Natural Resources Job Board

Responsibilities: We have 2 positions. The first position is evaluating the effect of forward-facing live sonar (e.g., Garmin Livescope) on crappie and bass fisheries in Oklahoma and Arkansas and is a jointly funded by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.  It will involve creel surveys, delayed hooking mortality study, and sampling crappie populations with multiple gears to get population demographics (including a capture-recapture population size estimate).  Modeling will then be done to evaluate the conditions under which more restrictive bag limits or other regulations might be needed to ensure sustainability, particularly in light of technology increasing angling success.  The second position is evaluating the economic, social, and biological implications of a stocked trout fishery in the lower Illinois River (a cool-water tailwater system currently below Tenkiller Lake, Oklahoma). Changes to water use patterns have made low dissolved oxygen and higher temperatures progressively more common problems for this fishery in recent years, causing the state to consider the viability of the long-term trout stocking program (about 60 years). To help with that effort, this project will be multi-faceted, including a creel survey to obtain harvest information and angler opinions, an economic evaluation of the fishery, climate modeling to predict future water quality, current fishery assessment (all sportfish, not just trout), and use fish abundance sampling and diet data to construct a fish community model to predict likely changes should trout stockings be altered. Both positions will start in the spring 2026 semester (January 2026).

Qualification:  B.S. degree in fisheries, biology, or related field; strong fisheries work experience; international students must be fluent in English (reading, writing, and speaking).

Salary:  $25,500 - 29,000/yr (depending on project and availability of supplemental fellowships) plus full tuition waver and subsidized health insurance.

To apply:  Send 1) Cover letter, 2) Curriculum Vitae, 3) all college transcripts, 4) GRE scores (if available), 5) a scientific writing sample (e.g., manuscript, term paper, lab report), and 6) contact information for 3 references to dshoup@okstate.edu. For international students, we also require TOFEL scores (overall score > 102, with “Advanced” rating in each subject score) or IELTS (all scores > 7.5), and students are responsible for obtaining their own educational Visa. Please specify if you want to be considered for the Livescope project, the lower Illinois River project, or both positions.  

Ad Closing Date:  Review of applicants will begin immediately and will continue until suitable applicant us found