Description
The Frey Lab for Mammalian Diversity and Conservation and the Laverty Lab are seeking a highly motivated Master’s student to research the effects of wind energy development on terrestrial mammal communities. The focal species will include ungulates (e.g., deer, pronghorn), carnivores (e.g., coyotes, bobcats), and lagomorphs (e.g., jackrabbits, cottontails) monitored using remote cameras that the student will deploy in the field. Analyses will be based on occupancy modeling. The research will be conducted at New Mexico State University’s (NMSU) Corona Range and Livestock Research Center and adjacent lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (about 3 hours from NMSU). The student will supervise one or more undergraduate field assistants and volunteers. They are also expected to present their research at professional conferences, publish research results in peer-reviewed journals, and assist with preparation of agency reports and grant proposals. The study will form the basis of the student’s Master’s thesis co-advised by Dr. Frey and Dr. Laverty in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Ecology at NMSU. Annual salary is $27,828. The position also includes 3 years of tuition support and reimburses the student for their health insurance costs (up to $200/mo). The position’s start date is 9 January 2025 and the anticipated duration is 3 years.
The Frey and Laverty labs are committed to providing a place of work and learning free from discrimination and harassment and encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds.
The deadline to apply is 13 October 2024 with interviews for short-listed candidates conducted in mid-October. Information about the department can be found at https://fwce.nmsu.edu/
For consideration, please submit your application using the following link: https://airtable.com/apppXPmuyXykkQFgn/shrrAPDTviAq7EDgY
Requirements
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in wildlife science, biology, or conservation ecology
- > 3.0 GPA
- Ability to work independently
- Ability to supervise undergraduate field assistants
- Good work communication, ability to multitask and stay organized, ability to be motivated and a self-starter
- Ability to be in the field for extended periods of time (e.g., 10 days on/4 days off during summer, periodically during semesters)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Use of remote cameras in wildlife research
- Experience conducting research
- Experience as a seasonal field technician
- Experience working in a remote field setting
- Quantitative aptitude and statistical knowledge demonstrated by relevant coursework in mathematics or statistics and/or highly competitive GRE scores (e.g., > 70th percentile on quantitative portion)
- Experience using ArcGIS/QGIS
- Experience using R
- Excellent writing ability demonstrated by relevant coursework and/or highly competitive GRE scores (e.g., > 70th percentile on verbal and writing portion)
