Applications are welcome and encouraged from all qualified individuals regardless of background and identity. To apply, email the following in a single PDF file to apfisch@umich.edu with the words "Mental Models Postdoc Application" in the subject line:

• Cover letter describing your relevant experience and scholarly interests
• Curriculum vitae
• Two to three relevant publications
• References (contacted after an initial interview)
   

The University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to investigate how people conceptualize and make protective action decisions regarding complex natural hazards. The focal natural hazards are co-occurring and synergistically interacting wildfires, wildfire smoke, and heat waves. The postdoctoral fellow will assist with a research project entailing the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data on people's mental models, culminating in scholarly research publications, paper presentations, and practical policy recommendations.

The postdoctoral fellow will report to and work under the mentorship of Dr. Paige Fischer (University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability) and Dr. Matt Hamilton (Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources) 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).

This position has funding for two years, and the successful candidate will begin with a one-year, full-time, term-limited appointment with renewal for a second year, depending on performance and funding.

The start date is flexible, with a preference for fall 2025 or winter 2026.

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 different experiences, promotes generous listening and communications, and discourages and restoratively responds to acts of discrimination, harassment, or injustice. Our commitment to community and creating a diverse environmental movement where all feel a sense of belonging 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 successful candidate will work as part of the 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. 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 and investigate research questions of scholarly and practical value.  WFFI research is supported by a gift from the Kathy and Steve Berman Family, 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
 

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

• Sample and recruit research participants from public health, natural hazard, and emergency management organizations
• Assist or lead data collection through individual interviews with assistance providers
• Analyze data with qualitative and/or quantitative methods
• Write and submit one manuscript to a scholarly journal per postdoc year
• Make one paper presentation at a professional meeting per postdoc year
• Interact with faculty, PhD students, other postdoctoral fellows, and practitioners to design and interpret the research

• Ph.D (earned by start date) in psychology, sociology, human geography, public health, public policy & planning, or another related field
• Formal training with qualitative and/or quantitative social science methods 
• Experience conducting social science fieldwork, such as interviews or surveys
• Knowledge about data science and computational methods, such as network analysis
• Familiarity with natural hazards and public health risks associated with wildfires, wildfire smoke, and heat
• Familiarity with mental models or related frameworks (e.g., cognitive maps)
• Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship
• Strong publication record (relative to timing of degree)

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.

Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and will 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 at any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.