Post Doctoral Researcher, Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences

University of Delaware

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The University of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity Employer which
encourages applications from Minority Group Members, Women,
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Job No: 503953

Work Type: Staff

Location: Newark, DE

Categories: Research & Laboratory

Pay Grade: 90E

Project Summary

The Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences at the
University of Delaware is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to
characterize current and future U.S. severe convective storm (SCS)
risk for insurance applications. The project goals are to (1)
estimate present-day and future SCS risk using simulations from
large ensemble systems and (2) identify and quantify the
uncertainty in historical trends and near-term model projections.
The work will be in close collaboration with scientists at Columbia
University and NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab as well as
industry professionals across the (re)insurance sector to develop
SCS risk assessments and decision-making tools/frameworks using
near-term SCS projections.

Focus Area: Severe Weather, Climate Risk

Background

Severe convective storms (SCS) — thunderstorms that produce
damaging winds, large hail, or tornadoes — are increasingly
becoming a dominant driver of insured losses. Consequently,
assessments of present-day as well as projected future SCS risk are
of considerable interest and value to the insurance industry. Our
group will use historical and future simulations in large ensembles
to better resolve risk from SCS hazards like tornadoes and hail,
and to tailor risk assessments and near-term SCS projections to
meet the needs of the insurance industry.

Responsibility

• Develop data-driven models to simulate severe weather hazards

like tornadoes and hail, and apply models to investigate severe
weather hazard activity in large ensemble simulations.

• Evaluate model biases, e.g. from GFDL’s Seamless System for

Prediction and EArth System Research (SPEAR) large ensembles.

• Identify and explore sources of uncertainty in near-term SCS

projections, e.g., from interannual to decadal climate
variability.

• Publish findings on peer-reviewed journals, present progress at

professional meetings, prepare project reports and deliverables,
and collaborate with other research and industry teams on a regular
basis.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in a relevant field (e.g., Atmospheric Science,

Meteorology, Climate Science, Geography, or related areas) or
should be completed with their Ph.D. degree requirements by January
2027.

• Experience with weather and/or climate model output (e.g.,

SPEAR, WRF, CESM), and familiarity with climate model frameworks
(e.g., large ensembles).

• Proficiency in programming and data analysis (e.g., Python) and

handling large datasets, such as from hindcasts, large ensembles,
or Coupled Model Intercomparison Project.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently as well as effectively in a

collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with data-driven (including machine learning),

physics-informed modeling approaches.

• Background in climate risk, i.e., applying weather and climate

to societal impacts, decision-making, adaptation, etc.

• Familiarity with high-performance computing.

This position is in-person with support for conference travel
and other professional development activities.

To Apply

Any questions can be directed to Dr. Kelsey Malloy;
kmmalloy@udel.edu

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The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person
on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity
or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital
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prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and
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