Summary
The Advanced Numerical Simulation Laboratory (ANSLab; PI: Dr. Carl Ollivier-Gooch) is seeking a post-doctoral researcher for a collaborative project to develop high-order, curved meshing techniques to improve the accuracy of discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite element methods. Recent work by our collaborator at the University of Tennessee has shown that optimal placement of high-order nodes can significantly improve the performance of DG methods compared with methods that place high-order nodes based only on geometric considerations. Our role in this project is to develop and test the meshing techniques required in two and three dimensions.
As the successful applicant, you will work together with me to develop the theory and algorithms for these meshing techniques, and to design the software architecture for implementing them. You will have primary responsibility for implementation and testing. Also, you will provide some day-to-day supervision for a graduate student working to assess the impact of improved meshing on flow solution accuracy and efficiency.
The ideal applicant for this position will have several characteristics:
- A PhD in the broad area of scientific computing for partial differential equations; the specific discipline is less important, as the project lies at the intersection of engineering, applied math, and computer science. Applications in aerodynamics and/or fluid mechanics are a plus, as these are the target application areas for this project.
- Significant experience writing scientific computing software. An example of what is meant be "significant experience" would be writing and verifying a substantial amount of code as part of a PhD thesis or other research project.
- Demonstrated success in technical communication, including not just the PhD thesis but also peer-reviewed journal articles and conference presentations.
Other characteristics that are positive, though not essential:
- Experience coding in C++, as the research software used in this project is written in C++.
- Familiarity with using a source code management system for collaborative software development.
- Experience with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and/or unstructured mesh generation. Familiarity with applications in aerodynamics or other high-Reynolds number flows is particularly an asset.
- A history of collaborative research, both within and outside the applicants primary research group.
This three-year position will start on or about January 1, 2025, or as soon thereafter as the chosen candidate has completed their PhD. Starting salary will be $63,000 Canadian, plus benefits.
A complete application package will include a CV, a graduate transcript, a list of references, and source code samples.
Sources code samples should be from some substantial scientific computing project. This should be in the form that you'd turn it over to a junior student to work on after you leave, in terms of readability and documentation. Large chunks of code are fine; I'd rather have more information than I need than not enough.
Also, please provide answers to the following questions:
1. What do you think is the greatest strength that you would bring to the group?
2. What is the area in which you expect to learn / improve the most?
3. What is the thing that you're the most curious about / would most like to know more about? (Whether or not it's something that you can see yourself working on personally.)
4. What's the biggest non-research draw of UBC for you?
For more information about the research group, please see http://anslab.mech.ubc.ca.
About UBC
The University of British Columbia is located in beautiful Vancouver, a culturally rich and diverse city on Canada's west coast. The University's Point Grey campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people, who have lived on this land since time immemorial, caring for the land and passing on their knowledge and traditions to each new generation.
Both mountain and ocean activities are easily accessible from Vancouver, as well as the amenities and attractions of Canada's third-largest city. Unlike most of Canada, Vancouver has a mild, though wet, climate.
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.