We are seeking an outstanding postdoctoral scholar to work on a NSF-funded collaborative project to investigate how climate-induced changes in species distributions, and the novel communities that result, impact multiple ecosystem functions in montane and subalpine ponds in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The overall aim of the project is to test how species range shifts along local and regional gradients in the dominant group of detritivores (caddisfly larvae) affect multiple ecosystem processes, including the transfer of detrital energy to detritivore secondary production, release of detritus-bound nutrients for algal uptake, bottom-up effects of algae on herbivores, and ecosystem metabolism. The project involves field experiments, modeling, and comparative analyses of data from whole ponds. Expertise in one or more of the following area are highly desired: tracing carbon and nitrogen through food webs / ecosystems, dissolved and particulate nutrient analyses, organic matter processing, ecosystem metabolism, modeling the effects of community composition on ecosystem processes.
The postdoctoral scholar will spend the first year in the Biology Department at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, under the supervision of Scott Wissinger (https://sites. google.com/a/allegheny.edu/scott-wissinger/), and the second and third year in the Department of Applied Ecology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC under the supervision of Brad Taylor (https://appliedecology.cals.ncsu.edu/faculty/brad-w-taylor/). During summers time will be spent at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (www.rmbl.org) working with these two PIs and another PI on the project, Hamish Greig, and his students from the University of Maine (https://sbe.umaine.edu/). The position affords an excellent opportunity to interact with a diverse and vibrant group of ecologists, including senior to junior PIs, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, research assistants, and undergraduate students from multiple institutions. In addition to the research opportunities, this position provides a unique opportunity for a postdoc to develop his or her teaching and mentoring skills. The postdoc will assist the PIs in developing a Collaborative-Institution Undergraduate Research Experiment (CURE) as described in the NSF project. The CURE integrates the hypotheses and experimental design of the main research project in Colorado with the respective freshwater ecology courses at the three institutions to investigate the consequences of climate-induced latitudinal species range shifts on multiple ecosystem functions. The postdoc will have the opportunity to publish the pedagogical and research from the CURE as well as publish research-based papers from the field research in Colorado. Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a one-page statement explaining how your expertise and interest align with the project, and provide contact information for three references to [email protected]. Applicants must have completed a PhD by at least 15 June 2016. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. For consideration, application materials should be submitted by 15 April 2016. An offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Allegheny College is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity. Women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Allegheny does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, or national origin. Visit the Allegheny College Web Site at www.allegheny.edu
