The University of Wyoming invites diverse applicants to consider our employment opportunities. We are also especially interested in candidates who have experience working with diverse populations and/or diverse initiatives.

JOB TITLE:

Post Doctoral Research Associate

JOB PURPOSE:

The Laboratory for Low-Carbon Energy and Environmental Sustainability in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Wyoming (UW) now has two postdoctoral research associate positions in Hydrogen Production and Transport Infrastructure

promotes a long-term vision for the role of both technology and policy to cope with complex energy, environmental and natural resource challenges. The laboratory conducts systems research that addresses technical, economic, and policy issues related to energy and the environment. Current interests of research mainly include low-carbon energy systems, hydrogen energy, carbon capture and storage, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, and the energy-water nexus under carbon constraints for climate change mitigation. The laboratory pioneers the development of the Integrated Environmental Control Model (IECM), a computer-based tool used worldwide for power plant modeling and assessment. The principal investigator is Dr. Haibo Zhai, the Roy & Caryl Cline Distinguished Chair in Engineering and a Professor in Environmental Engineering at UW. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the School of Energy Resources and the School of Computing at UW and in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University.

The laboratory will hire two postdoctoral research associates to work on a new collaborative project funded by the Wyoming Innovation Partnership program, which includes investigators from UW, Idaho National Laboratory, Western Wyoming Community College, and the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. This multi-institution project is to examine technical, economic, environmental, social, and policy issues related to nuclear-powered hydrogen produced from conventional and renewable gas resources, explore the potential for sustainable development of a hydrogen hub in Wyoming, and develop an educational and workforce training program on an emerging hydrogen economy. The postdoctoral research associates to be recruited will conduct thermodynamic process modeling and techno-economic analysis for nuclear-powered hydrogen production and pipeline transport infrastructure, as well as environmental and resource impact assessments. Small modular reactors or nuclear microreactors and carbon capture and storage will be incorporated into the gas-based hydrogen production to lower life cycle carbon footprints. Based on research results, they will further work with PI Prof. Zhai and co-investigators of this project to develop a workforce training program on large-scale hydrogen production and transport infrastructure. The postdoctoral fellows will prepare progress reports and present them at project meetings, present results at conferences, publish work in peer-reviewed journals, and develop training materials for the workforce program.

REMOTE WORK ELIGIBILITY:

This position provides vital support to campus customers and requires the successful candidate be available to work on campus.