Post-doctoral Research Associate (USA)

Description:  The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University invites applications for the position of Post-doctoral Research Associate to investigate the long-term, regional population dynamics of wild turkeys.  The position is a one-year appointment with renewal for one additional year contingent on performance and funding.

Background: After decades of growth, wild turkey populations appear to be reaching a maximum across the Midwest and Southeast, and have declined in some states.  At the same time, hunter interest continues to increase. To manage wild turkey populations and hunter harvest in a sustainable manner, Midwestern states and provinces seek to combine their collective long-term monitoring data across the entire region to better understand the ecological drivers affecting populations, particularly land-use, weather, predation and hunting pressure.  They also seek a new protocol for monitoring wild turkey populations that can be applied in a consistent manner across all Midwestern states and provinces. The Midwest Wild Turkey Consortium for Research and Monitoring was recently organized to begin this work.  The work will be done in collaboration with a similar initiative underway in the Southeastern US.

Qualifications: Applicants must have a PhD degree in wildlife, ecology, biometrics or related field and demonstrated strong quantitative abilities; preference will be given to candidates with a background in population dynamics and/or landscape ecology; experience with long-term population monitoring, and a record of excellence in publication commensurate with time since degree.

Salary: $45,000 and health benefits.

Start Date: Expected start date is January 15, 2013.

Applications: Contact Dr. William Porter, Boone and Crockett Chair of Wildlife Conservation,
e-mail: porterw@msu.edu;
telephone  517-432-0874.

Review of applications will begin November 15, 2012.