RA Insect-Habitat Relationahips – M. Akresh [Work-Study]

Start Date: 8/30/21
End Date: 5/6/22
Number of Positions: 5
Hours per Week: 9
Weekends Required: 1-2 weekends in September
Evenings Required: No

Supervisor:  Michael Akresh

This position allows for remote work Yes/No:  Yes

Percentage of time that could be remote (0-100%):  100%

Method to assess remote work: Supervisor will be in weekly communication with the students to monitor that the work is being completed. Supervisor will check samples, pictures, and data from the sites where surveys are being conducted,. Through the above communication and checking, the supervisor will be able to assess if the work hours on task are accurately represented (given the amount of time it should take to complete the work). Additionally, some of the work will be done remotely with the supervisor outside. One outcome will be a collection of pinned and labelled bees and moths. A second outcome will be completed datasets of bees, moths, dragonflies, butterflies, and vegetation from last summer’s surveys. The overall goal will be at least two published scientific manuscripts from the work. The students will learn how to conduct research on insects, and improve their data management skills.

Job Description

Assistants are needed to help with ongoing research on insect-habitat relationships in open-canopy habitats (fens, peatlands, shrublands) in New England. The research assistants will work with AUNE faculty and other agency collaborators. The work will entail conducting butterfly, dragonfly, and bee surveys in New Hampshire in the early fall. Work in late fall and winter will be organizing and managing collected data (e.g., washing and drying bees, pinning bees and moths collected from previous years, taking pictures of collected insects and uploading these pictures to iNaturalist, identifying insects to species, organizing data in Excel), writing up summary reports, and potentially assisting with GIS and statistical analyses on the data.

Qualifications

• Interest in research that focuses on insect communities • Excellent attention to detail • Excellent data management and organizational skills • Excellent communication skills • Quantitative skills; ability to use Excel, and some familiarity and experience with using R and ArcGIS would be an added benefit • Federal work study funds

How to Apply: Send a short cover letter of interest and your CV to Mike Akresh

Email:  [email protected]

Position Type: Work-Study
Department: Environmental Studies