Postdoctoral Scholar position in Behavioral Ecology and Global Change Biology

Position Description

A Postdoctoral Scholar position is available in the Abrahms lab (https://www.abrahmslab.com/) at the University of Washington, Seattle to conduct integrative research linking environment processes and climate change to animal behavior, fitness, and population dynamics in a marine predator species, the Magellanic penguin The initial appointment will be for one year with a possibility of reappointment for a second year conditional on performance. The job will be 100% FTE with an annual service period of 12 months and is a non-tenured position not eligible for promotion. The postdoc will be supervised by Dr. Briana Abrahms (contact: abrahms@uw.edu) and will work in collaboration with Dr. Dee Boersma and members of the University of Washington's Center for Ecosystem Sentinels.

The postdoc will have access to an unparalleled continuous long-term dataset on Magellanic penguins and may be involved in fieldwork for ongoing data collection in Argentina. Magellanic penguin data from a large breeding colony at Punta Tombo, Argentina extend from 1983 through present and include population trends, adult sex ratio, breeding success, survival and recruitment, mate and nest fidelity, adult body condition and weight, egg sizes and dates, chick growth rates, fledging dates, body condition of fledglings, adult foraging locations at sea, predation on eggs, chicks, and adults in the colony, beach attendance, and oiling and other mortality events. The database includes approximately 1,000,000 penguin weights, including weights collected by automated scales, and morphometric measurements of over 15,000 adult penguins. Approximately 70,000 penguins have been banded, with over 16,000 individuals re-sighted at least once. Since 1995, over 500 adult penguins have been tracked at sea during the breeding season with satellite or GPS tags. The postdoc will be expected to develop their own research questions within the broader goal of connecting environment/climate to behavior, fitness and beyond.

The Abrahms lab (https://www.abrahmslab.com/) integrates global change biology with behavioral and spatial ecology to study the effects of environmental variability and change on wildlife populations. The lab sits within the Department of Biology's Center for Ecosystem Sentinels at the University of Washington, Seattle. The University of Washington (Seattle campus), is a leader in undergraduate and graduate education and one of the world's premiere research universities, offers rigorous academic programs, outstanding faculty, and diverse cultural and social opportunities in a stimulating intellectual environment. Our Seattle location is ideal, with access to a multitude of collaboration opportunities in a vibrant urban location with the allure of the mountains, forests, water and islands within 45 minutes of campus. The Department of Biology is a highly integrative department that takes a connective approach to the life sciences, fostering collaboration and intellectual partnerships across many different disciplines. The department has an unusual breadth of top-notch faculty, postdocs, and students who study topics at spatial scales ranging from molecules to the entire planet. The Center for Ecosystem Sentinels is an exciting new initiative bringing together researchers advancing the ecology and conservation of species that act as sentinels to the state of the environment by linking results from multi-disciplinary science to policy outcomes.

The University of Washington (UW) is located in the greater Seattle metropolitan area, with a dynamic, multicultural community of 3.7 million people and a range of ecosystems from mountains to ocean. The UW serves a diverse population of 80,000 students, faculty and staff, including 25% first-generation college students, over 25% Pell Grant students, and faculty from over 70 countries. The UW is a recipient of a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award to increase the advancement of women faculty in science, engineering, and math (see http://advance.washington.edu/). In the Department of Biology, we continue to strive for an inclusive and welcoming departmental culture that recognizes and encourages individual differences, that fosters the constructive expression of ideas, and that promotes shared values such as intellectual curiosity, creativity, collegiality, and sense of mission. Thus, we are seeking candidates whose experiences have prepared them to fulfill our commitment to inclusion and have given them the confidence to fully engage audiences from a wide spectrum of backgrounds.

Start date is negotiable (winter or early spring 2021 preferred).

Postdoctoral scholars are represented by UAW 4121 and are subject to the collective bargaining agreement, unless agreed exclusion criteria apply. For more information, please visit the University of Washington Labor Relations website.

Qualifications

Candidates must hold a PhD. The successful candidate for this position will have expertise in spatial analyses of animal location data and/or in analysis of long-term ecological datasets. A strong interest in global change biology, wildlife ecology, and spatial ecology is desired, and familiarity with marine ecosystems, seabird biology, oceanography, and/or remote sensing would be beneficial though not mandatory. Experience with programming in R and willingness to learn SQL, as well as strong analytical and writing skills, are required. Applicants must have a demonstrated record of publication in peer-reviewed journals, including at least one first-author publication or submitted manuscript in a major ecological journal.

Instructions

Please provide the following information:

1. CV
2. Statement of research interests and relevant skill set
3. One copy of a relevant publication/s or representative sample of scholarly work. Applicants must have a demonstrated record of publication in peer-reviewed journals, including at least one first-author publication or submitted manuscript in a major ecological journal
4. The names and contact information of 3 references

For more information contact Briana Abrahms at (abrahms@uw.edu)

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All
qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed,
religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information,
gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.