The Abella Conservation Ecology Laboratory in Las Vegas, NV is seeking at least two full- and at least one part-time field and laboratory assistants/technicians to assist with desert and dryland upland and riparian vegetation monitoring and restoration projects in the west and southwest United States. Positions start May 1 or June 1, 2022 and end October 31, 2022 with the potential for extension through February 2023 pending additional funding. Positions will remain open until filled. The latest application date for a June start is May 1, 2022.

We have several summer projects, including assessing the effects of drought on desert ecosystems, assessing the effects of nonnative plant invasion and wildfires and fuels reduction treatments on P-J woodlands, determining if recent tree encroachment into meadows is a natural or recent phenomena due to ecological change, and assessing the effectiveness of native plant restoration in a desert riparian zone to promote plant and pollinator community recovery. We will be traveling to field sites in southeastern California, southern Nevada including the Gold Butte area, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, and Bryce Canyon National Park. During the fall, we will be conducting soil sampling at field sites in southeastern California and southern Nevada and conducing soil analyses in the laboratory, while continuing soil seed bank and seed ecology laboratory and greenhouse studies associated with the projects listed above.

Research assistants/technicians provide important support to research staff and UNLV graduate students by assisting with maintaining laboratory, greenhouse, and field components of projects. Project activities include botanical inventories, seed bank assays, seed ecology and pollination experiments, dendrochronology, soil analyses, and phenology and pollinator observations. These positions are professional contract positions and a great opportunity for early and mid-career professionals in ecology and botany. We will provide training and guidance to employees to achieve successful project participation, implementation, and management.

Minimum qualifications:
-A bachelor’s degree in the sciences, or biology, ecology, environmental science, or a related degree.
-If applying for a full-time position, some field or outdoor experience (e.g., previous field work, camping and hiking, or backpacking) is necessary.
-Be a United States citizen, have a current and valid state driver’s license, and have no personal at-fault accidents in the last three years.

Other qualifications:
At least two years field ecology research experience
Ability and willingness to camp and hike
Field navigation (GPS, map and compass) and 4WD experience
Experience with mapping programs, such as ArcGIS or Google Earth
Previous plant identification and soil analysis experience
Forest measurements and dendrochronology experience
Pollinator survey experience
Ability to work in a group or independently

Please feel free to contact us before applying if you have any questions. To apply, please send a CV or resume, two-three references, and a note to introduce yourself and extrapolate on your qualifications to Lindsay Chiquoine (lindsay.chiquoine@unlv.edu). Applicants are encouraged to briefly elaborate on their personal, academic, or professional experiences. Salary (full-time) and hourly (part-time) are commensurate with experience. Full-time employment includes benefits. Please include in the subject line the position “Research Assistant 2022”  otherwise your email may be missed.

We actively participate in disseminating our research. Please see Dr. Scott Abella’s website to check out our recent work and publications:  https://sites.google.com/site/scottrabella/