Job Description: The Center for Tree Science (CTS) at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois is seeking an enthusiastic and hard-working individual to serve as a full time research assistant working for the Director (Dr. Chuck Cannon). This individual will need a broad general interest in research with good computing skills, including the ability to manage and analyse large data sets. The Director interacts and collaborates internationally with a wide variety of scientists and projects and conducts research on a wide range of topics related to trees and forests, involving the latest genomic techniques and large geospatial databases to collections-based systematics. The duties of this position will involve (but not limited to!) 1) organizing and collecting technical photographs of leaves and fruit, 2) working with large genomic data sets, 3) trouble-shooting, revising, and writing computer code for numerical simulations, 4) testing and refining novel field data collection techniques, and 5) conducting field studies and experiments within the arboretum’s living collections and potentially at other field sites. The successful candidate will gain diverse research experience in tree science and assist and collaborate with an international and multidisciplinary scientists and students. Dates: The position will be available on January 1, 2016.
Qualifications: The candidate must able to quickly learn new skills, be strongly self-motivated and a problem solver, and willing to write and troubleshoot computer code. Experience with the Wolfram Mathematica programming environment is preferred. Undergraduate coursework in botany, genetics, or plant breeding is preferred. Interested applicants should attach electronic copies of a cover letter, resume, and names and contact information of two references to [email protected] with Research Assistant – Center for Tree Science in the subject line. Evaluation of applications will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled.
