Postdoctoral Research Associate
About The Position
Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service. This position is for a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will be responsible for developing and leading research on potential biological control agents for pecan nut casebearer (Acrobasis nuxvorella), a major pest of pecan in Texas. The associate will also develop rearing protocols for mass production of potential biological control agents. The initial appointment is for two years with potential for renewal based on availability of funding and candidate performance.
Requirements
- Ph.D. in Entomology, Horticulture, or a related field.
- Must be comfortable working and handling insects.
- Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Must have a demonstrated track record of research productivity through peer-reviewed publications.
- Must be able to work as part of a collaborative team including supervising undergraduate students and technical staff.
- Must be capable of organizing and keeping up with data sheets and other important documents.
- Must be comfortable working independently and with minimal supervision.
- Must be comfortable operating and looking through a microscope and identifying and counting small organisms.
- Experience in Microsoft Excel.
Nice To Haves
- A working knowledge or experience in molecular techniques such as metabarcoding is preferred, but not necessary.
Responsibilities
- Survey and catalog parasitoid wasps and flies of PNC and determine the impact of these parasitoids on PNC populations.
- Collect and use DNA metabarcoding techniques to examine the gut contents of mini-hemipteran predators such as minute pirate bugs and predatory hemipterans to determine the frequency of PNC feeding and potential impact.
- Survey and identify other natural enemy groups as requested.
- Select and develop rearing protocols for promising beneficial insects in order to artificially bolster populations for augmentative biological control schemes.
- Train and supervise undergraduate and graduate students.
- Collect, organize, and analyze data for use in peer-reviewed publications.
- Present research at both stakeholder and scientific meetings (5%).
Benefits
- Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
- 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
- Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
- Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
- Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
