Jr. Specialist - Environmental Science & Policy
Position overview Salary range:
A reasonable estimate for this position is $52,200 at Step 2 Application Window Open date:
May 8, 2023 Most recent review date:
Monday, May 22, 2023 at 11:
59pm (Pacific Time) Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.
Final date:
Friday, Sep 1, 2023 at 11:
59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Position description This position will actively participate in the academic objectives of our research project.
Those include:
1) Empirically characterizing benefit accrual of six plant species in the field by conducting two sets of manipulative experiments, where plant benefit accrual from pollinators refers to how the reproductive output of plants responds to variation in flower visitation rates; and 2) Integrating the empirically characterized benefit accrual functions into population dynamic models to evaluate their effects on short, medium, and long-term dynamics of plant-pollinators systems and those systems' responses to perturbations.
The incumbent will be asked to present the results at the Ecological Society of America (ESA) in August 2024 :
The incumbent is expected to participate in the writing of an article for peer review.
Research (90%):
The Incumbent will conduct fieldwork from late-June to mid-August 2023 at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Colorado.
This fieldwork will consist of observing plant-pollinator interactions, collecting and identifying pollinator species, identifying and counting plant species and their abundances, and conducting sophisticated manipulative experiments.
The Incumbent will then fit different benefit accrual models to the visitation data collected and integrate the best performing benefit accrual models into population dynamic models the incumbent will develop with the help of the Valdovinos Lab.
The incumbent will use those population dynamics models to evaluate the effects of benefit accrual models on plant-pollinators systems and those systems' responses to perturbations.
The incumbent is expected to perform phase-plane and bifurcation analyses on small systems of two to three interacting species using Wolfram Mathematica to get key insights into the effects of parameter values on the system's dynamics, the local stability of the system, and how species affect each other abundances and local stability properties.
This model behavior can change when scaling to more species, therefore the incumbent will also perform computer simulations of the model using Matlab to evaluate how the system's dynamics change when more species and interactions are added.
These computer simulations will also allow to investigate the model dynamics at short, medium and long timescales.
Finally, these simulations can also include perturbations in term of pulsed reductions in species abundances or press-perturbations by, for example, increasing mortality rates.
This research will use the dynamic model and Matlab code already developed by the PI.
By developing an oral presentation for ESA, the incumbent will receive training and experience in developing scientific graphics that represent the results of fieldwork, statistical, and mathematical analyses in the field of ecology.
The same graphics will be considered a contribution to a peer reviewed article.
The incumbent will also be asked to read and comment on drafts of the article, and will be involved in discussions of the objectives of the paper.
The incumbent will be asked to read a selection of papers on theoretical ecology, ecological networks, statistical analyses, pollination ecology, and manipulative experiments in the field.
Duties - There will be four duty categories:
1) Fieldwork (around 50 days staying in a Biological Station, see above):
observing plant-pollinator interactions, collecting and identifying pollinator species, identifying and counting plant species and their abundances, and conducting sophisticated manipulative experiments; 2) Statistical analyses:
fitting benefit accrual model to data collected in the field, which will include conducting AIC and cross-validation analyses of the fitted models; 3) Mathematical modeling and analyses:
developing population dynamic models that include the best performing benefit accrual models, performing phase-plane and bifurcation analyses, local stability analyses, and computer simulations of the models at the network level.
4) Scientific communication:
preparing an abstract for ESA to present on the main results of this research, which will include meeting regularly with the PI, reading primary literature, generating scientific figures, as well as contributing to the manuscript for publication on this research.
Professional Competence (5%):
The incumbent will submit an abstract for consideration as oral presentation to the Ecological Society of America in 2024.
Assuming it is accepted, the incumbent will participate in the conference as a presenter.
University and Public Service (5%):
The incumbent will participate in outreach activities lead by the PI on the ecology of plant-pollinator systems.
TERM OF APPOINTMENT:
One year full-time at 100%, Junior Specialist, Step 2 Qualifications Basic qualifications (required at time of application) Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Science, Ecology, Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Physics, Mathematics, or equivalent.
Preferred qualifications Excellent programming and mathematical skills.
Proficient in Mathematica, Matlab or R.
Research Experience in Ecology doing fieldwork and in conducting manipulative experiments.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Knowledge and understanding of ecological networks.
Previous research experience in theoretical ecology.
Application Requirements Document requirements Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.
V.
Cover Letter Statement of Research (Optional) Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion documented in the application file will be used to evaluate applicants.
Visit for guidelines about writing a statement and why one is requested.
(Optional) Reference requirements3-5 required (contact information only) Apply link:
Help contact:
Campus InformationUC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus ().
We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals' with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.
For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see:
Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check.
More information is available at:
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to inclusive excellence by advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do.
UC Davis celebrates the multi-cultural diversity of its community by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment demonstrated through a variety of resources and programs available to academics, staff, and students.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values of UC Davis that are embedded within our Principles of Community and are tied with how to best serve our student population.
Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can best be fully realized by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values, which are included in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision, our strategic plan:
To Boldly Go, our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs' Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400:
Policy on University of California Diversity Statement.
UC Davis is making important progress towards our goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution.
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers a plethora of resources on their website, and the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) has outlined similar goals in their Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan.
There are a plethora of links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our Administration, Diversity and Inclusion, Rankings, Locations, Native American Land Acknowledgement, Sustainability, Visiting UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and Campus Safety.
The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings.
UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.
As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time.
Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.
