Postdoctoral Scholar

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• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering (EME) in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State is hiring a Postdoctoral Scholar in compositional simulation for a variety of applications in porous media, including aquifer contamination, geologic storage, and enhanced oil recovery, under the direction of Dr. Russell T. Johns. The selected candidate will develop a new generation compositional simulation software for application to porous media inflow for both environmental and petroleum industries. The compositional simulation model will allow for up to four phases in equilibrium and include chemical reactions along with the transfer of components between phases. The key hypothesis in this work is that phase labels, such as oil and gas, are not needed, and rather, flow can be based solely on phase properties. Without phase labels, discontinuities that are normally encountered in parameters like relative permeability can be eliminated, making simulations faster, more accurate, and more likely to converge.

In addition to pursuing the simulation research project, the postdoc researcher will also obtain valuable career development opportunities, exposure to professional networks within several industries, engage in grant writing and communicate research findings in high-quality journals and conferences. The successful candidate will also have opportunities to participate in a wide variety of career development seminars hosted by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at Penn State.

The initial appointment is for one year with the opportunity to renew, contingent on satisfactory performance and funding ability. If the research is highly successful, there may be an opportunity to develop software for commercial applications.

QUALIFICATIONS

Ideal candidates should have a Ph.D. in petroleum engineering or a related discipline by the time of hire, or have completed their Ph.D. program except for degree conferral ("All But Diploma" status).

The selected candidate must have significant expertise with cubic equations-of-state and both fully implicit and IMPEC formulations of compositional partial differential equations, necessary boundary conditions, and other thermodynamic skills. The researcher is expected to have excellent analytical ability, a willingness to learn across fields, and excellent writing and communication skills.

HOW TO APPLY

Review of applicants will begin immediately until filled. The starting date is negotiable, although preferred by September 1, 2024. To apply, please submit the following materials to Workday:

• Cover letter, summarizing your relevant background and your interest in this project

• Curriculum vitae

• 2-3 examples of scholarly work, which can be manuscripts that are published or under review

• Applicants should also provide evidence, either woven through their application materials or as a separate document, of a commitment to fostering diversity, equity, inclusive excellence, and belonging in the classroom, research lab and beyond. See the DEI section below for more information on Penn State's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

• Names and contact information for 3 references. Be sure to include their relationship to you (thesis advisor, collaborator, colleague, committee member etc).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Penn State is committed to equal opportunity in all aspects of employment. We strongly encourage candidates from traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM, to apply.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

The Pennsylvania State University's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences takes an active role in building a talented, inclusive, and culturally competent workforce. We understand that our shared future is guided by basic principles of fairness, mutual respect, and commitment to each other.

More information about our commitment to DEI can be found here: https://www.ems.psu.edu/diversity

Location and program:

The EME department is housed in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State, University Park. For additional resources:

• More information about the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences can be found here: https://www.ems.psu.edu/

• And more information about our department can be found here: https://www.eme.psu.edu/

• Penn State (University Park) is a top-ranked research university, located in State College, PA. More information about the university can be found here: https://www.psu.edu/

CONTACT

Please contact Russell Johns (rjohns@psu.edu) with any questions.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS: