Senior Research Associate - Metropolitan Human-Wildlife Conflicts

Working Title

Senior Research Associate - Metropolitan Human-Wildlife Conflicts

Athens Area

Employee, Full Time, 12‑month position subject to availability of funds

$48,000

Open until filled as of 08/24/2021; proposed start date 10/01/2021

The successful candidate will conduct a human dimensions study in the metropolitan Atlanta region, including the following:

• Determine residents’ level of wildlife tolerance and determinants of tolerance (attitudes, beliefs, risk concerns, pet ownership, socio-demographics).
• Assess perceived positive and negative impacts of wildlife and whether certain species are liked or disliked.
• Evaluate residents’ knowledge of appropriate actions to mitigate human–wildlife conflicts and willingness to engage in these actions.
• Understand residents’ prior awareness of Georgia Department of Natural Resources and level of trust in GADNR.
• Identify residents’ preferred channels for receiving information about living with wildlife.

Duties include designing and pre‑testing online surveys, coordinating with Qualtrics, ensuring data quality, cleaning and analyzing data via regression analyses, ensuring compliance with IRB, generating a final report with descriptive statistics and recommendations to GADNR, presenting results to GADNR, disseminating findings at academic meetings and conferences, and performing additional research and extension tasks as identified by Dr. Pienaar.

• 60% – Design, implement and analyze surveys.
• 25% – Generate final report for GADNR and present results.
• 15% – Disseminate research findings and undertake additional research tasks.

Requires at least a baccalaureate degree in the field.

MS or PhD in human dimensions, social sciences, or related discipline conferred by August 31, 2021. Applicants must have experience in survey design and quantitative analysis, including logistic regression, and be proficient in statistical programming languages such as R or STATA.

Graduate level coursework in human dimensions theories and methods or comparable social sciences methods. Demonstrated ability to apply theories and methods in applied research. Experience in survey design and quantitative analysis, including logistic regression. Proficiency in R or STATA.

• Must meet with research team regularly (subject to COVID‑19 protocols).
• Must complete duties on the UGA campus; travel may be required.
• Driving is a responsibility of this position.
• Position is not a trust position, has no direct interaction with children, no securities access, no financial control, and no P‑Card requirements.

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, veteran status, or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb).