Research Assistant; Byers Lab

Research Assistant (Byers Lab)

Position Details

Working Title
- Research Assistant (Byers Lab)

Department
- Ecology-Odum School of Ecology

About the University of Georgia
- Chartered by the state of Georgia in 1785, the University of Georgia is the birthplace of public higher education in America and is the state's flagship university. The proof is in our more than 240 years of academic and professional achievements and our continual commitment to higher education. UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report.

The University's main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA employs approximately 3,100 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University's enrollment exceeds 41,000 students including over 31,000 undergraduates and over 10,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 19 schools and colleges, including our newly established School of Medicine.

Duties/Responsibilities

Aiding with field and lab work and analyses of data. Projects include invasive fiddler crab experimentation, oyster reef ecology, collecting a data base of life histories of marine species, and marine parasites to name a few. Aid and assist graduate students, undergraduates, and summer helpers.

Travel to Athens, the Whitney Lab, the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, and Sapelo Island and other places on US East coast to help on projects for the lab (mostly in GA, SC, and FL).

Ensuring lab is functioning at maximum efficiency. Duties include keeping supplies in stock, maintaining truck, boat, and trailer.

Develop and lead offshoot projects that are related to current research foci of the Byers lab.

Position Details

Classification Title
- Temporary Hourly Professional

FLSA
- Non-Exempt

UGA Job Code

FTE - 1.0

Minimum Qualifications

Position Summary
- Jeb Byers at the University of Georgia, Odum School of Ecology is hiring a research technician in marine ecology. The focus of this position is to support the functioning of the Byers' lab in Athens and on the Georgia coast. The main base of operation is in Athens, but also includes the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SKIO) in Savannah, Georgia and Sapelo Island.

The technician will maintain the running seawater system, the lab, and field work conducted at SKIO and on the Georgia coast. There may be periodic trips to the UGA campus in Athens and to the UGA Marine Institute on Sapelo Island, as well as other research sites along the nearby coastline. The technician will help postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate students in the Byers lab to conduct field and lab projects, including work on an invasive fiddler crab in southeastern estuaries, the ecology of oyster reefs, the migration of species between marshes and uplands, and parasites of marine arthropods and snails.

Some experiments will be initiated and driven by the technician, including an experiment to assess parasites in beach amphipods and the behavior and ecology of Donax surf clams. The technician needs to have strong skills in marine field work, stable isotopes, and ecological experimentation. It is also desirable that the technician propose some of their own ideas for collaborative components that go beyond the scope of grant projects.

An integrated background in empirical and theoretical ecology, GIS expertise, math and stats background; natural history knowledge of marine organisms, strong interpersonal skills, and working independently are all important assets. The position will be based out of Athens, but many field sites throughout Georgia and South Carolina are also possible sites of work, including the UGA Skidaway Institute and the Marine Institute on Sapelo Island.

More information about the Byers' Lab research can be found at: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). The position is funded for 12 months, with the possibility for extension, especially through new proposals generated. Potential applicants are encouraged to email (jebyers) for additional information. Start date is negotiable, but ideal timing is late August 2026. The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution.

Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, Certification in Position - BS in a related science discipline; at least 1 year of research or technician experience in an ecology lab.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies
- An integrated background in empirical and theoretical ecology, strong intellect, GIS expertise, genetics and molecular ecology experience, and strong interpersonal skills are all important assets.

Physical Demands
- Some of the physical demands of the job include: lifting or carrying supplies; boat work; bugs, mud, and heat.

Is this a Position of Trust? - No

Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources? - No

Does this position require a P-Card? - No

Is having a P-Card an essential…