Visiting Assistant Research Scientist, Quantitative Ecology - INHS/PRI

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Prairie Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is seeking a Visiting Quantitative Ecologist for the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). This position will be based at the Illinois River Biological Station (IRBS) in Havana, Illinois, with potential for remote or hybrid work. The role involves harmonizing and constructing a central data repository for ecological data to support ecological modeling and inferential needs. The scientist will use this data to build models evaluating invasive carp management strategies and measuring ecological responses in Illinois rivers. The IRBS is part of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program and is involved in various research and monitoring projects related to aquatic ecosystems, including invasive species management and native species assessment. The position requires collaboration with state, federal, and university partners, and dissemination of research findings to various stakeholders.

Requirements

Master's degree in biology, Aquatic Ecology, Fisheries, Statistics, or ecological statistics, or related field. Alternate degree fields will be considered depending on the nature and depth of the experience as it relates to this position.
A minimum of 3 years of experience and demonstrated analytical/statistical method application to ecology-based research questions.
Demonstrated research communication through peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Familiarity and experience with invasive carp data and analyses are required.
Valid Driver's License.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, R or a comparable platform, GIS, and other commonly used software is required.

Nice To Haves

Ph.D. in Biology, Aquatic Ecology, Fisheries, Statistics, Ecological Statistics, or related field.
A minimum of 3 years of experience applying statistical techniques to ecological data.
Familiarity or experience conducting field and laboratory research on large rivers or other large aquatic systems.
Experience analyzing invasive carp data and familiarity with implementation of ecological and multivariate models are preferred.
Experience managing and analyzing large data sets.
Knowledge of database architecture, schema designs, and disparate river-related ecological data sets is preferred.

Responsibilities

Assimilate, curate, and harmonize disparate ecological and environmental data sources from existing and ongoing data collection on the major rivers of Illinois across partners.
Create pipelines and data caches for continuous environmental data sources to be integrated into database and workflows for predictive modeling.
Use existing harmonized data sets and continuous data sources to evaluate and predict invasive carp management strategies and native ecosystem response at varying invasive carp densities.
Work closely with and coordinate efforts between IRBS, state, federal, and University partners associated with the project.
Analyze data, synthesize results, and author annual technical reports and multiple manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Assist other biologists with experimental design, analysis, and writing for a variety of aquatic ecology-related projects.
Disseminate research findings to management agencies, the scientific community, and public through presentations at professional meetings, public outreach activities, and in written reports.
Ensure the safety of staff and equipment.
Respond to requests for scientific/technical information and communicate effectively with collaborators.
Participate in community outreach and service events and mentor hourly staff.
Perform other duties as needed to further the mission and goals of the Survey, PRI, and the University of Illinois.
Keep abreast of developments in this discipline.