Opportunities
Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry Cluster Hire
Come join an interdisciplinary group of dedicated faculty, research scientists, and graduate students committed to professional excellence and promoting diversity and inclusivity at a Top-30 public university! You will join a team working to optimize natural climate solutions in southeastern forests and build vibrant economic markets for climate smart forest products.
The O'Halloran Lab is currently hiring 2 positions:
Postdoc - analyzes eddy covariance data from new (upcoming) and existing eddy flux towers in managed forests
Ph.D. student - studies carbon sequestration in managed forests and helps develop Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification methods in forest carbon projects
Scroll down for details.
Postdoctoral Scholar
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently implemented the Climate Smart Commodities program to incentivize landowners to adopt climate smart practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon sequestration in agricultural and managed forest ecosystems. The College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Science at Clemson University is partnering with South Carolina State University to implement this program in the state of South Carolina. The O’Halloran Lab in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation and housed at the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forestry Science will lead the construction and operation of several eddy covariance flux towers to measure the stand scale carbon sequestration of operational Climate Smart Forestry projects in the state. The goal is to measure short term changes in carbon stocks and fluxes in managed forests during the implementation of climate smart practices. Projects will focus on loblolly pine silviculture, and in partnership with The Longleaf Alliance, longleaf pine restoration. Through partnerships with South Carolina State University and The Center for Heirs Property Preservation this project will address an overarching objective to better reach underserved landowners in the state.
The postdoc will have access to 20+ site-years of existing eddy covariance data in managed forests collected by the O’Halloran lab so that analyses and publications can commence immediately.
The postdoc will be advised by Dr. Tom O’Halloran (biometeorologist) and will work as part of the collaborative Climate Smart Commodities team at Clemson University.
The job location is The Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science (BICEFS) in Georgetown, South Carolina. Remote work may be possible during an initial transition period but the candidate is expected to relocate to South Carolina.
Applications will be reviewed as they arrive and the position will remain open until filled.
Three years of funding are available.
For additional information about this position, please email tohallo@clemson.edu
Ph.D. student assistantship: managing forests for carbon sequestration
We seek an enthusiastic and inquisitive student interested in the emerging field of Climate Smart Forestry, which involves managing forests for carbon sequestration to provide Natural Climate Solutions. Come join the O’Halloran Lab in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson University, starting in fall or winter of 2023. The position is open to students of any science background and is a grant-funded, three-year Ph.D. Assistantship using state of the art technology to study how silviculture and forest management intersect with state of the art technology the restoration of the iconic longleaf pine forests of the Southeastern United States could be managed to mitigate the effects of human induced climate change. The assistantship includes a three-year tuition waver and salary of $25,000 per year.
You will have the opportunity to contribute to our science through your own interests and perspectives while gaining extensive hands-on field work experience in forestry and micrometeorology, including conducting forest carbon inventories and working with eddy covariance sensors and data. You will be a core member of a team building several new eddy covariance towers in managed forests in South Carolina. You will also have great networking opportunities while working as part of a team of collaborating scientists from Clemson University
Minimum Qualifications: Bachelors (or equivalent) degree in biological sciences, environmental science, ecology, forestry, atmospheric science, engineering, or other related field with a desire to learn strong quantitative skills (e.g., statistics or computer programming).
Preferred Qualifications: Masters (or equivalent) degree in biological sciences, environmental science, ecology, forestry, atmospheric science, engineering, or other related field. Experience computer programming in R, Python or MATLAB. Experience working with eddy covariance data, including running EddyPro. Experience conducting forest surveys.
Physical Requirements: Must be able to lift 30 pounds (14kg), able to work outdoors in hot humid conditions, and have a willingness to be trained to safely climb and work at heights of 100’ (30m) on eddy covariance towers.
To apply, send an email attached with a CV introducing yourself, stating your previous experience, interest in this specific position, and your future goals to Dr. Tom O’Halloran (he/his) at tohallo@clemson.edu by August25, 2023. Contact info, this posting, and details about the lab are available here:https://sites.google.com/g.clemson.edu/ohalloran/opportunities
Summer Internships - Forestry
We seek two summer interns, likely through the Clemson UPIC program, to conduct forestry field work in carbon sequestration projects as part of a USDA NIFA funded grant project in collaboration with the US Forest Service at Francis Marion National Forest. Details will be posted on the UPIC website soon.
About Clemson & O'Halloran Lab
Clemson University (www.clemson.edu/about/) is a public land-grant Carnegie R1 Research University in a college town setting on Lake Hartwell within view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, about a 2-hour drive from Atlanta, GA or Charlotte, NC. Students in our lab take classes on the main campus and conduct field work at the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science (www.clemson.edu/baruch/), located on the 16,000-acre (6,500 ha) Hobcaw Barony nature and research preserve. Hobcaw Barony is 35 miles (56km) south of Myrtle Beach and 60 miles (100km) north of Charleston with beach frontage on the Atlantic Ocean and is bordered by Winyah Bay and North Inlet Estuary. Temporary housing in cottages is available on site while you conduct research.
The O’Halloran Lab and Clemson University aspire to create a diverse community that welcomes people of different races, cultures, ages, genders, sexuality, religions, socioeconomic levels, political perspectives, abilities, opinions, values and experiences. We believe every member on our team enriches our research by contributing to the ways we understand and engage with the world and our environment, and to discover solutions to manage our shared natural resources more sustainably.
Our lab also recognizes that effective mentorship has been shown to strongly impact student outcomes such as degree completion, increased self-efficacy, and overall satisfaction with their education. We find the most productive and empowering mentor-mentee relationships are a mutual exchange founded on respect and prioritize personal goal setting with honest, rigorous, and kind communication. If this position and our community of learners seem like a fit where you could do great science, we would like to hear from you!
Questions can be directed to Dr. Tom O’Halloran (he/his) at tohallo@clemson.edu. Contact info and details about the lab are available here: http://bit.ly/ohalloranlab