Postdoctoral Associate
Lab of Ornithology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Cornell University
The Bird Population Studies Program at the Lab of Ornithology is seeking a
Postdoctoral Associate. Duties include:
Join in a long-term study of the proximate factors affecting
reproduction in California oaks.
Work with the PI and collaborators to test alternative hypotheses for
highly variable and spatially synchronized seed production (mast-fruiting or
masting behavior), focusing in particular on the valley oak (Quercus lobata).
Set up and maintain pollen traps from early February to late April each
year.
Perform weekly phenology surveys at three sites (Hastings Reservation,
Jasper Ridge, and Sedgwick Reserve) in central coastal California.
Follow flower development in a series of marked trees at Hastings
Reservation in Monterey County, California.
Quantify pollen collected from traps during the spring.
Assist with the quantification of the acorn crop at 18 sites in
California each September.
Assist in developing questions, analyzing data, and writing up results
to better fulfill the goal of understanding the proximate factors affecting
variable reproduction in California oaks.
We are particularly interested in hiring a candidate who will not only
conduct the requisite fieldwork but who will contribute intellectually to
the project's further development and success.
Position will be based at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, but
will involve fieldwork for 4 months per year in central coastal California.
One year term appointment with possibility of renewal based upon
performance and availability of funding.
Person selected must be able to start by February 1, 2012.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
PhD in plant ecology, behavioral ecology, or related discipline.
Demonstrated ability to conduct a field-based project focusing on plant
ecology essential.
Ability and willingness to drive among field sites and live for 4 months
a year at a field station (Hastings Reservation near Monterey, California)
essential.
Preferred Qualifications:
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
Interest in the evolution and ecological consequences of masting
behavior desirable along with knowledge of the reproductive biology of oaks.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
Please send a single pdf file containing a letter of application
outlining qualifications and experience for the position, curriculum vitae,
and the names and contact details for three references.
Email to [email protected] or in hard copy to Susan Taggart, Cornell Lab
of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, 283A Johnson Center for Birds &
Biodiversity, Ithaca, NY 14850.
Inquiries about position specifics can be directed to Walter Koenig,
Senior Scientist ([email protected]).
Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, is an inclusive, dynamic,
and innovative Ivy League university and New York's land-grant institution.
Its staff, faculty, and students impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose
and contribute creative ideas and best practices to further the university's
mission of teaching, research, and outreach.
