This position will assist the Youngsteadt Urban Ecology Lab in designing, conducting, and presenting research dealing with the ecology of arthropods and plant-insect interactions in tropical cities. As a Research Associate, the successful incumbent will fulfill these duties with a high degree of independence, in collaboration and consultation with the lead PI.

Essential job duties include, but are not limited to:

Participate in formulating and refining research design and methods, with an emphasis on, but not limited to, tropical urban ecology
Travel to, independently establish field sites in, and collect data in urban and non-urban habitats in Perú and/or other Latin American countries
Collecting stinging insects (potential allergens)
Manage national and local research permissions for the study area and communication with local stakeholders in the study area
Communicate project results by leading the preparation, submission, and revision of peer-reviewed scientific papers, including independent data analysis and writing
Assist in the development of research funding proposals as a co-investigator
This position is currently funded for only 12 months and may have the possibility of extending contingent on funding.
Other Work/Responsibilities
Other related duties as assigned.
Minimum Education/Experience
Relevant Master’s degree in the area of Ecology, Entomology, or a closely related field; OR relevant Bachelor’s degree and at least 3 years of relevant education and/or experience.
Departmental Required Skills
Due to the extensive, independent travel requirement to remote Latin American locations, must demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills in English and Spanish.
Ability to travel between the US, Perú, and potentially other South American countries to conduct field research, with travel duration of 2-4 weeks at a time.
Experienced with designing, coordinating, and conducting research in tropical ecosystems.
Professional experience in insect sampling and identification, particularly Neotropical Hymenoptera.
Preferred Experience, Skills, Training/Education
Background in tropical ecology, tropical entomology, and/or tropical plant-insect interactions.
Three years of experience collecting and analyzing data on insect populations and/or plant-insect interactions, particularly in tropical systems.
Preference will be given to those applicants with over one year of insect sampling and identification.
Experience conducting and publishing literature reviews.
Experience, and ability to independently conduct data analysis, in R.