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Cal Poly Humboldt Sponsored Programs Foundation
Job Announcement
This is not a state position
Postdoc in Avian Agroecology and Pest Control
Department of Wildlife
Application review begin date: September, 1 2022 (applications solicited until position is filled).
Start date: January 1, 2023
Location: In-person at Cal Poly Humboldt, Arcata, California and in the field in Napa Valley, California.
SUMMARY:
We are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher with expertise in avian ecology and agroecology to join
Matt Johnson’s lab in the Department of Wildlife at Cal Poly Humboldt (formerly Humboldt State
University) in Arcata, California. The position is funded for 2.5 years (through June 30, 2025;
contingent on adequate performance).
The postdoctoral researcher will join a collaborative team of researchers focused on assessing the
potential for nest boxes to attract songbirds capable of removing insect pests from winegrape vineyards
in Napa Valley, California. The postdoc will be based at Cal Poly Humboldt but collaborate closely with
scientists at UC Davis (Dr. Daniel Karp) and UC Riverside (Drs. Erin Rankin-Wilson and S. Houston
Wilson). Cal Poly Humboldt is a predominantly undergraduate institution with several Master’s
programs (including in Wildlife), a strong commitment to teaching, a diverse student body, and an
emphasis on inclusive student success; we have been a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2013. Thus,
this position also includes an opportunity to develop and co-teach a new course, and we especially
invite applicants interested in strengthening their experience working with students at a
minority-serving university.
Integrated pest management (IPM) often focuses on enhancing the control of pests by arthropod natural
enemies (i.e., predators/parasitoids), but less work has focused on vertebrate predators of pests. In
California, winegrapes are a key crop that may benefit from bird-mediated pest control of insect pests
(e.g. sharpshooters [Cicadellidae spp.] carrying Pierce’s disease). Insecticide use by California
winegrape growers has increased over time, with ~45M lbs applied in 2018. Birds could provide
growers with an alternative, especially on organic fields where fewer insecticides can be applied.
Despite the potential for birds to contribute to IPM, more research is needed to understand and harness
their benefit winegrape growers. Several previous studies have confirmed that nest boxes can attract
Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) and Tree & Violet-green Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor & T.
thalassina) to California vineyards, initial diet analysis has been completed, and sentinel pest
experiments have shown high rates of prey removal. What this means for actual rates of pest
consumption, however, is unclear. Field experiments with nest boxes and sampling bird diets in the
places/times when pests are common are needed to assess the potential for cavity-nesting songbirds to
contribute to IPM in vineyards.
This project will combine visual bird censuses (point counts), nest box occupancy studies, animal
tracking, insect pest sampling, and molecular diet analysis to quantify how nest boxes, local habitat
features, and surrounding landscapes affect interactions between birds and pest insects in California
vineyards. The project will build upon an established network of organic vineyards in Napa County,
California. The lead data collection responsibilities for the postdoctoral position will be the point counts,
nest box surveys, insect sampling, and fecal sample collection. Collaborators at UC Riverside (working
with Rankin-Wilson) will conduct the diet analyses, and a PhD student at UC Davis (working with
Karp) will focus on tracking bluebirds and swallows. The postdoc at Cal Poly Humboldt, under the
supervision of Johnson, will take responsibility for the following activities:
QUALIFICATIONS:
The following qualifications are preferred but not required:
SALARY:
$55,000 per year with benefits are consistent with Cal Poly Humboldt’s Sponsored Programs
Foundation policy; see….
TO APPLY:
Please apply by preparing: (1) your CV inclusive of publications, awards, and field experience,
(2) a cover letter discussing your qualifications, research interests, and motivations for this position, (3) a
statement about your commitment to diversity and inclusion in science, (4) contact information for
references along with the ** SPF Self-Identification Form for Job Applicants. Send materials to
matt.johnson@humboldt.edu with the subject line: “Avian Agroecology Postdoc Application.”
Cal Poly Humboldt Sponsored Programs Foundation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action
Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race,
color, religion, age, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability,
protected Veteran Status, or any other legally protected status. More information about Cal Poly
Humboldt SPF’s Equal Employment Opportunity hiring can be found here.
For assistance with the application process, please submit an Accommodation Request Form, which can
be found here or contact ADA Coordinator at 707.826.3626 or confidential fax at 707.826.3625. For more
information regarding accommodation, you may also visit the Cal Poly Humboldt Human Resources
website at https://hraps.humboldt.edu/reasonable-accommodation. Individuals in need of a
telecommunications relay service may contact the California Relay Service at 877.735.2929 TTY.
Full Time
$70k-90k (estimate)
04/23/2023
06/10/2024
humboldtstateuniversity.net
Eureka, MT
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