Natural Resources Job Board

We are seeking a highly motivated MS student to join our research team in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University. The student will work on a project that combines the fields of disease ecology, wildlife-habitat interactions, and host-targeted interactions for disease control. The specific project is a component of a larger effort funded by the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to target white-tailed deer to control tick populations and will involve investigating the habitat characteristics used by white-tailed deer and blacklegged ticks (and other tick species) that may facilitate the risk of deer – tick encounters. Seasonal field work will be conducted in the Greater Lansing area of south-central Michigan roughly between April through December for two field seasons. Field work will entail deployment and monitoring of trail cameras, quantification of fine scale white-tailed deer habitat characteristics, surveillance for off host ticks, and a limited amount of capturing white-tailed deer fawns. During the project the graduate student will have opportunities to interact with collaborators, namely city and township officials, Michigan Department of Natural Resources biologists, USDA biologists, urban deer hunters, and other members of the public interested in the project. The student will be co-advised primarily by MSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife professors Drs. Jean Tsao and Henry (Rique) Campa III and work closely with postdoctoral research associate Dr. Matthew Buchholz on this project and other components of the larger research effort. The student will be expected to contribute to outreach within project goals and disseminate results by leading  conference presentations and developing manuscripts for publications. Start date is Fall 2024.

Position includes a stipend (starting at $32,424 per year) and tuition waiver for three years.

Required:

·       Completed B.S. in natural resource management, wildlife ecology, biology, environmental science, or other closely related field prior to start date.  

·       Ability to work both independently and within a team framework to accomplish long-term goals

·       Excellent organization, analytical, and communication skills (written, oral)

Preferred:

·       Past field research experience

·       Experience with field vegetation survey techniques

·       Experience with data collection from trail camera surveys

·       Statistic and quantitative skills

·       Experience with GIS software

·       Experience with sampling for ticks and/or experience with white-tailed deer research

Please submit 1) cover letter detailing your interest in the position,  qualifications, and career goals; 2)  CV; 3) unofficial transcripts; and 4) three references and their contact information in a single pdf to Dr. Matthew Buchholz (buchho50@msu.edu) while also cc’ing Drs. Jean Tsao (tsao@msu.edu) and Henry (Rique) Campa III (campa@msu.edu). The email should have the subject line “Deer & Tick MS opportunity”. Applications received by May 31st, 2024 will be given full consideration.