Ph.D. in relevant field. Applicants should submit a cover letter indicating why they feel they are a good fit for an interdisciplinary Climate Change Initiative at Cornell, together with a curriculum vitae, a research plan (2-3 pages), and a statement of teaching interests. All materials should be submitted electronically by emailing a single PDF file to biogeochemistry-search@cornell.edu.
Applicants should also provide names of three individuals who may be contacted to provide letters of recommendation. Applications will be reviewed beginning October 15, 2009, continuing until a suitable
candidate is identified.

Best Paper in Pedometrics 2008

There are 40 votes cast, and the winning paper was:

Hunting the Hidden Dimensions

National rankings in agricultural sciences

Data provided by Thomson Reuters from its Essential Science Indicators, January 1999-April 2009

The data above were extracted from the Essential Science Indicators database of Thomson Reuters. This database, currently covering the period January 1999-April 2009, surveys only journal articles (original research reports and review articles) indexed by Thomson Reuters. Articles are assigned to a category based on the journals in which they were published and the Thomson Reuters journal-to-category field-definition scheme.

Both articles tabulated and citation counts to those articles are for the period indicated. Here our ranking in agricultural sciences is by citations per paper — among nations that collected 10,000 or more citations during the period — to reveal weighted impact. For articles with multiple authors from different nations, each nation receives full, not fractional, citation credit. Essential Science Indicators lists nations ranked in the top 50 per cent for a field over a given period, based on total citations. In agricultural sciences, 98 nations are listed, meaning 196 were surveyed. Thirty nations collected at least 10,000 citations in this field during the period. The top 20 are listed above, and northern European nations dominate the upper tier. For more information on Thomson Reuters Essential Science Indicators, see http://scientific.thomsonreuters.com/products/esi

Source: Times Higher Education http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=407785&c=1

Environmental Modelling Scientist position

Environmental Modelling Scientist position (St. Louis, MO, USA)

Monsanto is seeking a highly motivated individual with the ability to work as a member of the Environment and Modeling Team. The successful candidate will work to improve our ability to develop and deploy superior commercial corn products by improving the understanding of testing environments. Primary responsibilities include: (1) testing site selection and testing network optimization; (2) environmental data collection and analysis; (3) development and execution of protocols for abiotic stress imposition; and (4) application of GIS and remote sensing to hybrid selection. The candidate will establish and maintain appropriate linkages with members of diverse teams across the Monsanto technology organization. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential.

Qualifications
Required Skills/Experience:
1. PhD in soil science, environment science, crop science, agronomy, or related discipline.
2. Strong analytical skills.
3. Results oriented, innovative, and capable of thriving in a team-based work environment.
4. Excellent skills in verbal and written communication.

Preferred Skills/Experience:
1. PhD in soil science or Pedometrics.
2. Post-doctoral or industry research experience in soil surveying, high intensity soil mapping, soil hydrology, environment modeling, crop modeling, GIS applications, remote sensing, and/or spatial statistics.
3. Experience with Bayesian data analysis.
4. Previous research experiences with corn and/or crop breeding.

Domestic and international travel required. Extended work hours will be necessary during peak seasons.

For more information, contact:
Nan Hong
Environment & Modeling Team Lead
Monsanto Company, St. Louis
314-694-2868
nan.hong@monsanto.com