Postdoctoral and Ph.D. student opportunities in Earthquake Hazards at UTIG
Becker, Thorsten
The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) at the Jackson School of Geosciences (JSG) of UT Austin supports a range of Solid Earth Dynamics science including the study of fault systems and earthquake hazards from observational, experimental, and modeling perspectives. We seek to expand our team by admitting three Ph.D. students in the Fall of 2024 and appointing a UTIG post-doctoral fellow in Earthquake Hazards with start date as early as January 2024.
The successful candidates will pursue collaborative research on the earthquake source, including mechanistic aspects of fault interactions, physics-informed and physics discovery machine learning, as well as seismic hazard applications. They will interact with a diverse group of researchers with expertise spanning from rock mechanics, to geophysical imaging, to theoretical and computational modeling. UTIG is known for integrative science efforts and international field programs in geophysics, climate science, planetary science, and energy geoscience. We also have strong ties to other UT campus units, including the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering & Sciences and the Texas Advanced Computing Center.
THREE GRADUATE STUDENTS IN FAULT SYSTEM DYNAMICS
While UTIG and JSG researchers are continuously engaging with undergraduate and graduate students, we have a timely opportunity to admit a cohort of three Ph.D. students with suggested research topics that are connected through a desire to better understand earthquake dynamics and the implications for seismic hazard. We focus on improved physical and mathematical descriptions of laboratory and field-constrained constitutive behavior and their dynamical implications. Student projects will connect with ongoing funded efforts including: 1) the NSF FRES Megathrust Modeling Framework (MTMOD) project, and, 2), an NSF Geophysics project focused on linking laboratory measurements of rheology for natural fault rocks with models describing megathrust slip behavior. Interested applicants are encouraged to consider individual researcher’s web pages for information and reach out to potential advisers Thorsten Becker and Demian Saffer by email to explore opportunities. The application is to JSG’s graduate committee, and the deadline for full consideration is December 1, 2023, with application details found on JSG’s web pages.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW IN EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS
The appointment is for one year with possibility of extension for a second year. Applicants are encouraged to identify a potential research project. Research interests aligned with ongoing studies at UTIG, including on megathrust system dynamics, are considered an advantage. Salary is $65,000 per year, and appointees are eligible for UT benefits. Applications should be submitted through UT’s portal and should include: (1) a Curriculum Vitae that includes education, employment history, publications, and record of any extramural funding; (2) a concise, two-page research statement or proposal (including figures, excluding references) outlining research interests and specific plans for UTIG residence, and addressing how these would complement or expand ongoing research directions at the institute; and (3) names and contact information for three individuals willing to write letters of reference. Review of applications for the post-doctoral position will commence December 1, 2023, and the position will remain open until filled.
For questions, contact Dr. Thorsten Becker (t...@ig.utexas.edu)
or Dr. Demian Saffer (dem...@ig.utexas.edu).