Position: Visiting Research Scientist

Status: Temporary, Full-Time, 12-Month, Exempt, Staff

Department: Institute of Forestry

Reports to: Director, Institute of Forestry

Salary: $72,000 annual salary

College Background:

Paul Smith’s College is a small, private college located on the shores of Lower St. Regis Lake in Adirondack Mountains of northern New York. Its mission is to empower career-ready graduates, advance sustainability, and foster a resilient Adirondacks. Central to the college’s mission are its research institutes. The Institute of Forestry integrates professional education, applied research, and practical forest management into the daily experience of Paul Smith’s forestry students, staff, and faculty. The Institute develops and carries out externally funded research and is responsible for management of the College Forest, which surrounds the core campus and consists of nearly 10,000 acres of productive timberland and thousands of additional acres of mountains, streams, wetlands, ponds, and lakes.

Position Description:

Paul Smith’s College is seeking a Research Scientist to work closely with the Director of the Institute of Forestry to lead the development and execution of an integrative research and management project focused on landscape-level habitat conservation funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and in collaboration with the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society. The project will require novel analysis of remote sensing data to segment individual trees from high resolution LiDAR point clouds and satellite imagery and will incorporate those data and field-based inventory data into tree-, stand-, and property-level simulation and multi-objective optimization. The Research Scientist will also provide analytical support for other Institute research and management projects and will help advance the College’s teaching mission. Additionally, the position will be expected to hold a faculty appointment with approximately 10% of their workload dedicated to teaching undergraduate classes at Paul Smith’s.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Conduct applied research and analysis in remote sensing and forest biometrics.
• Conduct quantitative forest growth modeling and forest management planning optimization.
• Lead field data collection for research projects and management applications.
• Manage research, inventory, and harvest data, including spatial and remote sensing data.
• Author or contribute to scientific manuscripts, technical reports, and new research proposals.
• Deliver primary instruction for and/or support forestry courses and student projects.
• Work closely with the project planning team to ensure deliverables are met in a timely manner.
• Work collaboratively with the other stakeholders to meet the mission of the college.
• Work with the Institute Director and other departments on campus to seek additional funding from state, federal or private sources to support this project and other priorities.
• Serve as primary instructor or provide commensurate academic support for one course per semester.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Preferences:

• PhD in quantitative Forest Science discipline or closely related field.
• Record of peer-reviewed publications and research output commensurate with experience.
• Advanced forestry data management and analysis skills, including advanced proficiency with R, Python, or other analytical coding languages and with ArcPro or QGIS software.
• Demonstrated success working with diverse teams.
• Teaching experience is preferred but not required.
• Valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record which will enable authorization to drive College-owned vehicles.
• Ability to work with a broad range of diverse individuals and groups to form a safe and inclusive campus community.

Paul Smith’s College is an equal opportunity employer. Position descriptions are created that focus on essential functions, using inclusive language, and avoid unnecessary or discriminatory requirements.