The McCluney and Michaels Labs (https://blogs.bgsu.edu/mccluneylab/ & https://blogs.bgsu.edu/michaelslab/) are seeking multiple undergraduate or recently graduated (2024) students for a summer research experience focused on wetland plants and water quality. These positions are part of the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Harmful Algae Bloom Research Initiative and the state’s H2Ohio Wetlands initiative (https://h2.ohio.gov/), which is a collaborative project with researchers from across Ohio. Research assistants will perform weather dependent fieldwork (including identifying plants to species level) across numerous newly constructed wetlands mostly within NW Ohio, sample plants in the field, as well as perform laboratory processing of biomass samples for nutrient analyses. Assistants will also work with other teams at BGSU and other Universities (e. g. drone remote sensing team at the University of Toledo).
Required Qualifications:
● Ability to work efficiently while paying attention to details, work well independently & in teams, follow directions and ask follow-up questions when making decisions
● Ability to traverse wetlands in waders and jon boats and extract soil cores
● Ability to walk 2 miles through densely vegetated, uneven terrain carrying field equipment (quadrats, GPS units, rulers, soil corers, etc.) and plant samples
● Ability to stay positive and effective during long and hot days in the field
● Willingness and flexibility to work an irregular schedule dictated by the weather (possibly including occasional weekend and overnight travel)
Preferred Qualifications:
● Experience and/or coursework in botany, ecology, biology, environmental sciences, rangeland sciences, agriculture, geology, soils, or related fields
● Experience with dichotomous keys and/or the ability to identify plant species in the wetlands of the Great Lakes region
● Experience working in field and laboratory environments
● Experience with electronic field data collection devices and software (GPS units, handheld tablets, GIS, and ESRI’s Survey 123 and Field Maps)
Pay is $13 per hour, 20-40 hours per week with work starting in May and continuing through August, with the possibility of extending into the fall semester depending on school obligations. Internship credit eligible. We have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion and highly encourage members of groups underrepresented in science to apply.
To apply: send a resume/CV and cover letter, and unofficial transcript to Ewan Isherwood, at: Eisherw@bgsu.edu. Review of applications will begin on March 16th and will continue until all positions are filled.