- Agency
- Mississippi State University
- Location
- Mississippi State University, Mississippi
- Job Category
- Post Doctoral Appointments
- Salary
- 65,000
- Last Date to Apply
- 03/03/2023
- Website
- https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/cw/en-us/job/505444/postdoctoral-associate
- Description
- This position is through the Quantitative Ecology & Spatial Technologies (QuEST) Laboratory and the Geosystems Research Institute (GRI) at Mississippi State University . The successful candidate will be primarily advised by Drs. Melanie Boudreau and Garrett Street (Mississippi State University), in collaboration with Dr. David Augustine (USDA-ARS). The Postdoctoral Associate will work closely with co-investigators and other personnel within Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network to examine relationships between cattle foraging behavior and grazing distribution in relation to heterogeneity in forage resources and cattle management decisions. In particular, researcher will be tasked with the following stakeholder objectives: (1) Develop a behavioral accelerometer classification for cattle behaviors within this study system (2) Examine the potential for accelerometer validation using extremely fine-scale GPS data (3) Examine the influence of management practices (stocking rates, stock density, rotation decisions) and heterogeneity in forage resources on cattle grazing distribution, and feedbacks to plant community composition. The researcher is also encouraged to answer new avenues of interest using the collected very-high resolution spatial and behavioral datasets over broad extents and scales. Given the large amount of data, the candidate must also have the capability to conduct work in common programming environments (R, Python, C++) within a high-performance computing environment when needed. The candidate will also be required to publish 2 or more peer-reviewed publications from this work. In addition to project duties the candidate will be expected to take a leadership role in the QuEST lab. Further information on the Central Plains Experimental Range LTAR research site can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/LTAR-CentralPlains. Department Profile: Mississippi State University is ranked as one of the top research institutions in the United States; MSU is among only 2.7% of universities in the U.S. that hold the Carnegie Foundation R1-Very High Research Activity designation. The National Science Foundation has MSU ranked No. 12 nationally (top 5%) in Agriculture and Natural Resources Conservation expenditures with more than $109 million spent annually. The 35-member faculty within the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture leads one of the most productive research programs in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University. The department has a highly collegial and productive group of faculty, post-doctoral fellows, research associates, and Extension associates that help make the department one of the premier institutions for applied wildlife, fisheries, and aquaculture science in the nation. More Information about the position can be found at: https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/cw/en-us/job/505444/postdoctoral-associate
- Qualifications
- Minimum Qualifications: Ph.D. in quantitative ecology, biology, statistics, applied mathematics, or other related fields Demonstrated experience in quantitative ecology (particularly landscape and movement ecology) and computer programming Excellent written and oral communication skills Preferred Qualifications: General background in spatial ecology, animal movement, accelerometry, cattle precision agriculture, and/or species distributions Demonstrated history of publication and collaboration Ability to work independently and as part of a trans-disciplinary team
- Contact Person
- Melanie Boudreau
- Contact Phone
- 662-325-2297
- Contact eMail
- mrb851@msstate.edu
