Wildlife Biology Program

32 Campus Drive, FOR 312

  Missoula, Montana 59812

MS Assistantship Black-billed Cuckoos Occupancy Modeling with Automated Acoustic Recording Units, in the Wildlife Biology Program at the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana.

Gómez Lab Diversity Statement

As a first-generation American and POC, Dr. Gómez cares deeply about promoting human diversity in the conservation and academic profession. To that goal, the Gómez lab encourages and recruits people of diverse backgrounds to join our lab. The lab approaches issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion as a journey and not a destination. In this, we hope to improve continually. The Gómez lab acknowledges that UM is located on the aboriginal territories of the Salish and Kalispel people and will work to make connections and develop relationships with native peoples. We work to provide opportunities regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, economic status, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or veteran.

Project Description 

Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos are in trouble in Western North America. Both species are declining rapidly in the region because of the degradation and destruction of multi-age forests along the region’s largest rivers. Understanding where they live and how many there are from year-to-year are baseline requirements to facilitate conservation and decision making, but getting that data for cuckoos is challenging. First, they inhabit areas that are frequently very difficult to access due to either private lands or remoteness. Second, once researchers are on-site, detecting the presence of cuckoos is difficult because they hide in dense cover and vocalize infrequently. To improve survey techniques for cuckoos, we are undertaking a project to evaluate the effectiveness of AudioMoth automated acoustic recording units (ARUs) and machine-learning identification of calls compared with normal in-person point count surveys. We are currently recruiting a masters student to lead the fieldwork, analysis, and publication portions of this project in collaboration with university, NGO, and state agency partners.

Successful Candidates

The successful candidate should be willing and excited to learn skills related to the deployment of AudioMoths in remote locations, management and analysis of acoustic data, communication of results to diverse stakeholders, and publication of manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals.

Funding

Support will come from 4-semester TA Assistantships (0.5 FTE not to exceed 20 hours a week during Fall and winter semesters). This assistantship is $5,200 a semester for a total of $10,400 for the academic year. Our collaborator, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, will be supplying an estimated $6,000 in summer salary for a total of $16,400 per year. The Smithsonian will also fund research-related expenses. The assistantship will include a tuition waiver. However, the estimated $1,070 student fees are not covered. We will work to decrease that burden by seeking more funding support, but we cannot guarantee more support. Dr. Gómez will also work with the accepted student to seek additional funding support.

Graduate Entrance Requirements

• A bachelors degree related to wildlife biology. This could include but is not limited to wildlife ecology, ecology, biology, conservation, or environmental science.

• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 GPA or better.

• GRE scores are not required by UM but students are welcome to submit them if they wish. Note about the GRE, there has been substantial research that has determined GRE is not fair for all students. The Gómez Lab understands this. Prospective students will not be harmed by not submitting GRE scores.

Advising and Degree

The MS student will be housed in the Wildlife Biology Program at UM, which is recognized as one of the country’s top wildlife biology research programs and the second oldest wildlife biology program. The student will be co-advised by Dr. Erim Gómez, a UM Assistant Professor of Wildlife Biology, and Dr. Andy Boyce, Conservation Ecologist at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and Faculty Affiliate at UM. Dr. Boyce is located in Missoula, Montana.

Initial Application

To apply please fill out the online Google form.

Please include

1. Statement of interest (include your interest in the project and willingness to learn needed skills, share related experiences, and career goals).
2. CV or detailed resume 
3. Unofficial transcripts.

Optional Submissions

• Diversity Statement: How do you encourage diversity, equity, or inclusion in the past, present, or plan to in the future? What does diversity mean to you? What significant barriers, challenges, obstacles have you overcome? This may be used to seek additional funding support, such as a DEI fellowship or scholarship.

• Sample of Writing: This can include term paper, technical report, undergraduate thesis, or scientific publication.

Initial review of applications will begin on Dec. 3. The finalists will be notified by the first week of January and will be asked to supply references and a Zoom interview will be set up. Google application form: https://bit.ly/3GKlIBB 

One finalist will be asked to apply to the UM Graduate School by January 15, 2022. We plan on asking only one selectee to apply and submit the UM Graduate School application and the associated $60 application fee.  

Must be available for fieldwork by June 1, 2022.

For more information contact Erim Gómez at erim.gomez@umonanta.edu on IG @CumbiaConservationist