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Two positions as a Mussel Field Biologist at the level of Assistant Technical Scientist III, and one position as Mussel Field Biologist Coordinator at the level of Assistant Research Scientist III, Illinois Natural History Survey, Division of Biodiversity and Ecological Entomology. These are grant-supported fulltime positions.

Location: Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign and Springfield, Illinois.

Project description:
This project will collect baseline mussel data in conjunction with existing basin surveys for fishes on wadeable streams and other high priority locations in Illinois. These data will fill knowledge gaps in Illinois' Wildlife Action Plan, support revisions of current mussel community indices, assist water quality initiatives, and guide restoration initiatives.

Job description:
The principal duty of these positions is to conduct field surveys for mussels at selected drainage basin throughout Illinois. Field surveys will include hand sampling for mussels and measuring stream habitat. The Mussel Field Biologists will assist in report writing for the funding agency and will participate in curation and collections management as needed. The Coordinator will oversee and manage the project. If time permits, outreach activities and independent research will be encouraged.

Qualifications:
MA/MS in Biology or related field is required by date of hire. Expertise with field collection, processing, identification, and vouchering of mussels is strongly desired. Preference will be given to candidates with expertise and experience with Midwestern mussels. The candidates must have strong interpersonal skills and be able to express thoughts coherently, both verbally and in writing, to coworkers, the granting agency, the scientific and lay communities, and landowners associated with research sites. Experience with ArcGIS, multi-metric indices, database management, statistics and analytical methods is desirable for the coordinator position. Experience with museum collections, database management, and analysis of data is also desirable.

Specific questions regarding the position should be referred to Kevin Cummings, Search Chair, (217) 333-1623 (ksc@inhs.uiuc.edu).

MS Graduate Research Assistantship - spatial variability of stream mussel assemblages and sampling sufficiency, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Responsibilities:
The successful applicant will conduct a 2-3 year research project to evaluate the reach-scaled variability of mussel assemblages and sampling sufficiency in Illinois wadeable streams. The project is a cooperative effort with the IL Department of Natural Resources and will involve field and laboratory work to collect samples, identify mussel species, and analyzing the data.

Qualifications:
The successful applicant should have interests in freshwater mussel ecology, be highly motivated & self-organized, and should be able to work independently in the field and lab. Experiences in mussel identifications and biostatistics will be assets. Minimum academic qualifications include a B.S. in fisheries, ecology, zoology, or closely related field, 1100+ on the GRE's combined verbal and quantitative, 4.5 on the analytical writing, and a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 system). Additional graduate program information can be found at: www.nres.uiuc.edu.

Salary:
$1,500 per month for 11-month plus tuition waiver and benefit.

Review of applications will begin May 20, 2008. Preferred starting date: Aug. 2008. Send a cover letter, resume, copies of transcripts, GRE scores, and the names, phone numbers, and email address of three references to:

Dr. Yong Cao, Illinois Natural History Survey (217) 244-6847, yongcao@uiuc.edu.