[Post Doctoral Fellow - Hulshof Lab

Position Responsibilities:

Position Primary Purpose and General Duties:

The Biodiversity Research Lab (PI Catherine Hulshof De La Peña, Department of Biology; https://biodiversityresearchlab.com/) seeks a postdoctoral researcher in tropical forest ecology.

The Biodiversity Research Lab focuses on predicting organismal to forest responses to global change. The postdoctoral researcher for this position, under the guidance of the PI, would be the lead researcher for Proyecto ALTA (Altitudinal Transects across the Americas; https://biodiversityresearchlab.com/alta), a National Science Foundation-supported project. Proyecto ALTA is a long-term mountain biodiversity monitoring program which provides baseline data for tracking shifting species distributions.
Project summary: Mountains are cradles of biodiversity and provide drinking water to 60% of human populations. And yet mountain ecosystems are experiencing rapid and irreversible changes due to climate and land-use change. Distributed and coordinated long-term mountain biodiversity monitoring programs provide crucial baseline data for tracking species migrations, studying climate adaptation, and modeling vulnerabilities (from individual species to entire ecosystems).
Scope of work: The Postdoctoral Researcher will be responsible for conducting monitoring of plant community dynamics, primarily in Costa Rica. This project will require the Postdoctoral Researcher to travel for fieldwork. Specific job duties include collecting field data each year (measuring forest dynamics plots, collecting plant material for functional trait analyses, downloading microclimatic data). Designing and implementing other complementary project components; co-mentoring 1-2 graduate researchers each year; modeling species elevational and latitudinal range sizes and their climatic envelopes; coordinating data entry, quality control, and archiving; presenting research findings at one conference per year and generating other outreach products (blog posts, story maps); analyzing complex datasets and preparing manuscripts for publication as lead author.

Mentoring
The postdoctoral researcher would be based in the research laboratory of PI Dr. Hulshof De La Peña at VCU in Richmond, Virginia. They would also be co-mentored remotely by Dr. Jennifer Powers (University of Minnesota) and Dr. German Vargas Gutierrez (Oregon State University).

The postdoctoral researcher would meet regularly with the PI and the project team and participate in regular goal-setting and development plan activities. They would have the opportunity to participate in campus wilderness first aid, faculty development, and other professional development opportunities. They would have the opportunity to guest lecture in undergraduate ecology courses, and to mentor graduate research students.

Working at VCU
VCU is located on the James River, on the traditional lands of the Powhatan Chiefdom and the Monacan Nation, within easy reach of the Appalachian Mountains, and other resources in the D.C. area like the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and Conservation International. Richmond was named a top outdoor destination.

Required Qualifications:

PhD (or equivalent international degree) in Ecology, Environmental Science, or related fields
Capacity to work independently
Comfortable working in the field
A valid driver’s license and passport

Preferred Qualifications:

Prior fieldwork in tropical forests
Advanced data management and analytical skills
Ability to drive or learn manual transmission
Ability to walk 10 kilometers each field day (~300 m elevation gain)
Availability for 2-3 weeks of field work in mid to late January each year, requiring living at Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Sector Santa Rosa in Costa Rica; expectation of 5-6 days/week fieldwork with pre-dawn departures
Availability for similar fieldwork in June/July each year
Proficiency in Spanish (or commitment to learning quickly)

Typical Physical and Cognitive Requirements:

Position's Physical/Cognitive Requirements. Indicate by each element: E = Essential; M = Marginal; or N/A

Physical Demands and Activities:
E Light lifting ( M Moderate lifting (20-50 lbs.)
M Heavy lifting (>50 lbs.)
E Pushing/pulling E Walking
E Standing E Climbing
E Sitting E Reaching
E Repetitive motion E Bending

Environmental Conditions:
M Extreme heat/cold N/A Fumes
M Extreme noise N/A Mists/gases
N/A Vibrations

Job Specific Physical and Cognitive Requirements: