Postdoctoral Research Associate (Social Scientist)
Washington State University

Online applications must be received before 12:00am on:

November 4, 2024

If a date is not listed above, review the Applicant Instructions below for more details.

Available Title(s):306-YN_FACULTY - Postdoctoral Research AssociateBusiness Title:Postdoctoral Research Associate (Social Scientist)Employee Type:Faculty (+) (Fixed Term)Position Term:12 MonthPosition Details:

Summary of Duties:

Commercial specialty crop (vegetable and fruit) growers use plastic mulch to conserve water, suppress weeds, optimize soil temperature, and improve plant growth. However, polyethylene (PE) plastic mulch needs to be disposed of at the end of the growing season, resulting in significant financial and environmental costs. In contrast, biodegradable plastic mulches (BDMs) that can be tilled into the soil or composted at the end of the season could reduce such costs. However, not much is known about the individual, sociocultural, and structural influences on growers' decisions regarding plastic mulch end-of-life management. Thus, research is being conducting on plastic mulch end-of-life management decisions among strawberry growers in California in order to better understand the factors that help or hinder growers' adoption of more sustainable practices (e.g., PE plastic mulch recycling) and technologies (e.g., BDMs) that can help address the growing problem of agricultural plastic pollution. This work is part of a large, multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). The Postdoctoral Research Associate (Social Scientist) will work as part of the project team, specifically the Human Dimensions Working Group headed by Dr. Jessica Goldberger (Rural Sociologist) in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (http://css.wsu.edu) in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (http://cahnrs.wsu.edu). The anticipated start date for this position is January 13, 2025 (negotiable). The position is a temporary, 12-month, full-time position with the ability to renew for a second year, pending successful review and progress.

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Jessica Goldberger, Professor of Rural Sociology, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, at (509) 335-8540 or jgoldberger@wsu.edu.

Responsibilities Include:

• Conduct in-depth qualitative data collection with California strawberry growers, Extension agents, agricultural input suppliers, crop consultants, recycling facility representatives, and other stakeholders

• Analyze quantitative (survey) and qualitative data

• Prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals

• Prepare and deliver oral presentations to diverse audiences

• Help oversee the activities of the Human Dimensions Working Group

Required Qualifications:

• Earned Ph.D. in rural sociology, sociology, anthropology, geography, or closely related social science field within the last five years

• Experience with qualitative data collection and analysis

• Experience with survey data analysis (including statistics)

• Willingness to travel to California, project meetings, and conferences

• Ability to work independently as well as with an interdisciplinary team of researchers, Extension specialists, and other project participants

• Interest in agriculture, diffusion of innovations, the environment, and/or sustainability

• Excellent organizational and project management skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Evidence of high-quality publications and presentations

• Experience working in large, multi-disciplinary research/outreach teams

• Familiarity with specialty crop production or plasticulture

Additional Information:

Area/College:

College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS)

Department Name:

Crop and Soil Sciences

City, State, Zip:

Pullman, WA, 99164

Department Link:

https://css.wsu.edu/

Annual Salary:

$58,000.00 - $62,000.00

In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.

WSU offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes paid sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents; retirement; deferred compensation and optional supplemental retirement accounts.

For a more detailed summary of benefits offered by WSU for Faculty visit: https://hrs.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-Benefit-Overview-for-Faculty-and-AP.pdf

Find total compensation information here: https://hrs.wsu.edu/managers/recruitment-toolkit/total-compensation/.

Overtime Eligibility:

Overtime Eligible

FTE:

100%

This is a Temporary position.

This temporary position is expected to end one (1) year from start date. Renewal for a second year is dependent on successful review and progress.

Posting Close Date:

Applicants must submit their completed application by November 3, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.

Visa Sponsorship Eligibility:

This position is not eligible for employment-based visa sponsorship. The successful candidate would need to already possess or be able to obtain their own U.S. Employment Authorization to be eligible for hire.

Background Check:

This position has been designated by the department to require a background check because it requires access to children or vulnerable adults as defined by RCW 74.34, engages in law enforcement, requires security clearance, interacts with WSU students in a counseling or advising capacity, has access to personal identifying and/or financial information, unsupervised access to university buildings/property, or other business-related need. A background check will not be completed until an initial determination of qualification for employment has been made.

Application Instructions:

Applicants must upload the following required documents to their online application. External candidates, please upload all documents in the "Resume/CV" section of your application. Internal candidates, please upload all documents in the "Resume/Cover Letter" section of your application.

Application materials should clearly communicate how the applicant meets all required qualifications.

Required Documents:

1) Cover Letter

2) Curriculum Vitae

3) Copies of academic transcripts (submit as one PDF document)

4) Writing sample (e.g. journal article or dissertation chapter)

5) Names, mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers for three professional references

Time Type:Full timeWASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EDUCATOR AND EMPLOYER. Members of ethnic minorities, women, special disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam-era, recently separated veterans, and other protected veteran, persons of disability and/or persons age 40 and over are encouraged to apply.WSU employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens. All new employees must show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.WSU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact Human Resource Services: 509-335-4521 (v), Washington State TDD Relay Service: Voice Callers: 1-800-833-6384; TDD Callers: 1-800-833-6388, 509-335-1259(f), or hrs@wsu.edu.Notice of Non-DiscriminationWSU prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates complaint with Title IX. Inquiries regarding Title IX and reports of sex discrimination can be directed to the WSU Title IX Coordinator. More information on WSU's policies and procedures to respond to discrimination and harassment are available here: Nondiscrimination statement.

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