Research Assistant (Dr. Fisher)

Chapman University Careers•Irvine, CA

About The Position

This project uses FATES, a computer model that tracks vegetation, to study how doubling CO2 changes the carbon a forest takes up through photosynthesis and the water it loses to the atmosphere. It compares the wetter N4 site and the drier S3 site in Costa Rica. The main goal is to identify which plant characteristics make the CO2 response larger or smaller at each site. The project uses the existing approved model configuration and preserves the source, input files, and saved forest states. Original-versus-modified checks at the default ratio test whether the added option preserves existing physical outputs. Restart checks test whether a saved state continues with the correct clock and weather. Short tests check that changed plant settings are read correctly.

Requirements

Ability to prepare and organize model inputs, plant parameter files, and outputs.
Ability to maintain records of settings used in each run.
Ability to help manage model runs on a research computing system and identify failed or incomplete runs.
Ability to verify that CO2 comparisons use the intended weather, starting forest, and plant settings.
Use of Python to check missing values and units, calculate carbon and water totals, and compare results across runs.
Ability to help test which plant settings most affect the CO2 response at each site.
Ability to prepare readable graphs, tables, and short written updates.

Responsibilities

Prepare and organize model inputs, plant parameter files, and outputs.
Keep a record of the settings used in each run.
Help manage model runs on the research computing system and identify failed or incomplete runs.
Check that each CO2 comparison uses the intended weather, starting forest, and plant settings.
Use Python to check missing values and units, calculate carbon and water totals, and compare results across runs.
Help test which plant settings most affect the CO2 response at each site.
Prepare readable graphs, tables, and short written updates.
Maintain an organized record linking each run to its settings, weather, starting forest, and completion checks.
Prepare checked tables of carbon uptake, water loss, and paired CO2 responses, with units and time periods.
Prepare figures showing site and seasonal differences, water-loss components, and important plant settings.
Produce analysis scripts and instructions that allow calculations to be repeated.
Prepare a written report explaining the findings and remaining questions.