Position Summary: We seek a Doctoral Research Assistant to examine factors influencing the movement behavior of wildlife on a gradient from suburban to rural landscapes using deer as a test case. This research will build on recent studies showing that movement behavior differs between suburban and rural populations. We seek to understand how this difference might be used to foster more effective wildlife management programs. The Doctoral Research Assistant will work as part of a team of doctoral students, postdoctoral research associates, and faculty at Michigan State University, and biologists with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. This team is building movement behavior into risk models to characterize potential for spread of diseases in deer such as chronic wasting disease, bovine tuberculosis and epizootic hemorrhagic disease.
Program Support: The position carries up to five years of funding through the Boone and Crockett Quantitative Wildlife Center. Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife is one of the largest programs of its kind, with 45 core faculty (http://fw.msu.edu/). The Department hosts the Boone and Crockett Quantitative Wildlife Center http://bcqwc.org/), Qualifications: Applicants must have a Master’s Degree in wildlife ecology or a related field, a strong aptitude for quantitative analysis, and excellent communication skills. Salary and Start Date: $22,000, tuition, and health benefits. Desired start date is August 15, 2017. Applications: For more information about the position, contact Dr. William Porter<http://www.fw.msu.edu/people/william_porter> ([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>) or Dr. David Williams <https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidmwilliams> ([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>). Submit applications by March 31, 2017 to the Departmental Research Administrator, Dr. Rose Stewart (mailto:[email protected]), with the subject line “Modeling Deer Movement”. A single PDF file is preferred, including: a letter of intent, CV, copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts, GRE scores, and a list of three references. Review of applications will begin March 1, 2017 and continue until the position is filled.
