Research Associate I: Laboratory for Air Quality Research

Position Location

Fort Collins, CO

Work Location

Position qualifies for hybrid/in-office work

Research Professional Position

Yes

Posting Number

AP

Position Type

Admin Professional/ Research Professional

Classification Title

Research Associate I

Number of Vacancies

Work Hours/Week

40

Proposed Annual Salary Range

$60,000-$70,000

Employee Benefits

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Desired Start Date

01/02/2026

Position End Date (if temporary)

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on

11/01/2025

Description of Work Unit

As one of the nation's top public research universities, Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorado, is a land-grant institution, with enrollment of more than 34,000 students. CSU offers 76 undergraduate degree programs, 114 graduate degree programs, 21 professional master's degree programs, and a Professional Veterinary Medicine program. CSU's world-class research and scholarship attract more than $500 million in research funding annually, putting the university among top federally funded public universities without a medical school.

Fort Collins is an attractive community of approximately 170,000 located along the Colorado Front Range at the base of the Rocky Mountains, 65 miles north of Denver. The city is routinely recognized as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. It consistently ranks high on quality-of-life measures by numerous publications; see for the complete list. The Front Range has developed into a high-tech hub with companies such as Woodward, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, IBM, Intel, Keysight Technologies, Broadcomm, AMD, Ball Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman located in or near Fort Collins. The city offers a pleasant climate, excellent schools, and abundant cultural and recreational opportunities nearby. For more information on Fort Collins, check out the City's website:

The Walter Scott Jr. College of Engineering (WSCOE) at Colorado State University is a dynamic and diverse college comprising approximately 170 faculty, 300 postdoctoral scholars and research scientists, 95 academic and administrative staff, 2,500 undergraduate students, and 1,050 graduate students. The College is home to four academic departments serving both graduate and undergraduate students, two departments with graduate- only programs, two interdisciplinary degree-granting programs, and a federal cooperative research institute. WSCOE prides itself on its "hands-on" experiential approach to engineering education, offering extensive laboratory and team-based coursework alongside research opportunities.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering (MECH) at CSU offers a curriculum that integrates exceptional classroom learning and in-depth engineering practice for an unparalleled educational experience. Made up of 37 faculty members, 16 staff members, 1,200 undergraduate students, and 150 graduate students, MECH is one of the largest departments on CSU's campus. State-of-the-art labs provide unmatched, hands-on experience to help undergraduate students conceptualize industry environments, and $20M in annual research expenditures provide groundbreaking opportunities focusing on health, materials, and energy, for graduate students to enhance their educational concentrations. The department aims to expand its robotics curriculum and develop a major research pillar, and is actively recruiting new faculty to build strength in this area. Our faculty offer industry and academic perspective and equip each graduate with the tools needed to obtain leading positions in advanced technology fields. The Mechanical Engineering program combines classroom learning with engineering practice. Our goal is to give our graduates the engineering skills they need to obtain leading positions in advanced technology fields. Our students are integral members of our research groups, and their thesis and dissertation topics focus on cutting-edge research. Further information about the Department can be found at

The Laboratory for Air Quality Research (LAQR), located at the Powerhouse Energy Campus at Colorado State University, studies the emissions, processes, and impacts of air pollutants through laboratory experiments, field measurements, and numerical modeling. Lab researchers investigate the sources, transformation, and properties of gas- and particle-phase air pollutants from both anthropogenic and natural sources. Their research addresses critical 21st-century environmental challenges, combining air pollution and climate change studies to improve urban, regional, and global air quality assessments.

Position Summary

The Laboratory for Air Quality Research (LAQR) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorado is seeking a Research Associate I. The selected individual will work in a multidisciplinary environment at the intersection of engineering, atmospheric science, biology, and infectious disease. The project will include the design, development, and operation of sampling and collection devices for bioaerosols and analysis and interpretation of bioaerosol data.

The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by the start date. Mechanical Engineering will not provide visa sponsorship for this position.

Required Job Qualifications

• MS in science, technology, engineering or math-related field;
• Background in engineering design and design for manufacturing;
• Background in experimental design, data curation, and analysis; and
• The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by the start date. Mechanical Engineering will not provide visa sponsorship for this position.

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Knowledge of theory and practice of aerosol science;
• Experience with instrumentation to measure physical, chemical, and biological properties of aerosols;
• Experience with analytical techniques to characterize and quantify bioaerosol abundance and viability; and
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Essential Duties

Job Duty Category

Development and Evaluation of a Virtual Impactor

Duty/Responsibility

• Design a virtual impactor that samples bioaerosols at 200+ LPM and provides concentration factors of 10x or more;
• Integrate virtual impactor with commercial water-based condensation growth tubes to collect bioaerosols in solution;
• Characterize size-dependent performance for virtual impactor using non-biological aerosols; and
• Perform chamber experiments to study concentration factors and viability for several bioaerosol models at varying environmental conditions.

Percentage Of Time

70%

Job Duty Category

Field Deployment of Virtual Impactor – Condensation Growth Tube Systems

Duty/Responsibility

• Support animal and human health studies to assess bioaerosol viability for real-world applications; and
• Report findings through oral presentations and prepare manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals.

Percentage Of Time

30%

Application Details

Special Instructions to Applicants

Interested applicants must submit a cover letter, which addresses how education and professional experiences align with identified required and preferred qualifications of the position, a current resume or CV, and the names, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of three (3) professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notification to candidates.

CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you are needing assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact.

Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Conditions of Employment

Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires), Travel - 10%

Search Contact

Shantanu Jathar,

EEO

Colorado State University (CSU) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Background Check Policy Statement

Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.