James L Urban

This postdoctoral fellowship at Worcester Polytechnic Institute is centered on fire research with a specific focus on wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires . Working under Prof. James L Urban in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering and as part of the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center , the fellow will contribute to experimental research on fire exposure and fire behavior. The project involves hands-on experimental campaigns related to WUI fire exposure and compartment fires , including support for both small- and large-scale experiments . The role is strongly experimental and technical, with opportunities to contribute to physical fire testing and related measurements in an active research environment focused on wildfire and structural fire phenomena. The position sits within WPI’s fire engineering research ecosystem and connects to the broader interdisciplinary wildfire research community at the university. The advertised work emphasizes practical experimentation, thermal-fluids understanding, and collaboration on fire research activities spanning laboratory-scale and larger-scale test settings.