University is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow with experience in
stable isotopes, aquatic food webs, and watershed analysis. The duration
of this position is anticipated to be one year, with the possibility of
renewal, contingent upon performance and funding availability.
Watershed land use and water quality will continue to be extremely
relevant issues from both a scientific and management perspective. The
fellow will be addressing the key issues of how anthropogenic activities
on the land influence water chemistry and the biota in streams and will be
expected to employ stable isotopic analyses using the new stable isotope
mass spectrometry laboratory at Baylor to address these linkages in a
novel way.
The fellow will work under the primary direction of Dr. Ryan S. King in
the Aquatic Ecology Lab (www.baylor.edu/aquaticlab). The fellow will
examine how watersheds in different geologic and land-use settings
influence water quality and aquatic community/food-web structure in
central Texas streams and reservoirs and/or in headwater streams of the
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, using primarily existing data from these
ecosystems. The fellow would be expected to lead the authorship of one or
more manuscripts using data from these projects.
The fellow would also have the opportunity to develop and/or a field study
related to tracing nutrient sources in central Texas watersheds in food
webs of streams. The fellow will select streams that differ substantially
in their degree of anthropogenic nutrient enrichment using the existing
CRASR nutrient data base from >100 locations throughout central Texas.
The fellow will characterize stable isotopic ratios from water samples
collected from different source water and these to measured isotopic
ratios in basal food resources (algae, bacteria) and primary consumers
(macroinvertebrates, grazing fishes). Results will have important
implications for nutrient management as well as a tracer tool for
estimating risk associated with unmeasured compounds discharged into
streams and reservoirs by waste-water treatment plants (effluent) and
runoff from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), both of which
are huge issues in this region. The fellow may also be able to leverage an
experiment using the world-class Baylor Experimental Aquatic Research
(BEAR) stream facility (http://www.baylor.edu/
id=45868
webs. Additional information about facilities and other resources is
available at http://www.baylor.edu/
Qualifications.
PhD in aquatic ecology, biogeochemistry, or related field by June 1,
2010. Applicants must have experience in the use of stable isotopes for
analysis of food webs in aquatic systems and expertise in isotope mass
spectrometry. Experience with current methods in ecological data
analysis, particularly using R, will be important for success in this
position. Experience using geographic information software (ArcGIS) would
also be beneficial. Applicants should be able to work independently and
in collaboration with other researchers, possess strong technical writing
skills, and possess a U.S. driver's license.
Salary.
$3700/mo + benefits
Application Process
Submit a cover letter and CV along with the Baylor online application
using the following link:
https://jobs.baylor.edu/
postingId=135828
Please direct questions to Dr. Ryan S. King (Ryan_S_King@baylor.edu). The
application review process will begin 1 March 2010 and will continue until
the position is filled.
