The Laboratory for Air Quality Research (LAQR) at Colorado State University (CSU) is seeking a Research Associate I to work on a project involving the design, development, and operation of sampling and collection devices for bioaerosols, and the analysis and interpretation of bioaerosol data. This research is critical for understanding and addressing 21st-century environmental challenges related to air pollution and climate change, with potential applications in urban, regional, and global air quality assessments, as well as animal and human health studies.
Requirements
- MS in science, technology, engineering or math-related field
- Background in engineering design and design for manufacturing
- Background in experimental design, data curation, and analysis
- Knowledge of theory and practice of aerosol science
- Experience with instrumentation to measure physical, chemical, and biological properties of aerosols
- Experience with analytical techniques to characterize and quantify bioaerosol abundance and viability
Responsibilities
- Design a virtual impactor that samples bioaerosols at 200+ LPM and provides concentration factors of 10x or more
- Integrate virtual impactor with commercial water-based condensation growth tubes to collect bioaerosols in solution
- Characterize size-dependent performance for virtual impactor using non-biological aerosols
- Perform chamber experiments to study concentration factors and viability for several bioaerosol models at varying environmental conditions
- Support animal and human health studies to assess bioaerosol viability for real-world applications
- Report findings through oral presentations
- Prepare manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals
Other
- The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by the start date.
- Mechanical Engineering will not provide visa sponsorship for this position.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Travel - 10%
