The Yao Lab at the Yale Center for Industrial Ecology is offering a postdoctoral fellowship for biomass process modeling and sustainability assessment. The Yao Lab develops systems analysis tools to understand the carbon, environmental, and economic implications of various biomass utilization technologies throughout their life cycles. Our research aims to assess, identify, and optimize pathways to a sustainable bioeconomy. The postdoc will collaborate with researchers across disciplines to investigate technologies for producing high-value-added materials and products from diverse biomass sources, including forest residues and food waste.
Key tasks
- Developing process models for converting diverse biomass feedstock into value-added products, including solid materials like graphite and liquid energy products like biofuels.
- Conducting life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) for biomass conversion processes
- Building large-scale optimization models to understand the decarbonization potential of diverse biomass conversion pathways under different market, policy, and supply chain constraints.
- Supporting educational efforts and dissemination of project findings, datasets, and models.
Required qualifications:
- Ph.D. in chemical engineering or a related engineering field.
- Strong expertise and experience with process modeling of biomass conversion, particularly thermochemical conversion of waste materials, using Aspen Plus.
- Proven experience in LCA, TEA, and mathematical programming, as demonstrated by peer-reviewed journal publications.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
Salaries: USD 68000/year + health and other benefits worth ~USD21000.
Interested candidates should email the following materials to Dr. Yuan Yao, y.yao@yale.edu. Please use “Postdoc Application for Biomass Process Modeling” as the subject of your email. More details about the Yao Lab can be found here:https://yao.research.yale.edu/
- A single PDF file consisting of a cover letter and a detailed CV. The cover letter should include a statement summarizing past research experience, future research interests, and a brief explanation of your interest in and qualifications for the position.
- The names and contact information of three references.
- Copies of up to three relevant publications in PDF format.