Opportunity summary: Three postdoctoral positions in Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation are available to join an existing interdisciplinary team of multiple faculty members, graduate students, undergraduate researchers, technicians, and state wildlife agency biologists co-located at Virginia Tech.  Postdocs will reside in the research program of Dr. William Hopkins in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation and be co-mentored by experts in other disciplines (described below).

Building off nearly two decades of data on the study system, the collaborative team seeks to advance fundamental knowledge about the biology of giant hellbender salamanders and the mechanistic causes of their population declines, and to develop innovative conservation interventions to curtail their declines.  Each position is grant-funded for up to three years, with annual renewal based on performance.  Positions are funded through the National Science Foundation, Allen Family Philanthropies, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.  Positions will be filled in three thematic areas, but there is overlap among these themes and postdocs will be expected to collaborate across projects to function as a single highly integrated team.

Three Thematic Areas:

The Biogeochemical-Organismal Biology Nexus: Collaborating closely with co-mentor Dr. Erin Hotchkiss in the Department of Biological Sciences, the postdoc will work with our interdisciplinary team to unveil the linkages between biogeochemical processes in the stream benthos that influence water chemistry, and subsequently affect hellbender behavior and/or physiology.  The postdoc will leverage existing in-stream infrastructure to advance freshwater science at the nexus of organismal and ecosystem ecology, including hundreds of artificial nest cavities, dozens of water quality sensors, and fully automated underwater, infrared camera technology.  The postdoc’s research is expected to complement and provide integration between the ongoing work of two current Ph.D. students mentored by Hopkins and Hotchkiss.

Headstarting and Larval Ecology: Collaborating closely with two biologists with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources that are embedded with the research team at Virginia Tech, the postdoc will help lead our efforts to advance the science of headstarting larval hellbenders.  The postdoc will leverage our established rearing facility and techniques for raising larvae to focus on ecological factors (e.g., microhabitat features, water chemistry) that enhance the success of these efforts, as well as developing techniques to assess the efficacy of headstarting such as infrared camera technology, novel survey and marking methods, and the use of innovative genomics tools.

Conservation Genomics: Collaborating closely with co-mentor Dr. Robert Cooper in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, the postdoc will have opportunities to work on multiple projects that use genomics tools to advance hellbender conservation.  For example, our recently developed hellbender SNP panel will be used to assess parentage and sibship relationships to inform our headstarting efforts.  Likewise, because many of the streams used in our long-term research were disturbed by Hurricane Helene, there will be opportunities to utilize eDNA to assess occupancy in areas hit hardest by storms to prioritize conservation actions. 

These three positions provide immediate opportunities to connect with and contribute to dynamic research communities at Virginia Tech and beyond. This includes collaborations across departments, through networks provided by the Global Change Center at Virginia Tech, and taking advantage of the University’s growing postdoctoral support programs.  The successful applicants will collaborate closely with graduate students, faculty, other postdocs, and agency scientists from multiple institutions and backgrounds.

Postdocs are expected to generate first-authored, collaborative publications, and also contribute in supporting authorship positions with other members of the team.  Each postdoc will also be expected to submit an application with Hopkins and collaborating faculty to the Virginia Tech Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.  The three positions include funding for professional development, scientific communication, and networking opportunities, including conference presentations and travel.

Required qualifications: We are seeking three postdoctoral researchers with a Ph.D. relevant to at least one of the above thematic areas, including but not limited to biogeochemistry, stream ecology, animal behavior, vertebrate physiological ecology, and/or conservation genomics.  Candidates must have a demonstrated track record of collaboration, quantitative skills, multiple peer-reviewed publications, project leadership, and communication with scientific and conservation experts and non-experts. Candidates must have strong laboratory and/or field technical skills related to at least one of the thematic areas.  Candidates must have the ability to travel to field sites with the team frequently, on both single day trips and multi-day excursions during peak field season.  Note that the Ph.D. degree must be completed prior to starting the position at VT.

Preferred qualifications: We seek candidates with a track record of working across disciplinary boundaries eager to participate in team science and the translation of scientific discovery to conservation applications.  Evidence of past research in stream ecosystems, the use of experimental approaches, effective interaction with private landowners, and technological proficiency are beneficial.  Geospatial analytical skills, familiarity with bioinformatic pipelines, experience managing large datasets, and/or willingness to learn different statistical and other modeling tools are also preferred. An interest in and commitment to mentoring graduate and undergraduate students is important.

Virginia Tech is committed to promoting inclusive and equitable opportunities for candidates from a broad range of backgrounds. We encourage applications from traditionally underrepresented groups in ecology and STEM fields, including minority groups, first-generation college students, applicants from low-income backgrounds, or applicants who followed non-traditional paths to academia.