Kim Wolske, PhD

Position Summary

The Harris School of Public Policy seeks applicants for a one-year Postdoctoral Scholar, with the potential for one-year renewal, to be part of a Department of Energy funded project. The project will examine whether home builders and roofing contractors have the potential to accelerate the U.S. residential rooftop solar market by incorporating solar photovoltaics (PV) into their business models. Through a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods, we will elicit perceived barriers from both contractors and homeowners to integrating PV into new construction and reroofing projects and through survey experiments, identify promising methods to break down these barriers.

The ideal candidate will have core interests in human behavior/decision-making particularly as it applies to business strategy, new energy technologies and/or organizational decision-making. The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Dr. Kim Wolske but be part of a larger project team that includes Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Colorado School of Mines, and several relevant trade associations.

Detailed Job Description
The successful candidate will take on an essential part of the project by:

• Having a leadership role in managing the research effort

• Leading the planning, conducting, and analysis of semi-structured interviews with home builder and roofing contractors

• Substantially contributing to the design of survey instruments targeted to builders, roofers, and homeowners

• Preparing, cleaning, and analyzing interview and survey data

• Contributing to the preparation of high-quality journal articles and presenting results at conferences and stakeholder events

• Helping oversee masters and undergraduate students who contribute to the project 

 

Requirements:

Candidates are required to have their Ph.D. in a relevant behavioral science and/or management-related discipline by the time the position begins (including but not limited to psychology, marketing, behavioral economics, decision science, organizational behavior, management studies, business strategy).

Other requirements include experience conducting interviews and survey research and analyzing the resulting data; proficiency in leading statistical packages (e.g., STATA, R, SPSS); professional/academic level English language skills (both written and verbal); good organizational and time management skills with meticulous attention to detail; and the ability to work collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team. Depending on COVID conditions, some domestic travel may be required to collect data and present results at conferences. Additional desired qualifications include familiarity conducting randomized survey experiments, programming Qualtrics surveys, creating compelling data visualizations of information and results, and using econometric methods.

Application
To apply, please submit an application that includes (1) a cover letter summarizing your qualifications, areas of expertise, research interests, career goals, and a statement of how you meet the required and desired qualifications described above; (2) your CV; (3) contact information for two references; and (4) digital copies of or links to two relevant publications/manuscripts.

Please send the above as a single PDF file to Dr. Kim Wolske at wolske[at]uchicago.edu. Initial consideration will be given to applications received by July 25, 2021, with a target start date of September 2021. Review of applications will continue until the position has been filled.  

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages diverse perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange. The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected
veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law.

 

For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-1032 or email equalopportunity@uchicago.edu with their request.