POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Two Postdoctoral Research Associates – Contractual
Positions
PROJECT TITLE: Interactive effects of predation and ecosystem size on
arthropod food webs in Hawaiian forests fragmented by lava flows
OVERVIEW: We seek two postdoctoral associates to join an
interdisciplinary, NSF-funded research team examining the relationships
between native forest fauna and introduced rodents in native forests
fragmented by lava flows (kipuka) on the Big Island of Hawaii. One
position will have a focus on arthropod food web ecology and will be
based at the Department of Entomology, University of Maryland with Dr.
Daniel Gruner. The other position will have an avian focus and will be
based at the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science,
Michigan Technological University with Dr. David Flaspohler. The
post-docs will join an ongoing research program investigating the role
of omnivorous predators as drivers of food web dynamics in mid-elevation
forests near Hilo, HI. The study system contains a set of naturally
isolated forest patches of varying sizes along with plant, bird, and
arthropod communities dominated by native species (Flaspohler et al.
2010, /Biol. Conserv.)./ The current research has solid theoretical and
applied foci with the potential to make significant contributions to the
conservation of Hawaiian ecosystems. The interdisciplinary nature of
this research will provide opportunities for both post-docs to work with
the two supervisors as well as Dr. Tadashi Fukami, Stanford University
and Dr. Christian Giardina, USFS, Institute of Pacific Island Forestry.
QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must complete a Ph.D. in ecology or related
field prior to appointment. Candidates for the position with an
entomological focus should bring a strong background in arthropod
ecology, a background and interest in food web theory, working knowledge
of stable isotope ecology, and strong quantitative skills. Prior
experience with isotope mixing models, generalized linear mixed models,
GIS, and coding in R or Matlab are desirable but not required.
Candidates for the position with an avian focus should have a solid
background in bird biology, a background and interest in bird-habitat
relationships including experience banding and/or use of radio telemetry
with passerines and strong quantitative skills. Candidates for both
positions should enjoy working in an open collaborative environment,
should have excellent written and verbal communication skills, and a
willingness to work in a rugged field environment.
Both positions offer competitive salary and benefits, commensurate with
experience, as well as a range of mentoring and professional development
opportunities and access to campus postdoctoral associations. A start
date of Jan. 2011 is preferred but may be flexible for the right
candidates. Contracts will be offered for 1 year with extension to a
second year given satisfactory performance.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: Candidates should send a succinct cover letter
summarizing their research experience and interests, a CV, a sample of
representative publications, and contact information for three
references. Review of applicants will begin immediately and the position
will remain open until suitable candidates are found. All applications
received on or before 1 September 2010 will be guaranteed consideration.
Application packages (emailed as a single PDF file) should be sent to:
Food web entomology: Daniel Gruner, [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
Avian ecology: David Flaspohler, [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
Gruner and Fukami will attend the ESA meeting, and inquiries are welcome
in person in addition to email.
/The University of Maryland, College Park, actively subscribes to a
policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate
against any employee or applicant because of race, age, gender, color,
sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, national
origin, or political affiliation. Women and minorities are especially
encouraged to apply. //Michigan Technological University is an Equal
Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer.
/
//
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Daniel S. Gruner, Assistant Professor
Department of Entomology
4112 Plant Sciences Bldg
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742 U.S.A.
(o) 301-405-3957 (f) 301-314-9290
[email protected]
http://grunerlab.umd.edu
