Research Assistant
Environmental Science Institute
Posting: 15089
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Closes: Open Until Filled
The Environmental Science Institute at the
University of Oregon currently has an opening for
a full time Research Assistant to work on a
manipulative climate change research project. The
National Science Foundation-funded project will
investigate how predicted climate change will
affect the distribution, abundance, and fitness
of native prairie plants in the Pacific Northwest
in an experimental framework. The experiment will
heat and remotely monitor physical
characteristics at each site. The position is
available 4/1/2015, with annual renewals until
6/30/2019 dependent on satisfactory performance.
A Bachelor's degree, experience in database
management and prior field work experience are
required qualifications. A Masterâs degree,
proficiency with electrical wiring, carpentry,
etc. for setting up experimental infrastructure,
and strong skills in botany, statistics, and
biogeochemistry are preferred qualifications. The
successful candidate must be able to work in a
team atmosphere and be available for extensive
travel to field sites from Southern Oregon to
Central Washington. The successful candidate will
be responsible for conducting field and
laboratory research under the direction of
Principal Investigators Scott Bridgham, Bart
Johnson, Laurel Pfeifer-Meister, and Bitty Roy.
Salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Please send letter of application and a current
resume with names and contact information of
three references as a single attachment to:
ie2j...@uoregon.edu, Subject: Posting 15089
Research Assistant. To ensure consideration,
please submit application materials by 4/1/2015.
This position will remain open until filled. We
invite applications from qualified candidates who
share our commitment to diversity.
Project Summary: A key challenge in global change
ecology is to understand how climate change will
interact with other perturbations, such as land
use and invasive species, to impact biodiversity
through changes in species range distributions.
There is overwhelming evidence that many species
have shifted their ranges in the past 30 years
concurrent with recent climate change. However,
previous empirical studies of observed range
shifts and modeling studies based upon the
current climatic boundaries of species
distributions fail to provide a strong
theoretical foundation for predicting how future
climate change will affect these distributions.
Thus, a mechanistic approach that fuses theory
with experimentation will be necessary to
understand controls of geographic range
distributions. Moreover, dispersal has not been
incorporated in models of species range shifts to
date except in very rudimentary ways, but
dispersal may limit many species from responding
to climate change, especially for many native
species that occur in isolated populations in
todayâs highly fragmented landscapes. This
research will address these predictive
limitations by using a unique manipulative
climate change experiment in three sites across a
520 km latitudinal climate gradient in Pacific
Northwest prairies, determination of historical
and recent rates of dispersal of a representative
group of prairie species using molecular
techniques, and modeling that incorporates the
effects of climate on speciesâ survival,
reproduction, and rates of dispersal.
Furthermore, a range of education activities will
be undertaken with high school, undergraduate,
and graduate students to develop their
professional skills, as well as development of a
web site focused on the potential impacts of
climate change on regional and global
biodiversity. Several nongovernmental
conservation organizations will be partners in the research.
The UO is an equal opportunity, affirmative
action institution committed to cultural
diversity and compliance with the ADA. The
University encourages all qualified individuals
to apply, and does not discrimination on the
basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status
