Position Description: Seeking an enthusiastic and talented graduate student or post-doc to participate in multidisciplinary research at the interface of decision analysis, applied mathematics, software development and non-native invasive plant ecology. We seek a highly motivated individual to join our research team in advancing strategic invasive plant management decision- making on large public properties. The objective of this project is to develop and demonstrate a decision support tool (i.e. GIS software capability) that will assist staff on Army installations in developing Integrated Invasive Plant Management Plans and optimizing the ecological, economic, and operational performance of management programs. Research efforts will focus on designing and developing an interactive decision analysis tool that is dynamic, spatially-explicit, and multi- objective. The decision analysis tool will also be demonstrated and evaluated in an operational setting at a selected Army installation.
In addition to working on the decision analysis tool, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate with an interdisciplinary group composed of ecologists, modelers, software programmers and biostatisticians, in efforts to develop novel invasive plant population inventory, mapping and modeling methods. The successful candidate will be based at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Champaign, Illinois, but also be expected to work collaboratively with research partners in the lab of Drs. Lisa Rew, Bruce Maxwell and Kathi Irvine at Montana State University. The position will last 2-3 years contingent upon satisfactory performance. Qualifications: An advanced degree in decision analysis, ecology, geospatial science, applied mathematics, computer science, software engineering, or related fields, or equivalent experience. Education and experience should demonstrate expertise in ESRI compatible GIS programming and software application development. Desirable characteristics include: 1) significant interest in using strategic planning to facilitate management of ecological systems, 2) experience developing software tools to address problems in ecological management or research, 3) a capacity to quickly develop new skills, 4) demonstrated ability to work both independently and cooperatively with resource managers and other researchers, 5) strong organizational and interpersonal abilities, and 6) excellent written and oral communication skills. Salary: Commensurate with experience. To Apply: Please send cover letter, full CV, pdf(s) of relevant publications and the names of 3 references (with phone numbers and email addresses) to one of the contacts listed below. Review of applications will begin in June and continue until the position has been filled. Funding is available to begin in August, but the start date is negotiable. For specific questions or more information, please contact: Matthew Hohmann ERDC-CERL P.O. Box 9005 Champaign, IL 61826-9005 Email: m-hohm...@cecer.army.mil Telephone: 800-373-5863