Postdoctoral Research Associate: Landscape Connectivity of Andean Bears
in Ecuador
POSITION LENGTH: 15 month appointment with possible extension pending
securing additional funding
SALARY: $42,300/year plus benefits (health and dental insurance,
retirement, life insurance, disability)
START DATE: As soon as possible
POSITION SUMMARY:
The New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell
University is seeking candidates for a postdoctoral position to estimate
population size and landscape connectivity of the endangered Andean Bear
(Tremarctos ornatus) in Ecuador, using spatial capture-recapture
methods. The postdoc will contribute to the project, titled,
“Landscape-Scale Conservation in the Ecuadorian Andes: The Socio-
Ecological Corridor” that seeks to design an optimal corridor that links
three protected areas in Ecuador in order to support and sustain
biodiversity and local communities. The project team is large and
includes faculty members from Cornell University (Dr. Angela Fuller and
Dr. James Lassoie, Department of Natural Resources, Dr. Carla Gomes,
Department of Computer Science, and Dr. Gregory Poe, Dyson School of
Applied Economics and Management), Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
(Dr. J. Andy Royle), University of Andina Simon Bolivar (Dr. Carlos
Larrea), and University of San Francisco Quito (Santiago Molina). The
in-country work also involves numerous conservation partners and the
Secretary of Environment, Ecuador.
DUTIES:
The project will involve analysis of existing camera trapping and
incidental observation data using spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models
to estimate density and landscape connectivity, design of a larger-scale
camera trapping study, development of GIS data for use in models of
landscape connectivity, some field work to support the project (mainly
in the extremely diverse Ecuadoran cloud forests), and writing grant
proposals to extend the effort geographically and into the future.
Ideally the person can communicate effectively in Spanish. The
candidate will be expected to develop manuscripts for submission in
peer-reviewed journals and communicate research to project PIs and
partners. The candidate will be supervised by Dr. Angela Fuller, U. S.
Geological Survey, NY Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, at
Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) and Dr. J. Andy Royle, U. S.
Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Laurel, Maryland).
The postdoc will work closely with Dr. Carla Gomes, Department of
Computer Science, Cornell University. The postdoctoral scientist will
be housed in the Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University and
will be expected to travel to Ecuador at least once during the project
period. The candidate will be expected to work closely with the project
team and external partners.
There is not much known about the Andean bear, a species of major
conservation concern due to increasing habitat loss and fragmentation of
its extremely narrow range. The study area, in the Andes mountains,
from the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve north of Quito to the
Reserva Ecologica Los Ilinizas Southwest of Quito harbors an extremely
important population of the species. The candidate will have the
opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the conservation of this
species, and potentially develop ancillary efforts on numerous other
rare carnivore species that coexist with the Andean bear in the cloud
forests of Ecuador.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
1. Ph.D. in ecology, wildlife biology, or a related quantitative
field.
2. Strong programming skills with demonstrated knowledge of
statistical modeling used to describe population dynamics from mark-
recapture data.
3. Demonstrated desire and proven ability to publish in peer-
reviewed journals.
4. Excellent writing and personal communication skills.
5. The ability to work independently and under limited supervision
as well as collaboratively.
RECOMMENDED QUALIFICATIONS:
Competitive candidates will also have one or more of the following
qualifications: fluent in Spanish, have a background in Bayesian
inference, hierarchical modeling, proficiency with R and WinBUGS, and
experience with ArcGIS.
TO APPLY:
Please send a curriculum vitae, a letter of application describing your
background and experiences and responding to each of the requirements
and qualifications, and the names and contact information for three
references (all in a single pdf document) to Dr. Angela Fuller,
Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, NY Cooperative Fish
and Wildlife Research Unit, 211 Fernow Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853,
[email protected], (607) 255-2841.
Angela K. Fuller
Unit Leader and Assistant Professor
U. S. Geological Survey
New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Department of Natural Resources
211 Fernow Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3001
Unit (607) 255-2839; Fax (607) 255-1895
Office (607) 255-2841
