[PCA] JOBS: 2 Postdoctoral Research Associate Positions (Chicago, IL)

[Olivia Kwong]

http://www.chicagobotanic.org/jobs/postdoctoral_research_associate

Requisition Number: 180 A&B
Job Status: Regular
Hours: Full-time
Reports to: Krissa Skogen

Overview:
We are hiring 2 postdoctoral research associates for 4 . 4.5 years to 
assist with an NSF-funded Dimensions of Biodiversity grant titled 
.Landscapes of linalool: scent-mediated diversification of flowers and 
moths across western North America.. This NSF-funded project integrates 
chemical ecology, plant reproduction, pollination, population genetics and 
comparative genomics to explore the impact of past selective pressures on 
current patterns of diversity in non-model organisms: evening primroses 
(Onagraceae), hawkmoths (Sphingidae), bees (Halictidae), and micromoths 
(Mompha). This project is a collaborative NSF research project between 
Krissa Skogen (Chicago Botanic Garden), Jeremie Fant (CBG), Norm Wickett 
(CBG), Robert Raguso (Cornell University), Rachel Levin (Amherst College), 
Sylvia Kelso (Colorado College), Terry Harrison (University of Illinois at 
Urbana-Champaign), Jean-Francois Landry (Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, 
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre), Kathleen Kay (University of 
California, Santa Cruz), Mike Moore (Oberlin College) and Warren Wagner 
(Smithsonian Institution). The postdocs will be based at the Chicago 
Botanic Garden and will conduct fieldwork across the western United 
States. The Chicago Botanic Garden is situated in Glencoe, IL, just 16 
miles north of downtown Chicago, from which it is accessible by a commuter 
train, buses and highway. Scientists at the Garden live near the Garden, 
in Evanston, and in Chicago. The department of Plant Biology and 
Conservation is located in the Rice Plant Science Center, a 4 year-old 
LEED certified gold building with modern laboratories, office space and 
museum display space allowing scientists to communicate their findings 
directly with Garden visitors. The Plant Biology and Conservation 
Department has active collaborations with Northwestern University, The 
Field Museum, The University of Chicago, The University of Illinois at 
Chicago, Morton Arboretum and other area institutions. START DATE Jan. 1 - 
March 1, 2014 STARTING SALARY $43,000/year

Duties and Responsibilities:

Postdocs will be responsible for coordinating and conducting field and 
lab-based data collection, and managing and analyzing large datasets. 
Postdocs will lead field teams comprised of research assistants, graduate 
and undergraduate students and will be responsible for coordination among 
field teams.

Expectations are that postdocs will contribute to the preparation of 
numerous publications, many of which will be first-authored.

Teaching and curriculum development opportunities will be provided through 
the graduate program in Plant Biology and Conservation, a joint program 
between the Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University. Postdocs 
will also be involved in various outreach programs coordinated by the 
research team and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Qualifications:

Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology, biology, botany or a related 
field. Applicants who expect to have completed their PhD by the start date 
will be preferred.

Potential areas of expertise we are considering include (but this is not 
exclusive):

-Fieldwork- this project will have a large fieldwork component, with 3-4 
months in the field each year (for ~6-8 weeks at a time; twice during each 
year); Years 1 and 2 will focus on broad-scale sampling of plants, 
pollinators and moths throughout the western US. Years 3 and 4 will focus 
on detailed field experiments, locations dependent on results from years 1 
and 2.
-Plant reproductive biology / pollination ecology
-Population genetics / landscape genetics / population-level genomics
-Ecological genomics / bioinformatics
-Coevolution -- trait evolution
-Host-parasite evolution
-Plant-pollinator interactions
-Chemical ecology
-Lepidopteran ecology (moths; micromoths)

TO APPLY

Please submit a cover letter, resume, employment forms 
(http://www.chicagobotanic.org/jobs/apply) and request 3 letters of 
recommendation be sent on your behalf to:
Attn: Human Resources
1000 Lake Cook Road
Glencoe, IL 60022

Questions? Please contact Krissa Skogen kskogen at chicagobotanic.org

Physical Demands:
Use of office equipment including computers, telephones, copiers, 
scanners, fax machines. Some requirements for lifting, pushing, pulling 
items less than 30 lbs.

Why Apply?
For almost 40 years, our employees have worked to promote the enjoyment, 
understanding, and conservation of plants and the natural world. Come work 
in a setting that is like no other. Take the first step toward being one 
of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest 
Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note applicants who do not 
meet the required qualifications (i.e., able to work various weekends) 
will not be considered.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general 
nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this 
classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive 
list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so 
classified.