Postdoctoral opportunity studying bumblebee learning and pollen foraging behavior with Anne Leonard (University of Nevada, Reno), Daniel Papaj (University of Arizona) and Stephen Buchmann (University of Arizona).
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: We anticipate hiring a postdoctoral researcher for a NSF-funded project focusing on the ecology and evolution of nutritionally complex floral rewards. Bumblebees will be used to test hypotheses relating to the cognitive ecology of nectar vs. pollen-based reward systems. The research will involve use of both pollen-rewarding plant species and floral surrogates to determine how bees learn associations involving different kinds of rewards, and how reward diversity itself affects plant fitness. QUALIFICATIONS: Ph.D. in animal behavior or allied field. Training in the area of animal learning or pollination biology is preferred, but not required. Ability to think independently and well-developed skills in oral and written communication are essential. START DATE: As early as July 15, but negotiable. Starting salary commensurate with experience and includes medical insurance/benefits. The initial appointment will be for one year, with extension to a second year anticipated, contingent upon satisfactory progress. ACADEMIC SETTING: The Biology Department at UNR (http://www.unr.edu/biology/about-us) has particular strengths in plant-insect interactions and the neural mechanisms of learning and memory. The interdisciplinary program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology (http://environment.unr.edu/eecb/) sponsors a colloquium series and discussion groups on plant-animal interactions. Although based at UNR, the postdoc would interact with collaborators at the University of Arizona (Drs. Papaj, Buchmann, and Gronenberg). DAILY LIFE: Reno is situated in the high desert on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, 30 minutes from scenic Lake Tahoe and 3.5 hours from the San Francisco Bay Area. It offers a high quality of life, a low cost of living, and close proximity to a wide variety of potential field sites. For additional information, please email Anne Leonard ([email protected]). Interested candidates should email [email protected] with PDFs: (1) Cover letter indicating relevant experiences and interests (2) CV (3) Names and contact information for three references. Please also attach up to three reprints or preprints as PDFs. Review of applications will begin on June 19th. For more information on labs and research programs, please visit the following links: Anne Leonard http://www.anneleonard.com Daniel Papaj http://www.eebweb.arizona.edu/faculty/papaj/ Stephen Buchmann http://ag.arizona.edu/ento/faculty/buchmann.htm Wulfila Gronenberg http://web.neurobio.arizona.edu/gronenberg/
