The Laboratory for the Chemistry of Construction (LC2) Materials in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is seeking a postdoctoral candidate starting April 1, 2017. Special emphasis is placed on recruiting candidates with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering or mechanical engineering, or other similar fields, with expertise in the design, characterization and optimization of solid-vapor chemical processes with a capacity for world-class research that is reflected in a strong publication record.
The successful candidates will work on developing, scaling, and optimizing a novel CO2 utilization process cycle, which produces a low-CO2 footprint concrete replacement material via a (CO2) mineralization reaction. Special focus will be placed on optimizing process parameters (temperature, gas concentrations, flow rates) and geometry (surface-to-volume ratio) so as to maximize reaction efficiency/yield and throughput. Associated expertise in developing process flow diagrams and specifications, performing tradeoff analyses of energy intensity, monetary input, and environmental impact/waste production is advantageous. For further details regarding the CO2 mineralization process, see: Vance et al., Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 54, pp. 8908-8918, 2015.
For full-consideration, the applicant should possess the following qualifications: (a) a Ph.D. degree from a reputable university in a topic of relevance (see above), (b) a fundamental understanding of design and optimization of chemical processes, and © an interest in working in a fast-paced, collaborative research environment. The applicant will collaborate with other researchers having expertise in interfacial reaction kinetics and their characterization, and microstructure-property relationships as relevant to construction materials.
Applicants with relevant experience will be given special preference. The successful candidate will be expected to take personal initiative to structure tasks to meet project functions and author novel publications. The candidate will also be expected to mentor students, teach courses in relation to expertise (if opportunity arises), fulfill project administration functions and assist in proposal development. The candidate is expected to meet programmed project goals, and be capable of responding to aggressive deliverable timelines as are typical in “academia-industry” collaborative research.
All positions are programmed for a 1-year duration, but can be extended by mutual agreement. If you meet the above requirements and are interested in this position, please provide (as PDFs) to both contacts noted below: a detailed resume, a short personal statement explaining your scientific and research interests and contact information for three referees in support of your application.
Contact:
Profs. Gaurav N. Sant and Laurent Pilon
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering || Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering || Department of Materials Science and Engineering
420 Westwood Plaza, 5731-J Boelter Hall
University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Email: gsant@ucla.edu || Email: pilon@seas.ucla.edu