Research Assistant

Job Overview

Employees will assist with research on the federally endangered dusky gopher frog, Rana sevosa.

Duties include:

• Capturing and caring for gopher frogs and species that interact with gopher frogs (including other amphibians, tortoises, snakes, rodents, fishes, insects, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and plants) in the field and in outdoor and indoor research facilities.
• Measuring, weighing, marking, and identifying by species and marking codes frogs and other experimental animals.
• Conducting field and laboratory experiments with gopher frogs and other species under the direction of WCU faculty and graduate students.
• Accurately recording data onto data sheets and subsequently entering the data into computer spreadsheets.
• Constructing and maintaining experimental facilities in the field and laboratory, including field enclosures for frogs, artificial ponds (in cattle watering tanks), aquaria, laboratory cages, and specialized experimental apparatuses.
• Operating U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, WCU, and private vehicles for travel to research sites.
• Summarizing research data into tables, figures, and narratives, and conducting statistical analyses of these data.
• Writing reports and giving oral presentations summarizing research activities, results, and data for use by funding and permitting agencies and other interested parties; contributing to writing publications on research results for scientific journals.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities required: employees must be able to work independently with minimal supervision at a remote field site in the DeSoto National Forest in southern Mississippi, be extremely meticulous, careful, and responsible, be good with animals, and be willing to work under hot, cold, humid, rainy, or buggy conditions during daytime, nighttime, weekdays, and weekends.

The ideal candidate has at least a

B. S. degree in biological sciences and a strong interest and experience in conservation biology, ecology, and herpetology.

Temporary employees are paid bi-weekly on an hourly basis and do not receive benefits.

Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; religion; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; political affiliation;
National Guard or veteran status, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and policies, and the policies of The University of North Carolina. Additionally, the University promotes the realization of equal employment opportunity for minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and veterans through its affirmative action program. Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process please call  or email .