Job location Davis, CA Recommended Skills Bioinformatics Biology Experimentation Information Technology Matlab Mathemati Ca Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
A reasonable estimate for this position is $52,200 at Step 2 Application Window Open date:
May 8, 2023 Most recent review date:
Monday, May 22, 2023 at 11:
59pm (Pacific Time) Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.
Final date:
Friday, Sep 1, 2023 at 11:
59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Position description This position will actively participate in the academic objectives of our research project.
Those include:
1) Empirically characterizing benefit accrual of six plant species in the field by conducting two sets of manipulative experiments, where plant benefit accrual from pollinators refers to how the reproductive output of plants responds to variation in flower visitation rates; and 2) Integrating the empirically characterized benefit accrual functions into population dynamic models to evaluate their effects on short, medium, and long-term dynamics of plant-pollinators systems and those systems' responses to perturbations.
The incumbent will be asked to present the results at the Ecological Society of America (ESA) in August 2024 :
The incumbent is expected to participate in the writing of an article for peer review.
Research (90%):
The Incumbent will conduct fieldwork from late-June to mid-August 2023 at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Colorado.
This fieldwork will consist of observing plant-pollinator interactions, collecting and identifying pollinator species, identifying and counting plant species and their abundances, and conducting sophisticated manipulative experiments.
The Incumbent will then fit different benefit accrual models to the visitation data collected and integrate the best performing benefit accrual models into population dynamic models the incumbent will develop with the help of the Valdovinos Lab.
The incumbent will use those population dynamics models to evaluate the effects of benefit accrual models on plant-pollinators systems and those systems' responses to perturbations.
The incumbent is expected to perform phase-plane and bifurcation analyses on small systems of two to three interacting species using Wolfram Mathematica to get key insights into the effects of parameter values on the system's dynamics, the local stability of the system, and how species affect each other abundances and local stability properties.
This model behavior can change when scaling to more species, therefore the incumbent will also perform computer simulations of the model using Matlab to evaluate how the system's dynamics change when more species and interactions are added.
These computer simulations will also allow to investigate the model dynamics at short, medium and long timescales.
Finally, these simulations can also include perturbations in term of pulsed reductions in species abundances or press-perturbations by, for example, increasing mortality rates.
This research will use the dynamic model and Matlab code already developed by the PI.
By developing an oral presentation for ESA, the incumbent will receive training and experience in developing scientific graphics that represent the results of fieldwork, statistical, and mathematical analyses in the field of ecology.
The same graphics will be considered a contribution to a peer reviewed article.
The incumbent will also be asked to read and comment on drafts of the article, and will be involved in discussions of the objectives of the paper.
The incumbent will be asked to read a selection of papers on theoretical ecology, ecological networks, statistical analyses, pollination ecology, and manipulative experiments in the field.
Duties - There will be four duty categories:
1) Fieldwork (around 50 days staying in a Biological Station, see above):
observing plant-pollinator interactions, collecting and identifying pollinator species, identifying and counting plant species and their abundances, and conducting sophisticated manipulative experiments; 2) Statistical analyses:
fitting benefit accrual model to data collected in the field, which will include conducting AIC and cross-validation analyses of the fitted models; 3) Mathematical modeling and analyses:
developing population dynamic models that include the best performing benefit accrual models, performing phase-plane and bifurcation analyses, local stability analyses, and computer simulations of the models at the network level.
4) Scientific communication:
preparing an abstract for ESA to present on the main results of this research, which will include meeting regularly with the PI, reading primary literature, generating scientific figures, as well as contributing to the manuscript for publication on this research.
Professional Competence (5%):
The incumbent will submit an abstract for consideration as oral presentation to the Ecological Society of America in 2024.
Assuming it is accepted, the incumbent will participate in the conference as a presenter.
University and Public Service (5%):
The incumbent will participate in outreach activities lead by the PI on the ecology of plant-pollinator systems.
TERM OF APPOINTMENT:
One year full-time at 100%, Junior Specialist, Step 2 Qualifications Basic qualifications (required at time of application) Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Science, Ecology, Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Physics, Mathematics, or equivalent.
Preferred qualifications Excellent programming and mathematical skills.
Proficient in Mathematica, Matlab or R.
Research Experience in Ecology doing fieldwork and in conducting manipulative experiments.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Knowledge and understanding of ecological networks.
Previous research experience in theoretical ecology.
Application Requirements Document requirements Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.
V.
Cover Letter Statement of Research (Optional) Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion documented in the application file will be used to evaluate applicants.
Visit for guidelines about writing a statement and why one is requested.
(Optional) Reference requirements3-5 required (contact information only) Apply link:
Help contact:
Campus InformationUC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus ().
We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals' with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.
For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see:
Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check.
More information is available at:
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to inclusive excellence by advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do.
UC Davis celebrates the multi-cultural diversity of its community by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment demonstrated through a variety of resources and programs available to academics, staff, and students.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values of UC Davis that are embedded within our Principles of Community and are tied with how to best serve our student population.
Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can best be fully realized by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values, which are included in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision, our strategic plan:
To Boldly Go, our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs' Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400:
Policy on University of California Diversity Statement.
UC Davis is making important progress towards our goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution.
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers a plethora of resources on their website, and the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) has outlined similar goals in their Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan.
There are a plethora of links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our Administration, Diversity and Inclusion, Rankings, Locations, Native American Land Acknowledgement, Sustainability, Visiting UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and Campus Safety.
The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings.
UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.
As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time.
Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.
Job location Davis, CA Recommended Skills Bioinformatics Biology Experimentation Information Technology Matlab Mathemati Ca Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
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