PhD and Postdoc Opportunities

Risk Perception and Adaptation Behavior Postdoctoral Research Fellow

University of Michigan, School for Environment and Sustainability

Posted January 2026

Job Summary

University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to investigate risk perception and adaptation behavior regarding climate change and natural hazards, specifically novel wildfires. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary working group of faculty, students, and postdocs studying human and ecosystem adaptation to wildfire risk using an integrated social-environmental system framework. The fellow will assist with a research project involving statistical and spatial analysis of survey data, culminating in scholarly outputs and practical policy recommendations. 

The postdoc will report to and work under the mentorship of Dr. Paige Fischer (School for Environment and Sustainability) and a team of other faculty members engaged with the research through the Western Forest and Fire Initiative.

This position will be a one-year, full-time, term-limited appointment. The start date is flexible, with a preference for summer or fall 2026.

Responsibilities

• Help analyze existing survey and spatial data regarding wildfire hazard conditions and events, and individual risk perception and behavioral responses to wildfire

• Write and submit a manuscript to a scholarly journal

• Make a paper presentation at a professional meeting

• Interact with faculty, PhD students, other postdoctoral fellows, and practitioners to design and interpret the research

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in psychology, sociology, human geography, public policy & planning, or another related field

• Formal training and research experience with topics such as risk perception, protective action or risk mitigation behavior, natural hazards, or climate change adaptation

• Formal training with quantitative social science data analysis methods, including structural equation, Bayesian hierarchical, or multi-level modeling, and exposure to or experience with spatial data and analysis.

• Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship.

Modes of Work

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan (flexible)

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Application Deadline

Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled. Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

How to Apply

Applications are welcomed and encouraged from all qualified individuals regardless of background and identity. To apply, please email the following to apfisch@umich.edu in a single PDF file with Risk Behavior Postdoc in the subject line:

• Cover letter describing your relevant experience and scholarly interests

• Curriculum vitae

• Relevant publications

• References (Contacted after an initial interview)

Who We Are

School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)

The School for Environment and Sustainability (https://seas.umich.edu/) is collaborative and interdisciplinary. Our mission includes contributing to the protection of environmental resources and the achievement of a sustainable society. We accomplish this by generating and sharing knowledge, contributing to policy, and engaging managers and stakeholders. The University of Michigan is a top-ranked public university with excellence in research and teaching. Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, is a town known for arts, culture, parks and restaurants. SEAS is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable environment that respects diverse experiences, promotes generous listening and communications, and discourages and restoratively responds to acts of discrimination, harassment, or injustice. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is deeply rooted in our values for a sustainable and just society.

The Western Forest and Fire Initiative (WFFI) at the University of Michigan

The overarching goal of the WFFI is to understand how human and ecological communities can adapt to increasing wildfire risk. The WFFI aims to serve as a research hub and a bridging organization, working with practitioners and other researchers in the US West to identify research questions and undertake intensive problem analyses to answer those questions. The work of the WFFI is made possible with support from Kathy and Steve Berman, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and other sources.

For more information, visit 

https://sites.google.com/umich.edu/wffi

https://seas.umich.edu/research/faculty/alexandra-paige-fischer

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family, and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

• Generous time off

• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance

• Life insurance

• Long-term disability coverage

• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

DOCTORAL OPPORTUNITY

Mental Models of Complex Hazard Decision Making

University of Michigan, School for Environment and Sustainability

Posted January 2026

Summary

Prospective PhD students interested in research on individual decision-making in the context of complex natural hazards and environmental changes are encouraged to apply to the School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, for the academic year starting in September 2026. If accepted to the PhD program, which is very competitive, the student will receive five years of monthly stipends, graduate tuition, and health benefits. The student will have the opportunity to work as a graduate student research assistant (GSRA) investigating how people conceptualize and make protective action decisions regarding complex natural hazards, and developing tools to support decision-making. The focal natural hazards are co-occurring wildfires, wildfire smoke, and heat waves. The GSRA will assist with the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data on people’s mental models and decisions regarding wildfire hazards, culminating in scholarly research publications, paper presentations, and practical policy recommendations. The GSRA position is funded by an award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Action Wildland Fires programs.

Mentoring

The PhD student will be advised by Dr. Paige Fischer (University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability) and collaborate with a team of University of Michigan postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, and faculty members, including Dr. Gretchen Kepple-Aleks (Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering) and Dr. Sue Anne Bell (School of Nursing), as well as external faculty members, including Dr. Matt Hamilton (University of Wyoming). 

The PhD student will also be a part of the Western Forest and Fire Initiative (WFFI), an interdisciplinary working group of faculty, students, and postdocs studying human and ecological adaptation to wildfire risk using an integrated social-environmental system framework. WFFI research projects are supported with funds from the Kathy and Steve Berman Family, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Interdisciplinary Research in Earth Science (IDS) and Earth Action Wildland Fires programs, and other sources.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate for the assistantship has a well-developed interest in research questions relating to human decision-making, natural hazards management, risk mitigation, and adaptation behavior; a master’s degree in human geography, social psychology, sociology, public health, or a similar field; and experience with qualitative interviewing, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and stakeholder engagement. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, along with strong interpersonal skills, are required.

How to Apply

If interested in this doctoral opportunity, please send the following materials in a single PDF file to apfisch@umich.edu with the words “Mental Models PhD” in the subject line by October 31, 2025:

• Cover letter describing your relevant experience and scholarly interests

• Curriculum vitae

• GRE scores and unofficial transcripts

• Relevant publications or a writing sample

Materials will be reviewed as they are received.

For more information about the SEAS PhD program and how to apply, visit this website. 

School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)

The School for Environment and Sustainability (https://seas.umich.edu/) is at the forefront of building a more sustainable and just world for all by transforming the impact of higher education and reimagining the future. We are advancing action through innovation, research, education, and engagement in society, and developing leaders who are empowered to halt the climate crisis and create an environmentally sound future for generations to come. The University of Michigan is a top-ranked public university with excellence in research and teaching. Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, is a town known for arts, culture, parks, and restaurants.