The Hamilton Lab at The Pennsylvania State University is seeking to hire a Postdoctoral Scholar to contribute to a conservation genomics research program combining range-wide assessments of population genomic variation for three native eastern ash species (Green Ash, White ash, and Black ash) to establish conservation, breeding, and restoration strategies for native ash trees.
The project includes a large collaboration with the US Forest Service, University of Connecticut, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, University of Notre Dame, and Natural Resources Canada. The researcher will contribute to coordinating range wide field sampling for leaf and seed tissue for ex situ conservation and establishment of genecology trials, and process tissue for landscape genomic and gene-environment analyses (GEA). Rangewide collection efforts for green ash are largely complete – but efforts are ongoing for both white ash and black ash for Fall 2022/23.
The broad goal of this collaborative research will be to establish foundational genomic tools necessary to establish and enhance breeding strategies for native ash species. The postdoctoral scholar will lead the effort to describe naturally occurring genomic diversity for each species across its range providing a foundation needed for comparative genomics and EAB-screening. The post-doctoral scholar position is highly interdisciplinary, combining population and landscape genomic analyses to quantify genetic variation maintained across natural populations and within ex situ and living collections, will use GEA analyses to estimate genetic-environmental associations necessary to establishing seed-transfer guidance across climatic gradients, and contribute to comparative genomic screening of families to pair with EAB-resistance phenotyping.
The major goal of this research will be to build new methods in conservation genomics taking advantage of genomics-driven monitoring of eastern ash diversity and establish ex situ and living collections for species at risk. These resources will provide a foundation for conservation and development of genomic resources needed for the ash breeding program.
Education and Experience:
The position requires a Ph.D. in forestry, evolutionary biology, population genomics, landscape genomics, bioinformatics, or a related field, and the applicant must be able to provide evidence that all requirements have been met for the completion of the Ph.D. prior to the effective date of hire. Familiarity with analyzing RAD-seq data and expertise using bioinformatic tools to infer genomic structure is necessary, as well as experience using Unix or Linux environments.
The postdoctoral scholar will be expected to contribute to coordinating field collections, analyze genomic, phenotypic, and climatic datasets, lead preparation and publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts, present findings from the research project, and contribute to outreach associated with the project. There will be ample opportunity to pursue research questions besides those of the particular study.
Application Requirements:
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter describing research interests and experience, a curriculum vitae, and contact information for three professional references to the Workday link below. This is a fixed-term position funded for one year from date of hire with an excellent possibility of renewal for multiple additional years. This position will be located at the Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics at The Pennsylvania State University in University Park (State College, PA). Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Informal inquiries are welcome – contact: Jill Hamilton, Ph.D., jvy6349@psu.edu
Assistant Professor & Director – Schatz Center in Tree Molecular Genetics, Department of Ecosystem Science & Management, Penn State University
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