Postdoctoral Researcher

The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds (CEHW) at The Pennsylvania State University invites applications for one or more postdoctoral researcher positions. Successful applicants will work with CEHW faculty on theoretical, observational, and/or instrumentation projects. Of particular interest are candidates who will work with: (1) Prof. Fabienne Bastien on stellar photometric variability, stellar magnetic activity, exoplanet detection and characterization, and/or the analysis of ground and space-based stellar light curves, especially as applies to the upcoming NASA TESS mission and ground-based Doppler follow-up (2) Prof. Rebekah Dawson on the dynamics and formation of planetary systems, and/or (3) Prof. Eric Ford, Prof. Suvrath Mahadevan and their collaborators on improving the sensitivity of high-resolution Doppler planet surveys using modern statistical and computational tools for eventual application to next-generation spectrographs such as the Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF; hpf.psu.edu), NEID (neid.psu.edu) and EXPRES (exoplanets.astro.yale.edu/instrumentation/expres.php).

The successful applicant will contribute to a team of student and Ph.D. researchers, have opportunities to pursue independent research, and contribute to the vibrant scientific and public outreach efforts of the department. The successful applicant will have access to a variety of resources and collaborations available at Penn State. More information about available resources may be found on the CEHW (exoplanets.psu.edu) and Department of Astronomy (astro.psu.edu) websites.

Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Astronomy, Physics, Statistics, Computer Science, or a related field prior to the start date. Applications must be submitted electronically at https://psu.jobs/job/75757 and include a cover letter, statement of research interests, a CV, and a list of publications. Applicants must also arrange for 3 letters of reference to be emailed to [email protected]. Questions regarding the application process can be directed to [email protected]. Please reference job 75757in the e-mail subject line. The position start date is flexible. This is a fixed term appointment funded for one year from date of hire with possibility of refunding. Applications received by January 15, 2018 will receive full consideration. We encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds.

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