Field Technologist for the Crop-Tree and Gap-Dynamics in Mixed-Oak Forests in Pennsylvania Project

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Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location.For additional information on remote work at Penn State, seeNotice to Out of State Applicants.

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at Penn State University is seeking one technologist to assist with field data collection and analysis for a joint research project with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The technologist will play a critical role in the early development of a machine learning algorithm that will identify tree species in mixed oak-hardwood forests from aerial imagery. After training the classifier, the technologist will evaluate its accuracy and generalizability.The ultimate goal is to determine how best to use image classification for forest inventory and silvicultural treatment-monitoring.

Job details:

Travels to study sites across central and northwestern Pennsylvania in their personal vehicle. Uses GPS to locate trees selected for sampling. Records location data and species ID of roughly 500 trees. Uses these data to label image-objects following image segmentation. Produces code to measure several spectral and textural features of the segmented tree crowns. Performs feature selection using the classification and regression trees technique. Trains multiple random forest classifiers on various sets of imagery and compares their accuracies.

Job requirements:

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree or higher in forest ecosystem management. Applicants will have completed coursework in silviculture, remote sensing, GIS, and spatial analysis. The technician is expected to work with minimal supervision in remote, rugged environments and adverse weather conditions. Preferred candidates will be versed in recent literature on remote sensing and machine learning applied to forestry. Prior experience with image analysis software (e.g. Orfeo Toolbox, eCognition, ArcGIS Pro) is ideal. Strong plant species identification skills are required.

This job requires that you operate a motor vehicle as a part of your job duties. A valid US driver's license and successful completion of a motor vehicle records check will be required in addition to standard background checks.

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