Agency: Southern Illinois University
Location: Carbondale, Illinois
Job Category: Graduate Assistantships
Salary: $25k/yr + tuition and student health care access; up to 5 years of 
support
Start Date: August 2025
Last Date to Apply: Open until Filled; applicants will be reviewed on rolling 
basis.
Website: https://peaselab.com/; https://bastillerousseau.wixsite.com/research

Description
2 Ph.D.-level Graduate Research Assistantships are available starting August 
2025 in the PEASE Lab (Population Estimation and Spatial Ecology; peaselab.com) 
at Southern Illinois University for a statewide wild turkey (Meleagris 
gallopavo) ecology and management project. One student will lead efforts on 
Project 1 (details below) and the other student will lead efforts on Project 2. 
The students will be co-advised by Dr. Brent Pease and Dr. Guillaume 
Bastille-Rousseau (https://bastillerousseau.wixsite.com/research) at Southern 
Illinois University.

Project 1: Wild Turkey gobbling chronology
Project 1 will focus on wild turkey gobbling chronology. The student will lead 
research using autonomous recording units (ARUs) to document spatial and/or 
temporal variation in gobbling chronology (e.g., Kreh et al., 2018 Wildlife 
Society Bulletin). The focus of this research is to assess current spring 
harvest season regulations (e.g., timing, zoning, and length of spring harvest 
seasons) and then provide regulatory recommendations based on ARU sampling. 
Addition work will focus on environmental drivers of variation in gobbling 
chronology as well as methodological work in ARUs, species identification from 
audio recordings, and continued ongoing work within our lab on population 
estimation (e.g., abundance) via ARU recordings.
This position will emphasize a unique intersection of field and quantitative 
ecology. The selected student will have extensive experience deploying ARUs 
along with processing and analyzing acoustic data. Students with an interest in 
developing and applying state-of-the-art quantitative approaches in wildlife 
conservation are particularly encouraged to apply; much of the dissertation 
work could focus on model and methodological development in gobbling 
chronology. Additional research is needed on machine learning classifiers for 
wild turkey management. The student should also be excited about carrying out 
field work during winter and spring across Illinois, in sometimes difficult 
field conditions, and should have a general interest and knowledge of wild 
turkey and other upland gamebird ecology. The successful applicant is expected 
to communicate findings to state agencies and other on-going, regional 
monitoring efforts. The student will earn a Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences at 
Southern Illinois University.


Project 2: Wild Turkey nesting phenology
Project 2 will focus on wild turkey nesting phenology. The student will lead 
research using GPS transmitters to document spatial and/or temporal variation 
in nesting phenology as well as spatial ecology of turkeys in northern 
Illinois. Primary field duties include capture and affixing GPS radiotags, 
monitoring hen survival and nesting and brooding success, and deploying and 
monitoring camera traps at nest sites. Research will also emphasize general 
spatial ecology and population ecology (e.g., movement, space-use, survival, 
etc.).
This position will emphasize species-specific ecological knowledge and movement 
ecology. The selected student will have extensive knowledge of wild turkey 
ecology and will have experience capturing and handling upland game birds. 
Additionally, the individual will have experience with GPS/VHF technology, will 
have processed and analyzed movement data, and have general interest/experience 
with population modeling. The student should also be excited about carrying out 
field work during winter and spring across Illinois, in sometimes difficult 
field conditions. The successful applicant is expected to communicate findings 
to state agencies and other on-going, regional monitoring efforts. The student 
will earn a Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences at Southern Illinois University.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---- -- -- ---- -- -- ---- -- -- ---- -- -- ---- -- -- --
General Qualifications
This is a well-funded, multi-agency research project, and the graduate students 
will be expected to assist in hiring and managing field technicians to support 
the data collection efforts. Additionally, although research questions will be 
unique among the selected students, their field work will be complimentary, and 
all individuals will be expected to contribute to all wild turkey research 
activities carried out.
The successful applicants will have (1) obtained M.S. degree in wildlife, 
ecology, biology, forestry, zoology, or related fields; (2) knowledge of wild 
turkey ecology; (3) exceptional quantitative skills with experience using a 
variety of data types and models; (4) knowledge of program R and spatial 
software (e.g., QGIS, ArcGIS); (5) a driver's license and ability to conduct 
independent field work in difficult conditions (e.g., steep terrain, poison 
ivy, ticks); (6) strong oral and written communication skills, and (7) a 
cooperative, team-oriented mindset eager to carry out wildlife research and 
address key problems in wildlife conservation and management.
To apply please email a single PDF to Dr. Brent Pease 
(bpea...@siu.edu<mailto:bpea...@siu.edu>) that includes:
1. A cover letter that describes your specific interest in this position and 
how your past experiences and career goals align with the goals of the project. 
Your cover should clearly articulate which position you are interested in 
(gobbling chronology, nesting phenology, or a ranking of the two if your 
skillset matches both positions).
2. Curriculum Vitae (with GPA and GRE scores included)
3. Undergraduate and graduate transcripts (unofficial is acceptable)
4. Example of writing (e.g., M.S. thesis or publication; can be included 
separately as PDF)
6. Contact information for 3 references
The email subject should be “PhD – Wild turkeys”. Applications will be accepted 
until positions are filled and reviewed on a rolling basis.
Questions:
Contact Person: Dr. Brent Pease
Contact Email: bpea...@siu.edu<mailto:bpea...@siu.edu>
Please see the PEASE lab website (https://peaselab.com/) and the SIU Forestry 
Program’s homepage (https://forestry.siu.edu<https://forestry.siu.edu/>) for 
more information on our research and academic department.


BRENT PEASE, PH.D.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, FORESTRY PROGRAM

SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND HORTICULTURE
MAIL CODE 4411
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
1205 LINCOLN DRIVE, AGRICULTURAL BUILDING, ROOM 186B
CARBONDALE, ILLINOIS 62901

bpea...@siu.edu<mailto:bpea...@siu.edu>
P: 618.453.7474

PEASELAB.COM



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