DESCRIPTION: The Macaulay Lab with the University of Maryland Extension is seeking a UM Scholar to support research and extension programs related to wildlife management with the University of Maryland Extension.  The UM Scholar will work with the principal investigator, Dr. Luke Macaulay and help support his team of undergraduate and graduate students working on projects described below. 

The UM Scholar will be focused on various aspects of research and extension including data collection in the field, organizing, cleaning, and analysis of data for developing peer-reviewed publications and presentations for the public. Extension duties may include organizing educational workshops and programs, marketing them, and developing educational content. Publishing fact sheets on topics related to wildlife in Maryland are a priority.  Specific duties will vary widely, and flexibility in duties will be provided based on the technician’s preferences and strengths.  

DUTIES 

  • Assist with development of research and education programs at Point Pleasant Farm, including deployment of trail cameras, acoustic recording devices, organizing and marketing workshops, website development, and development of educational content. 
  • Assist with writing fact sheets on topics related to wildlife management in Maryland. 
  • Conduct GIS analysis of the land cover represented in protected areas in Maryland and the surrounding area land cover, summarize data, create figures, tables, and write up results 
  • Assist with analysis and publication of large landowner survey including organizing data, performing GIS analysis of land cover by landowner, and data cleaning and analysis tasks. 
  • Deploy and recover acoustic monitoring devices for bird surveying.  Analyze data from acoustic monitoring devices to quantify presence of bird species. Advance development of machine learning algorithms. Assist with development of training datasets for enhanced predictive capability. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

  • Ability to pay close attention to detail. 
  • Ability to learn basic operation of new software programs independently (training will also be provided) 
  • Past experience with using R statistical program, Python, statistical analysis GIS programs 

 

IDEAL CANDIDATE: This project would be ideal for students with a background and/or interest in natural resource management. This is an interdisciplinary project with skills and knowledge in natural resources, quantitative analysis skills, and strong writing skills being paramount. A formal or informal working knowledge of land management, agriculture, forestry and/or wildlife in Maryland would be helpful. 

LOCATION: Hybrid: Remote (90%) & In-person (10%) at the Wye Research and Education Center, Queenstown *Note: This project may require field work.

PROJECT LEAD/PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Luke Macaulay, PhD, Wildlife Management Specialist-Agent, Wye Research and Education Center, Queenstown 

BIO: https://agnr.umd.edu/about/directory/luke-macaulay

EMAIL: lukemac@umd.edu

International Students: F-1 or J-1 students must obtain Office of International Service (OIS) authorization for this activity. If you are interested in applying, please contact OIS at ois-info@umaryland.edu before submitting your application. They will assist you in determining your specific eligibility. When reaching out, be sure to specify the particular project of interest and include a link to description.