2-year Research Associate (Post-Doctoral) position Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The successful candidate will lead an ongoing project to develop climate change vulnerability assessments for a set of candidate species in the Upper Great Lakes region. Our approach relies on estimating species demographic sensitivities to climatic variability and quantifying the exposure of populations to historic and future climate. The research associate will: 1) identify the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on selected terrestrial wildlife species, 2) identify and process relevant digital climate and land use data, 3) develop and implement spatially-explicit population models, 4) write project reports and develop manuscripts for peer-review, and 5) collaborate with researchers, managers, and stakeholders to disseminate work and convey management implications. The post-doc will be housed at University of Wisconsin-Madison. REQUIREMENTS: Minimum requirements include: 1) a Ph.D. in ecology, conservation biology, biostatistics, or related field; 2) knowledge of principles and methods of wildlife population dynamics; 3) demonstrated proficiency in R statistical programming and ArcGIS; 4) demonstrated desire and proficiency to publish in the peer-reviewed literature; 5) ability to communicate (oral and in print) research findings to multiple audiences. The successful candidate should have excellent written and personal communication skills and be able to work collaboratively. Preferred skills include familiarity in analyzing weather/climate data, proven skills in demographic and/or species distribution modeling, and familiarity with population modeling approaches or platforms (e.g., HexSim). UNIVERSITY: The University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of the major research universities in the United States. UW-Madison has a long history of excellence in ecology, conservation biology, and remote sensing science. This project will be supported in the in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology and under the supervision of Dr. Benjamin Zuckerberg (http://labs.russell.wisc.edu/zuckerberg/). Madison, Wisconsin consistently ranks as one of the best places in the United States to live, work, and study. It is Wisconsin's capital city, with a vibrant population of approximately 240,000 that combines small town charm with a nice variety of leisure and cultural opportunities. SALARY AND CONDITIONS: The position will be available July 1, 2014 and the duration of the appointment is 24 months. The salary is $43,000 per year plus benefits. Reimbursement for relocation expenses is not available. APPLICATION/CONTACT INFORMATION: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting immediately. Candidates should send a well-crafted cover letter summarizing their research interests, CV, and contact information for three references. All applications (e-mailed as a single PDF file) should be sent to bzuckerb...@wisc.edu with the subject heading PostDoc Application. Reviews of material will begin immediately and continue until a suitable candidate is found.
