Research Associate / Project Manager

University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA

Full-time - Entry Level

Philadelphia, PA

Educational Services

About the position

The EMLab at the University of Pennsylvania's Weitzman School of Design is seeking a full-time Research Associate as part of its involvement in the Natural Infrastructure Innovation Project (NIIP), which is funded through the United States Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Engineering with Nature (EWN) Program. The Environmental Modeling Lab (EMLab) is an applied research unit that specializes in the analysis, simulation, design, and visualization of environmental systems. The EMLab aims to enhance the role of sensing, simulation, and modeling within contemporary landscape architecture practice, while also bridging the gap between design fields and infrastructural and ecological engineering. The NIIP focuses on conducting design research to develop new forms of natural infrastructure in the nation's bays and estuaries. The project aims to identify the most desirable forms of natural infrastructure and foster innovation in design. To achieve these goals, the NIIP will engage with EWN, local USACE districts, and a diverse range of stakeholders, employing landscape architectural techniques such as fieldwork, mapping, iterative design, and both physical and numerical hydrodynamic modeling. As a Research Associate, the individual will manage the daily operations of the EMLab NIIP team and coordinate closely with the EMLab directors and other team members from partner universities. This role involves a variety of tasks, including field-based research, preparing drawings and maps, developing design concepts inspired by natural forms, reviewing scientific literature, coordinating with team members, and preparing work for publication or presentation at conferences. The Research Associate will also be responsible for sourcing and analyzing geographical data for landscape suitability assessments and assisting with hydrodynamic modeling to understand existing conditions and test design iterations.

Responsibilities

• Participate in and undertake field-based research in project landscapes.
• Prepare drawings and maps that synthesize existing landscape conditions.
• Help develop infrastructural design concepts inspired by natural forms and processes.
• Produce drawings and representations of design concepts.
• Review scientific literature and other documents necessary for the research of infrastructural forms and processes, and the project landscapes themselves.
• Coordinate with team members across a multi-university project.
• Participate in and coordinate design workshops, team meetings, and stakeholder engagements.
• Prepare work for publication and/or presentation at conferences.
• Source, format, and analyze geographical data for regional and local landscape suitability assessments.
• Assist with the building, running, and maintaining of physical and numerical hydrodynamic models.

Requirements

• Masters degree in Landscape Architecture or closely related field.
• Familiarity with software used for landscape architectural representation and analysis, including AdobeCS, Rhino, and ArcGIS Pro.
• Experience with or capacity to learn physical and numerical modeling methods used to study coasts, rivers, and estuaries.
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills.
• A demonstrated commitment to timely completion of deliverables and collaboration with a wide range of team members and stakeholders.
• Experience with nature-based infrastructure design and principles.
• Strong knowledge of landscape processes in coastal environments and the associated interactions between water, sediment, and vegetation in coastal landscapes.
• Evidence of a strong design sensibility that methodically balances aesthetics, cultural, and ecological values within complex landscapes.
• Experience with standard landscape research methods, and demonstration of the ability to develop novel research methods when necessary.