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Position description:

Seeking a 12 month postdoctoral associate in the agro-ecology lab at 

Virginia Tech. This position will be supported by a recently funded 

Agroecosystem Management grant from USDA and the successful candidate will 

be supervised by Dr. Megan O'Rourke. The postdoc will join an 

interdisciplinary team studying a diversity of ecosystem services impacted 

by land-use on and around farms. The study system focuses on conventional 

and organic vegetable farms. Entomology will be the emphasis of research, 

specifically biological control and pollination. The interdisciplinary team 

includes researchers and students in fish and wildlife biology and 

agricultural economics who will work in the same system and will examine 

land-use and habitat management impacts on bats, birds, deer, and agri- 

tourism opportunities. Project partners include the Nature Conservancy, the 

Eastern Shore Land Trust, Cooperative Extension, and the Natural Resources 

Conservation Service. 

Required Qualifications: Ph.D. in entomology, agro-ecology or closely 

related field; strong statistical abilities and writing skills; ability to 

work independently; driver’s license; publication track-record; preference 

for pollinator and/or biocontrol research experience. 

Responsibilities: The successful candidate must be extremely independent. 

Summer field work will be based out of the Eastern Shore Agricultural 

Research and Extension Center (ESAREC) while Virginia Tech’s main campus and 

supervising lab is located in Blacksburg, VA. The post-doc will be 

responsible for: 1) managing a network of 20 cooperating farmers and on-farm 

research sites; 2) establishing and monitoring pollinator conservation 

habitats on ten farms; 3) designing research protocols and conducting 

pollination and biological control field experiments; and 4) writing up 

existing research data about no-till pumpkin production and pollinator 

habitat establishment. 

Compensation: $40,000/yr plus full benefit package 

Duration: 12 months starting January, 2016; potential for 1 year renewal.

Application Process: official application portal 

 

Applications emailed directly to Megan O'Rourke cannot be fully considered and will need to be resubmitted 

through Virginia Tech's official application portal. The application portal 

will close October 1 and interviews and a position offer will be made ASAP 

thereafter.

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