Job Description

Job Opportunity

We are looking for:

Two undergraduates

One graduate (PhD program)

One postdoc

To work on the research project funded by AI2 Center at UF and NVIDIA: Advancing Campus Flood Vulnerability Assessment through Integrated Human Perception and Digital Technologies with High-Performance Computing. 

Project background

This project aims to comprehensively assess campus vulnerability by joining geospatial data with human perceptions of risk within a Digital Twin. The project seeks to enhance GIS-based flood vulnerability assessments for university campuses by leveraging insights from human perception with the help of AI algorithms, mathematical flooding simulations, and survey-based VR experiments. The significance of this research lies in its potential to inform proactive measures for disaster preparedness and response in the short term while also contributing to the development of tailored flooding mitigation strategies for enhancing the resilience of university campuses and surrounding communities in the long term. By integrating human perception data with advanced technologies and mathematical simulations, this research has the potential to revolutionize flood vulnerability assessments and significantly improve disaster resilience efforts nationwide.

Project Investigators 

Karla Saldana Ochoa: Is an assistant professor at the School of Architecture at UF with expertise in AI, architectural design, and Big Data analysis. Her research group, SHARE Lab, specializes in leveraging AI, VR, and Digital Twin technologies to analyze urban phenomena, specifically disaster response, and enhance creativity in the design process.

Changjie Chen: With expertise in planning, statistics, GIS, HPC, and AI algorithms, Changjie is well-suited to guide the team in the development of an integrated platform for simulating alternative futures. His integration of system modeling into Digital Twin creation enables the team to analyze cities’ complex environmental and social dynamics.

Jiayang Li: Dr. Li is a landscape designer and researcher, with expertise in landscape perception and survey methods. Her rich experiences working on large interdisciplinary projects to address flood resilience equip her to contribute valuable insights into flood risk perception and human experiences of landscape changes that the team will address in this project. 

Job description

The students and postdoc will assist the projects with various tasks, including:

1.     Coding:

·       Geospatial Analysis

·       Image Processing (e.g., photogrammetry)

·       Web development (frontend and/or backend frameworks)

·       Artificial Intelligence

·       Natural Language Processing

·       Database compilation and management (gathering information from multiple sources into one coherent database)

2.     Survey:

·       VR experiment coordination

·       Survey facilitation

·       Survey data processing and analysis

3.     Scientific/Academic Writing

The applicants don’t have to master all the listed tasks; however, preference will be given to candidates skilled in some or most of them.

Your profile 

The successful candidate can come from architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning/design, engineering, or computer science. [JL3] [SOKV4] We welcome applicants who have good coding skills in Phyton or Wolfram Mathematica and should have a good command of English.

Stipends and Benefits 

If you are a Graduate Student, your stipend  (0.5 FTE) will accompany a tuition waiver for the minimum required registration (9 credits each Fall and Spring). Tuition is included in your assistantship; all students are responsible for the fees associated with each credit hour of registration. Detailed information on current tuition and fees can be found at https://www.fa.ufl.edu/directive-categories/tuition-and-fees/. As an undergraduate student, you will get a stipend for 0.5 FTE.

Application deadline 

The start date for the position is as soon as possible. We will consider applications immediately until the position is filled. 

Interested?

We look forward to receiving your online application at ksaldanaochoa@ufl.edu with only the following four documents, each a single file in PDF format:

1.     A cover letter stating:

·       the applicant’s career plans

·       arguments why they would be the right candidate

·       the relevance of their background/past experiences in pursuing a doctorate

2.     An academic/long curriculum vitae (CV), including a publication list (if applicable)

3.     For Graduate and Postdoc applicants: A two-page (maximum) research statement, including:

·       How they plan to contribute to the existing project

·       an outline and a summary of the research proposal

4.     A portfolio of work samples

Please do not attach additional documents, especially passport/ID scans, school records, and letters of recommendation (which should be handled separately).

This application has two steps. First, submit your application to ksaldanaochoa@ufl.edu; then, you will be invited to an interview if pre-selected. If you pass the interview and are applying for the graduate PhD program, the second step is to apply for the DCP doctoral program, where additional documentation is needed. The application for the DCP doctoral program is in September 2024.

Are you interested in joining the SHARE Lab or contributing to our work? We are a collaborative, multidisciplinary team looking for enthusiastic members who share our research objective. Our research is tailored towards technology-oriented architects and engineers. If these criteria are descriptors of your design workflow we believe you will be a good fit for our research lab.

UF Students

We sometimes post specific positions on this page, but we also accept students for projects that are not currently published. If you would like to work with us but don't see a specific position open, check out our current projects and write to Professor Saldana Ochoa with a brief statement about your background, the projects you are particularly interested in, and how your attributes may assist our research.

Graduate Students

Prospective graduate students interested in joining the group should apply to one of several UF degree programs. Within the School of Architecture, students can apply for the degrees of M.Arch, M.S.A.S, or the SOA Ph.D. in the College of Design, Construction, and Planning depending on their background and interests. Our cohort also includes cross-disciplinary students from other colleges like the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering with a concentration in Computer Science and Civil Engineering or the M.E. Rinker School of Construction management. If you are interested in applying, please feel free to reach out to Professor Saldana Ochoa to discuss which program(s) may be the best fit for you.

Visitors

Apart from UF undergraduate and graduate students, we also have a reduced number of visiting researchers, generally graduate students from other universities funded through external programs. If you are interested in coming, please get in touch with Professor Saldana Ochoa with details about your background, the Program you would be visiting, and why you are interested in joining the group.

Collaborators

We are always interested in possible collaborations with other research groups, especially those with thematic overlap and complementary expertise. Please let us know if we are a good fit for one of your projects or if you would like to contribute to one of ours.

SHARE Lab can be reached by email through Professor Saldana Ochoa at ksaldanaochoa@ufl.edu. Administrative inquiries can also be directed to Cameron Jacques Admissions Officer 1, Upper-division and Graduate Advisor, at phone: 352-294-1460, email: cjacques1@ufl.edu, office: ARCH 231D.