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MS Assistantship on Mountain Plover ecology - Jan 2026 start

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The Gilbert Quantitative Wildlife Ecology Lab at Oklahoma State University is recruiting a MS student to study Mountain Plovers, starting in January 2026.

 

The Mountain Plover is a shorebird of the shortgrass prairie of the western Great Plains and is listed as Near Threatened due to long-term population declines and habitat loss. Western Oklahoma is near the southeast margin of the species’ breeding population; surveys in the 1990’s and early 2000’s documented a small breeding population. However, there have been no follow-up monitoring programs, and thus the current distribution and population size of Mountain Plovers in Oklahoma is unknown. The MS student will lead fieldwork to survey Mountain Plovers during the breeding season (April-June) for two years.

 

The student will be supported by a research assistantship during the spring semester and summer months and a teaching assistantship in the Department of Biology during the fall semesters. Teaching assignments may include teaching ecology or introductory biology labs and typically consist of 2 labs per semester. 

 

The Gilbert Lab conducts a variety of quantitative wildlife research, with previous research projects focused on large-scale patterns in wildlife behavior and community structure as well as developing methods for complex ecological data. 

 

Oklahoma State University is in Stillwater, OK, which has been described as America’s friendliest college town. And this doesn’t seem to be a marketing gimmick by the chamber of commerce – it is a small town where newcomers are welcome and where it is easy to make friends! Cost-of-living is low such that one can live comfortably on a graduate stipend. The state is an interesting place to be a biologist given the diversity of ecoregions. 

  

Desired qualifications 

  • Excellent writing and communication skills 

  • BS in biology, ecology, wildlife, or related field 

  • Experience with conducting field work under challenging conditions

  • Background with statistics/data science and GIS

  • Experience with avian fieldwork/research

 

To apply, email a CV (~2-3 pages; include contact information for 3 references) and cover letter (~1 page) describing your interest in the position and qualifications to Dr. Neil Gilbert (neil.gilbert@okstate.edu) with the subject line “Mountain Plover MS position”. Application deadline is September 5th and review of applications will begin immediately.  

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