New York University

Description

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER POSITIONS ON

DECARBONIZATION OF CHEMICAL MANUFACTURING

Sustainable Engineering Initiative and

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

New York University

The NYU Sustainable Engineering Initiative (SEI) is seeking to hire a team of Postdoctoral Researchers for projects related to decarbonization of chemical manufacturing. The SEI is an emerging initiative at NYU that aims to develop engineering solutions to avoid, mitigate, and remediate emissions responsible for climate change and environmental contamination, as well as engineering strategies to evaluate the impact of and adapt to these environmental challenges. The SEI research is aimed at building the science and engineering foundation of solutions (i) for decarbonized and sustainable systems for energy generation, transportation, manufacturing, waste treatment and recovery, and agriculture, (ii) the mitigation of CO2 emissions, and chemical and microbiological pollutants from these systems, (iii) the remediation of natural environments and (iv) adaptation to climate change. Postdoctoral researchers hired under these positions will become part of a large team of SEI researchers and industrial collaborators which will provide ample opportunities for mentorship and to gain visibility within fields associated with Sustainable Engineering.

Postdoctoral researchers hired under these positions will be assigned to one of the following projects:

1. Development of strategies to mitigate bubble-induced energy losses in high-performing alkaline water electrolyzers (Lead PI: Miguel Modestino) Preferred qualifications: Design, fabrication and analysis of flow electrochemical systems; Assembly of optical systems for high-speed imaging; Proficiency in computational image analysis; Continuum transport modeling.
2. Catalyst characterization and mechanistic studies for CO2 hydrogenation reactions (Lead PI: Miguel Modestino) Preferred qualifications: Materials characterization Characterization methods including inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), temperature programmed desorption (TPD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Experience with density functional theory (DFT) and microkinetic modelin. 
3. Simulation, design, and optimization of electrified processes for olefin production from alternative feedstocks (Lead PI: Dharik Mallapragada) Preferred qualifications: Experience with process simulation, modeling and optimization (theory, modeling, and tools). Experience with life cycle assessment and techno-economic assessment. Familiarity with optimization-based packages in Julia or Python.

All these opportunities are part of large collaborative projects with industrial partners (e.g., RAPID manufacturing institute), and hence outcomes from them are expected to be deployed in industrial processes and have an impact in global decarbonization efforts.

New York University (NYU) is one of the top private universities in the United States, and the Tandon School of Engineering, located in Brooklyn, in a fast growing Engineering school with a focus on nanotechnology, biotechnology, urban engineering, and wireless technologies. 

At NYU Tandon, our mission is to excel in research, teaching and entrepreneurship. We aim to inspire and educate engineers for the 21st century. We are committed to quality, integrity, and respect for each other. We value and take pride in our high proportion of female students and students who are the first in their families to go to college. Tandon belongs to the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC), which assists with dual-career searches. 

NYU Tandon fosters innovation and entrepreneurship that make a difference in the world. The Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department is at the center of a high-tech start-up culture where student and faculty innovation and entrepreneurship activities are supported and nurtured both in New York City, Brooklyn and across the NYU Global Network University. The NYU Tandon School of Engineering is deeply committed to excellence in teaching and learning. Tandon fosters student and faculty innovation and entrepreneurship that make a difference in the world.

In compliance with NYC’s Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary for this position is $62,500 – $68,000, depending on the candidate’s experience and qualification.

Qualifications

General Qualifications and Requirements:

• Hold a Ph.D. in a relevant field (e.g. Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, etc.)
• Demonstrated expertise and research experience in one of the areas described above.
• Strong interpersonal and mentoring skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in academia.