We seek a M.S. student to evaluate the role of disturbance on movement and habitat use of wintering waterfowl in the agricultural landscape of southwest Louisiana. This position will be co-advised by Dr. Drew Fowler and Dr. Kevin Ringelman at Louisiana State University through the Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and the School of Renewable Natural Resources.
This project is funded by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The selected candidate will design and conduct research to quantify hunting and other landscape scale disturbances using automated recording units (ARUs) in southwest Louisiana. The candidate will work closely with a second M.S. student currently evaluating habitat use of pintail and mallards marked with GPS-GSM satellite transmitters within the same agricultural system.
Data collected by both students will collectively be used to evaluate factors that influence waterfowl movement and behavior. The selected student will be expected to conduct field work in southwest Louisiana during fall and winter. Responsibilities include deploying and monitoring ARUs, as well as working with the other graduate student to ground-truth field characteristics of habitats used by marked individuals.
The student may also have opportunities to assist with waterfowl capture, and can expect to interact regularly with biologists from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and private landowners. The student will be expected to develop a research proposal, conduct field work, develop statistical analyses (including spatial-temporal modeling), collaborate with state agency biologists, and present/publish their work.
Qualifications: B.S. in wildlife, ecology, or related program, minimum GPA of 3.0 and competitive GRE score. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record. Applicants are expected to have a background in waterfowl ecology and management. Preference will be given to candidates with a strong interest in acoustic ecology, previous experience working with ARUs, and familiarity with GIS, program R, and spatial data analysis.
Review of applications will begin immediately, and the position will be filled when a suitable applicant is identified. The ideal candidate would start as a technician September 1, 2023 and begin as an enrolled graduate student January 2024. Please email a single PDF containing a letter of interest, CV or resume, unofficial copies of transcripts and GRE scores, and contact information for at least 3 references to: Dr. Drew Fowler at dfowler@agcenter.lsu.edu and Dr. Kevin Ringelman at kringelman@agcenter.lsu.edu .
Salary: $28,000 annually with full tuition waiver
Last Date to Apply: 07/28/2023
Contact Person Dr. Drew Fowler. Contact eMail dfowler@agcenter.lsu.edu