Opportunities for Summer 2022

We are no longer accepting applications at this time.

Full-time seasonal field assistant positions begin around June 1, 2022 and continue for 10 to 16 weeks (depending on the position). Our lab studies the links between insects, landscapes, and their conservation in support of healthy ecosystems and human well being. Specific projects are listed below, though assistants may work across multiple projects. All positions are based in Madison, WI with frequent travel around southern and central Wisconsin. No experience necessary, just enthusiasm for insect conservation, ecology, and/or sustainable agriculture.

Position Descriptions:

Position: Student field assistant (multiple available)

• Pay rate: $15 / hour
• Start date/duration: Full-time seasonal position for ~10-12 weeks between May and August

Job responsibilities:

• Handle & identify plants and insects in the field
• Collect, record, & process data
• Maintain field equipment
• Be willing to work in challenging conditions (high temperatures, buggy, steep slopes, tall vegetation, heavy pollen, etc.)
• Work independently & collaborate with a team
• Drive to & from field sites (<50 miles of Madison)
• Some projects may require long hours or weekend work

Requirements:

• Valid US driver’s license and ability to obtain driver authorization from UW Risk Management. (https://businessservices.wisc.edu/managing-risk/driver-authorization-and-insurance/driver-authorization/#become – see “Requirement Criteria”)
• Attention to detail and ability to stay focused on tedious or repetitive tasks
• Coursework or interest in ecology, biology, entomology, or related fields
• Ability to work independently and with others
• Experience with or willingness to learn insect handling, including bees, and processing techniques
• Enjoy being outside, comfortable working in hot/humid conditions.

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.  Our lab aims to make science and ecology more inclusive of people of all identities, and we strongly encourage people of color, and people of all genders, sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds to apply.  See our full equity and inclusion statement on our website:  http://gratton.entomology.wisc.edu/equity-inclusion-statement/

We are no longer accepting applications at this time.

2022 Project Descriptions:

Bumble bee population and landscape ecology

• Project Lead: Jade Kochanski
• Evaluating efficacy of prairie restorations as a tool for conserving bumble bee populations. We will survey bumble bees in prairies across southern Wisconsin using a range of methods to measure their population dynamics, collect tissue for genetic analyses in the lab, and quantify habitat quality. Possibility of continuing lab work and sample processing during the academic year.

Bumble bee habitat management

• Project Lead: Genevieve Pugesek
• Exploring the effects of controlled burns on bumble bee communities. We will visit natural areas across southern Wisconsin to survey bumble bee abundance and the availability of nesting and floral resources in burned and unburned oak savannas. Field technicians will gain experience handling insects, conducting transect surveys, and identifying bumble bees and flowering plants to species (please contact gpugesek@wisc.edu with any questions regarding this project).

We regularly hire and mentor undergraduate students interested in research projects going on in the lab.  We regularly seek students for summer paid work opportunities.  If they are available, they will be listed on this page.  We typically start our recruiting in February for summer positions, but feel free to contact us at any time.  Students will be exposed to a diversity of exciting projects related to the landscape ecology of insects and arthropods in agricultural landscapes.

We’re especially interested in recruiting students who are early in their college career and may be interested in working with us for several summers or conducting independent research in the lab in the future.  This is a great opportunity to gain research experience and interact with graduate students.

Need help with crafting your resume?  Contact the UW Writing Center (https://writing.wisc.edu/) for great advice or see the Purdue Online Writing Lab.