HHL Is Recruiting! Undergraduate, Graduate and Staff Roles
Undergraduate
Undergraduate students are at the core of the HHL team and a critical focus of our mentorship approach. Each fall we welcome a new cohort of undergraduate research students to join our team, where they will receive mentorship from a number of peers (undergraduate students), graduate student researchers, research staff and community partners. Please consider joining our team in one of the following ways:
Outstanding Scholar (Three positions)
Science Communication / Lab Storyteller – Engage in listening, storytelling and use of social media platforms to inspire and reconnect the public(s) with freshwater ecosystems
Biodiversity Assessment & Benthic Biomonitoring – Learn how to identify benthic invertebrates from streams, drains, and wetlands of southern Ontario and contribute to our growing database of aquatic communities in human-impacted environments. Work in partnership in the community and participate in local fieldwork.
Carbon Characterization of Soil and Water – Learn how to operate analytical tools to characterize the carbon and nutrient levels in soil and water across human-impacted environments of southern Ontario. Work in partnership in the community and participate in local fieldwork.
Graduate Student Positions (MSc or PhD)
HHL is looking for 2-3 graduate students to carry out research on one of the following themes. They would enroll in either January or September 2023, which the added opportunity to initiate community relationship-building and fieldwork in the Spring of 2023 (April/May). The projects are focused on the following topics::
Species-at-risk conservation & habitat restoration of Unionid freshwater mussels in southern Ontario (Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk). How can we better protect existing mussel populations and restore their critical habitats and watersheds? Check out some of our mussels projects here
Resistance, resilience and restoration in human-impacted landscapes (NSERC Canada Discovery Grant) What are the attributes of degraded and chronically stressed freshwater ecosystems? How can concepts of resistance and resilience help overcome restoration delays and failures? Focusing on human-impacted waterways and landscapes, we will explore invertebrate and plant communities across the land-water interface to advance new theory on achieving freshwater restoration at a range of scales.
Carbon characterization of humic substances and in human-impacted landscapes (MITACS Accelerate Grant). How can fluorometric properties of carbon be used as an ecosystem tracer and provide clues into likely sources and ecosystem processes that can inform agricultural applications and freshwater restoration? We will combine lab and field approaches to generate a carbon-model for the region and to inform agricultural applications of humic substances for improved crop practices and climate resilience.
Staff
We are also hiring new research staff positions on a part-time/hourly basis. Responsibilities would include:
Benthic Biomonitoring – Experienced in field collection of benthic invertebrates, and provincial and/or federal protocols for biomonitoring.
Stream Ecology Field Technician – Experienced in freshwater habitat monitoring methods including OBBN, OSAP and CABIN, and in training teams to conduct ecological assessments. Data entry, analysis and communication skills are also assets.
Interested applicants are encouraged to email healthy.headwaters@uwindsor.ca with expressions of interest by JULY 29TH, 2022 including:
(1) which level of position they are interested in (undergraduate, graduate, or staff), (2) a clear identification of which dimension(s) of the project they would like to pursue, (3) relevant academic and work experience, (4) unofficial academic transcripts, (5) resumé/CV, and, (6) names and contacts for three references by July 29th, 2022.
The Healthy Headwaters Lab acknowledges that our research is conducted on the traditional unceded lands of many First Nations who have connections to these freshwater systems that extend beyond the beginnings of Western science. We strongly encourage Indigenous applicants to apply and assure that they will be supported to take their role in the direction of their choosing.
We are committed to fostering a true sense of belonging in academic and research environments, which necessitates learning and unlearning to ensure equitable, diverse and inclusive environments that together underpin research excellence, impact and progress towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.
