Cal Poly Humboldt · California · posted 5 days ago
Cal Poly Humboldt’s Department of Wildlife seeks a master’s student to study barn owl nest-site selection in California almond and pistachio orchards. Fieldwork in the southern Central Valley in late spring/early summer 2027 and 2028 will involve monitoring 64 new camera-equipped nest boxes, half containing debris from previously used barn owl boxes, to test whether barn owls use social cues when selecting nest sites. The student will also help capture and age colonizing owls and fit as many as possible with GPS trackers. The position runs from January 2027 through December 2028 and pays $33,280 annually for 20 hours/week during the academic year, while also taking classes, and 40 hours/week during summer (@$26/hr). An in-state tuition waiver worth approximately $11,000/year is also included. Applicants from the 15 Western States receive the full waiver; those from other states are responsible for out-of-state tuition, currently $396/unit. The position will also involve supervising one field technicians to assist with field work. The work is funded by the California Dept of Pesticide Regulation and will involve collaboration with Drs. Danny Karp and Roger Baldwin from UC Davis’s Dept of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology. Required qualifications include: (a) BS in Ecology, Wildlife or related field, (b) interest in and capacity for technical aspects of camera traps and GPS tags, (c) strong quantitative skills, (d) interest in agroecology, and (e) willingness to work in hot conditions and in collaboration with private farms. Preferred qualifications include experience handling raptors, experience with statistical modeling analyses using R, and/or experience working with farmers. Candidates should express interest with a cover letter/statement of purpose, resume, and list of three references in an email to Matt Johnson at matt.johnson@humboldt.edu; please use the subject line OWL SOCIAL CUE MS APPLICANT. Your application statement of purpose should express interest in this position and articulate the required and any preferred qualifications. The top selected candidate will then be asked to fully apply to the Natural Resources graduate program at Cal Poly Humboldt https://cnrs.humboldt.edu/node/294. In addition to the application documents already mentioned, the full graduate school application also requires official transcripts and a $70 application fee. Applications accepted now (Sept 2026); review of applicants begins on 30 Oct 2026; the position remains open until filled.
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