Job Information
Washington State University Postdoctoral Research Associate (Social Scientist) in Pullman, Washington
Postdoctoral Research Associate (Social Scientist) 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 Associate Business Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate (Social Scientist) Employee Type: Faculty (+) (Fixed Term) Position Term: 12 Month Position 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 mailto: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