Funded MS Research Assistantship on Team Science and Ecological Stewardship

[Megan S Jones]

Hi all,

I am recruiting for a new Master's student to join my lab - please share with potential applicants. Details below.

Thanks!

Megan 

Funded MS Research Assistantship on Team Science and Ecological Stewardship

Fish and wildlife management in the Pacific Northwest is dependent on collective action to address emergent threats, including warming waters and intensifying wildfires. Many different groups, including watershed councils, soil and water conservation districts, nonprofits, and state, federal and Tribal agencies must collaborate to respond to these evolving challenges. However, conservation scientists and practitioners rarely have the training or time they need to engage with the “hidden homework” of making complex group decision-making effective.

This MS student will work on topics under the umbrella of team science, which might include: trust and distrust, empathy, conflict, creativity, collective action, and facilitation. Focal domains the student could integrate include river and wetland habitat restoration, wildfire adaptation, human-beaver coexistence, and management of threatened and endangered species such as salmon and steelhead. They will develop skills in both qualitative and quantitative social science, including interviews, document analysis, and related approaches such as social network analysis. Focal geographies might include the Oregon coast, the Klamath Basin, or the Columbia River Basin.

The student will join a dynamic, supportive, interdisciplinary lab group and have the opportunity to work closely with both governmental research partners, particularly the U.S. Geological Survey and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and partners in non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The student will be expected to play an active role in collaborative research and project management. They will receive two years of funding and will develop and implement a project-related thesis under the mentorship of their advisor, Dr. Megan Jones. The student would receive a degree in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Science.

Location: Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon

Start date: September 25, 2025 or sooner (summer stipend available for early start)

Salary: 12 months of Graduate Research Assistant support for two years including salary (~$30-33k) and covering the costs of tuition, fees and benefits.

To apply: Please download the attached position description (which you can also find here) and submit the required packet. Priority will be given to applications received by Monday, March 17th. Feel free to reach out with questions to megan...@oregonstate.edu.