The student is expected to provide the following deliverables as part of the project: 1) canvass stakeholders to collate community knowledge about colony locations, 2) conduct two field seasons (roughly April through July) to search for and monitor colonies across the state of Oklahoma (mostly land-based surveys but with the possibility of kayak surveys for difficult-to-access areas), and 3) conduct analyses to quantify landscape characteristics influencing the presence, abundance, species composition, and stability of colonies.
Qualifications:
-
BS in Biology, Wildlife, or related field
-
Excellent writing and communication skills
-
Experience conducting fieldwork under challenging conditions
-
Experience using R​
-
Strong background in bird identification and ecology
​
Application instructions
Submit, as a single PDF, a brief (1 page maximum) cover letter describing your interest and qualification for the position and a current CV to neil.gilbert@okstate.edu with the subject line “Heron MS position”. The deadline to apply is 31 October 2026. Applications will be reviewed 11/2-11/3 and Zoom interviews will be conducted 11/4-11/11.
The Gilbert Lab at Oklahoma State University is recruiting a MS student, to start in January 2027, for a project intended to provide updated information on wading bird breeding colonies in Oklahoma, with a focus on Snowy Egrets and Little Blue Herons (both considered Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Oklahoma). The project is funded by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the MS position is fully funded with a tuition waiver. The student will be funded on an RA during the spring semesters and summers and on a TA in the Department of Biology during the fall semesters.