A postdoctoral position is available in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). With Dr. Chris Whelan and Dr. Emily Minor, the candidate will study the ecological value of lands owned by Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) in and around Chicago, Illinois. ComEd is the largest electric utility in Illinois and owns over 240 km^2 of land that crisscrosses through the metropolitan region.
There is considerable flexibility in the focus of this position but the research should integrate and build upon the expertise of Drs. Minor and Whelan (for more information see https://minorlab.weebly.com/ and https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DrzGVQoAAAAJ&hl). The research can use observational, experimental, and/or theoretical approaches; it can focus on plants, insects, birds, or another taxonomic group. Possible areas of research include, but are not limited to, the ability of ComEd rights-of-way to support biodiversity and rare species, and the contribution of ComEd rights-of-way to habitat connectivity across the Chicago region.
Applicants must have a Ph.D. by the project start date, and relevant experience in ecology or a related field. Ideal candidates will demonstrate excellent communication skills, particularly in the form of published peer-reviewed papers. Desirable skills include knowledge of Midwestern biota, statistical analyses (including spatial and multivariate analyses), GIS/remote sensing, and/or connectivity modeling.
The desired start date is approximately January 15, 2020. Funding for salary and research expenses is available for two years.