Natural Resources Job Board

The New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at New Mexico State University is looking for a highly motivated and extremely hard-working M.S. student for a study on movements and habitat selection of pronghorn in southern New Mexico.  Specifically, we will monitor pronghorn space use and movements, identify impediments or barriers to movement, and assess resource selection and movements of pronghorn in relation to high spatial and temporal variation in monsoon rainfall on Ft. Bliss in southern New Mexico. The selected student will need to be a U.S. citizen and be able to pass a background check to get access to the study area.

 

The selected student will apply to the M.S. program in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology at New Mexico State University for August 2025 semester. The selected candidate will be advised by Drs. James Cain III (New Mexico State University) and Robert Lonsinger (Oklahoma State University) and will work closely with state and DoD biologists. There is the potential for this position to be converted to a Ph.D. for highly qualified candidates.

 Qualifications:  

Minimum Qualifications: 

·       BS in wildlife management, natural resources, ecology, or a closely related discipline

·       Undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or greater (as required by the Department and Graduate College)

·       At least 12 months of field experience conducting wildlife research

·       Highly motivated with a strong work ethic

·       A valid US driver’s license (without restrictions) 

 

Additional Desired Qualifications:

·       A strong interest in mammal ecology

·       Prior experience working on large mammals

·       Experience planning and coordinating daily field work activities, or leading independent research

·       Coursework or experience with GIS

·       Experience using GPS collar data to assess animal movements as part of an ecological study

·       Experience or interest in quantitative approaches and computer programming (e.g., R)

·       Experience with technical writing and/or publication

 

To apply, please email a SINGLE PDF file that includes a letter of interest describing your experience as it relates to this project, a CV; transcripts (unofficial copies are fine at this stage), and the name and contact information of 3 references to Dr. James Cain at jwcain@nmsu.edu 
 
 Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a suitable candidate is found. 
 
 Salary: $27,800 per year + tuition + reimbursement of up to $200/mo. for health insurance.