*Ph.D. Graduate Research Assistant* *Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and College of Agricultural Sciences *
*Southern Illinois University* *Position Description:* Drs. Clay Nielsen and Eric Schauber are seeking a Graduate Research Assistant at the Ph.D. level to study river otter ecology in southern Illinois. Primary objectives include quantifying survival, movements, and habitat use of radiomarked river otters to inform conservation decisions; the student will be given some leeway to address their own research interests, as well. This is a well-funded project with 3 capture seasons envisioned, so you MUST have pertinent trapping experience! The student will eventually receive his/her PhD. in Agricultural Sciences at Southern Illinois University. Salary: ~$1,488/month + full tuition waiver and full support for field work *Qualifications:* The successful applicant will have: (1) obtained a B.S. and M.S. in wildlife management, forestry, ecology, zoology, biology, or a related field; (2) earned grade point averages >3.2/4.0 or equivalent; (3) scored in the top 30% (new scale) or ~1100 (old scale) on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE; (4) considerable experience trapping otter-sized mammals, performing animal surgery, and/or conducting aerial and ground-based radiotelemetry; (5) superior field and quantitative skills; (6) no fear of seasonal weather conditions, humidity, poison ivy, and crawly things; and (7) an ability to work within a team framework. *Application Materials: *Interested parties should submit a cover letter, full transcripts (unofficial or official), CV, and list of 3 references no later than 15 May 2014. *Contact:* Clay Nielsen (email kez...@siu.edu)
