MSU Listserv

From: Mammalian Biology <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Zollner, Patrick A <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 7:36 PM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: MS Position in Zollner Lab @ Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
External Email - Exercise Caution
Title: Crewed Aircraft Estimation of Density of Indiana’s Deer, Coyotes & Turkey Populations
Institution: Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Job Category: MS Graduate Assistantship
Salary: Two years of year-round funding (full tuition waiver and salary of ~$30,000/year as a Graduate Research Assistant (MS level) in the Forestry and Natural Resources Department at Purdue University.
Pertinent Websites: https://www.purdue.edu/fnr/sites/zollner/<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.purdue.edu*2Ffnr*2Fsites*2Fzollner*2F&data=05*7C02*7CMAMMAL-L*40SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU*7Ce09c894d6b73445d662908dceb16345e*7C989b5e2a14e44efe93b78cdd5fc5d11c*7C0*7C0*7C638643728349103292*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&sdata=zMUxFtCo9a7jVyK05V*2BGet*2FDLcQQGc6w2dB1fW9NJts*3D&reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ!!HXCxUKc!1nJ42fh-9wf7FCULivLJ3bjGiw4i8j8nqf9Q0Rr12Mgz1npKQoiJgxLaJ_p9NoYAC3sY5ZwxZTjfgVW-0OPwkg$>
Start Date: January 6, 2025.
Last Day to Apply: Application review will begin on November 2, 2024 the candidate selected from that pool of applicants will be required to submit an official application to Purdue’s graduate school after they are notified that they are the top candidate and accept the position offer. No students should submit an official application to Purdue for this position without a request from Dr. Zollner for them to do so.
Description: The Indiana Department of Natural Resources needs to accurately derive density estimates of white-tailed deer, coyotes and wild turkeys across the state. The MS student working on this project will collaborate with the Indiana DNR by leading data collection of infra video from crewed aircraft and estimating the density of these species along hundreds of transects spread across the state. This MS student will go on many of these flights themselves to collect this data. These flights will be piloted by collaborators from Purdue’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology. However, this student will also need to recruit and supervise a team of undergraduate camera operators who will go on flights to help collect this data and then help the student score those videos. Data from scored videos will be used to estimate wildlife species density. This student will collaborate with a PhD student in the Zollner lab who will be using drone-based surveys and a PhD student from Michigan State University who will be using camera trapping to develop parallel estimate of density at some of these locations. The resulting comparisons between techniques will provide invaluable insights into the precision and effectiveness of data collected using all of three these techniques. The deer components of the larger project will also provide this student with the opportunity to collaborate with other team members who are modeling white tailed deer population recovery from disease outbreaks as well as the role of inter-specific interactions in leading to such outbreaks.
This is a unique opportunity for individuals interested in statistical modeling, quantitative ecology, wildlife management, landscape ecology, conservation biology and remote sensing. The position provides applied experience for a career trajectory in local, state, or federal agencies or a research career focused on the fields of quantitative ecology or wildlife management. The student will be located in Dr. Patrick Zollner’s lab within the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University. The student’s research will be a collaboration with Dr. Joe Caudell (Indiana DNR), Dr. Zackary Delisle (National Park Service), Dr. Sonja Christensen (Michigan State University), Dr. Wendy Beauvais (Purdue University) and Dr. Brian Dillman (Purdue University).
To Apply: Interested applicants should compile all of the following materials into a single pdf file; a CV that includes contact information for three professional references, a 1-page statement of interest in this project, responses to the following 5 questions (each of these responses should be 250 words or less) and copies of unofficial transcripts.

  1.  Describe a situation that demonstrates your work ethic and ability to complete complex tasks in a timely manner.
  2.  Provide an example of a work/academic situation that typifies how you handle adversity when striving to attain a goal.
  3.  What motivates you to pursue your proposed graduate studies, and how will completion of these studies prepare you to achieve your career goals?
  4.  Please describe a specific example from your work/academic experience that demonstrates your curiosity and creativity.
  5.  What are your strengths and weaknesses with regard to achieving goals individually and in collaboration with others?
That single pdf should be attached to an email that has a subject line of “Application for MS Position Crewed Aircraft Wildlife Density Estimation”. That email should be sent to Dr. Patrick Zollner ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) and applicants should understand that their application materials may be reviewed by other project collaborators as part of application evaluation.
Qualifications: BS in Wildlife Biology, Ecological Modelling or a related discipline.
When preparing materials (statement of interest & response to 5 questions) applicants should explicitly address their demonstrated organizational skills, interest/background in statistical analysis, specific interest/background in spatial analysis, and their ability to recruit, supervise and mentor a team of undergraduate assistants. Applicants should be highly motivated with a demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively. The student we hire should be able to readily interact with partners including the pilots and their coordinating team as well as partnering government agencies. Applicants should be prepared to spend hours in small aircraft in cold conditions to collect data and even more time watching videos to count observations of animals. Applicants with experience publishing peer-reviewed journal articles, a strong work ethic, demonstrated technical writing ability, training in ecological modeling, excellent interpersonal skills, demonstrated skill or potential in quantitative ecology and proficiency in R & GIS will be most competitive. Familiarity with management challenges faced by white-tailed deer, coyotes and wild turkey in the Midwestern United States, as well as candidates who bring unique contributions to the spectrum of perspectives within the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources are all additional elements that will make applicants more competitive.
Purdue is a land-grant university of over 40,000 students and ranked the 10th best public university in the U.S. The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources is housed administratively in the College of Agriculture (#7 US ranking) and offers vibrant, nationally ranked graduate programs in wildlife and ecology. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue is an easy drive from Indianapolis and Chicago. The West Lafayette-Lafayette area is home to a diverse community of 174,000, with good schools, safe neighborhoods, over 40 parks and extensive trail systems, active Farmers Markets, and year-long community festivals and art events.
Contact Persons: Dr. Patrick Zollner
Contact Phones: (765) 430-7858
Contact e-mails: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>

Dr. Zollner will be attending the upcoming national meeting of the wildlife society (https://twsconference.org/<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Ftwsconference.org*2F&data=05*7C02*7CMAMMAL-L*40SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU*7Ce09c894d6b73445d662908dceb16345e*7C989b5e2a14e44efe93b78cdd5fc5d11c*7C0*7C0*7C638643728349103292*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&sdata=aCk9*2BNEXuIFDpOoYdeumdlQb0Cb4Pg*2BpbrtRFLMczgo*3D&reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ!!HXCxUKc!1nJ42fh-9wf7FCULivLJ3bjGiw4i8j8nqf9Q0Rr12Mgz1npKQoiJgxLaJ_p9NoYAC3sY5ZwxZTjfgVVH-uSdYQ$>) if prospective students who will also be at that meeting wish to speak with him about this project during that meeting, they should email him to arrange a time for such a conversation.