Montana Technological University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate and several graduate students (PhD and Master students). These positions will be located in Butte, Montana.

These positions will be within Xiaobing Zhou’s research group in mineral exploration based on ground and space- and air-borne platforms at the Department of Geological Engineering and Center for Advanced Materials Processing.

The postdoctoral researcher and graduate students will conduct original research using applied geophysics, hyperspectral, magnetic, and radiometric techniques to explore minerals and other resources.

A successful candidate for the Postdoctoral Research Associate position should have a PhD degree in a discipline related to applied geophysics and/or remote sensing and has the capacity of field work with weight of instruments in mountainous areas and big-data processing and modeling for the mineral exploration research. Applicants should have strong skills in instrumentation, computer programming, and big-data processing and modeling; excellent oral and written communication skills; and a solid publication record. Experience with drone data collection is preferred but not required. The target starting date is 1 August 2023 for four years, depending on availability of funding and progress of the project. The candidate must be eligible to work lawfully in the United States. This position is eligible for H-1B or J-1 (preferred) visa sponsorship for an exceptional international candidate.

Postdoctoral applicants should send a curriculum vitae and statement of research to Xiaobing Zhou at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Successful candidates for the graduate research assistantships (PhD in Earth Science and Engineering and Master in Geosciences – Geophysics) should meet the requirements of Montana Tech’s Graduate School and apply through the Graduate School webpage.