Description

Postdoctoral Fellow - White-tailed Deer Population Estimation in northeastern National Parks

The Rota Quantitative Ecology Lab at West Virginia University (https://www.davis.wvu.edu/faculty-staff/directory/christopher-rota) and the Gigliotti Lab at the West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (https://lauragigliotti.weebly.com/) invite applications for a postdoctoral researcher. This 2-year position will lead a project developing white-tailed deer monitoring protocols to be applied across National Parks in the northeastern US and developing analytical tools for Parks to used when estimating deer abundance.

Primary responsibilities will include:

• Developing a regional white-tailed deer monitoring protocol, with an emphasis on population estimation using game cameras and spotlight surveys
• Creating analytical tools for estimating deer abundance from game camera and spotlight surveys
• Bundling analyses into a user-friendly web app and R package
• Writing technical reports and peer-reviewed manuscripts

Qualifications

• PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Natural Resources, Conservation Biology, or a related field by the start date.
• Demonstrated experience with modern statistical ecology (experience with Bayesian methods preferred), data visualization methods, and a strong track record of publication.
• Demonstrated record of working closely with partners at resource management agencies.

Salary is $56,400 - $61,500 / year, depending on experience (see NIH salary guidelines for details), and a full benefits package is offered. We anticipate a spring / summer 2024 start and the position is funded for 2 years.

The successful applicant will be jointly supervised by Dr. Christopher Rota (christopher.rota@mail.wvu.edu) and Dr. Laura Gigliotti (laura.gigliotti@mail.wvu.edu). To apply, please send Dr. Rota and Dr. Gigliotti a cover letter, CV, and contact information for 3 professional references.

At West Virginia University, we leverage our talents and resources to create a better future for our state and the world. As West Virginia's land-grant university, WVU has three campuses that touch each corner of the state. The WVU System includes 518 buildings on 15,880 acres, Extension Service offices in all 55 counties, ten experimental farms and four forests.



From the groundbreaking R1 research of our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs of WVU Potomac State in Keyser to the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley - the contributions of WVU employees directly impact the 1.8 million people of West Virginia every day, no matter their role or position.

Service, curiosity, respect, accountability, and appreciation are the core values that unite Mountaineers, inspiring one another to work tirelessly and support others as they seek to reach new heights. After all, when you're a Mountaineer, impossible is just another mountain to climb.



Creating an inclusive, engaged, and dynamic learning environment is core to WVU's academic mission. We welcome candidates who can contribute a range of ideas, approaches and experiences.

West Virginia University is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer and is the recipient of an NSF ADVANCE award for gender equity. The University values diversity among its faculty, staff, and students, and invites applications from all qualified applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, nationality, genetics, disability, or Veteran status.