The Biological Sciences Department at Cal Poly Pomona is recruiting a teacher-scholar postdoctoral position. The position involves research in the lab of Dr. Erin Questad, as well as teaching and student mentoring with a diverse student body. The postdoc will be involved in ongoing, collaborative research projects and will be encouraged to pursue their own creative interests. Current areas of focus in the lab include post-fire restoration in Southern California plant communities and biodiversity-ecosystem function feedbacks between restoration and agricultural management in the Santa Clara River Valley. The postdoc can also take advantage of Cal Poly Pomona’s recent investment in field instrumentation such as an eddy covariance tower and hyperspectral and LiDAR UAV systems. They will be encouraged to participate in early-career faculty training with RESCUE-NET, a network of faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions with teaching interests in ecology. The ideal start date is August 22, 2022 but may be flexible. The position is for two years and is based at Cal Poly Pomona in Pomona, California. Starting salary is $64,500 with comprehensive healthcare and other benefits provided. Additional funding for research travel and expenses is available. Our program has a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Applicants from historically excluded groups are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about the position please contact Erin Questad.

Essential Duties

• Teach one course per semester
• Supervise ongoing restoration ecology field research projects in Southern California
• Participate in manuscript preparation using existing datasets
• Mentor undergraduate and/or master’s students engaged in independent research
• Meet with research collaborators and RESCUE-NET faculty
• Participate in curriculum development that uses recently acquired instrumentation (eddy covariance, UAVs, etc.)

Qualifications

The postdoc should have research expertise in plant ecology, the ability to teach courses in ecology, and a demonstrated interest in working with undergraduate and Master’s students from diverse backgrounds.

Basic qualifications (required at time of application):

• PhD in ecology, forestry, environmental sciences, or another relevant field
• Research experience with field studies in plant/restoration ecology, plant functional traits, and experimental ecology
• Ability to work with a diverse team
• Ability to provide inclusive and culturally sensitive mentoring

Preferred qualifications:

Preference will be given to applicants with

• Expertise in ecophysiology or remote sensing
• Strong communication and organizational skills
• Ability to lead, design and conduct robust reproducible science
• Strong publication records, or the potential for developing one
• Prior teaching experience

Application Requirements

Please email the following documents as a single pdf file to ejquestad@cpp.edu with the subject “Postdoc application – Last name, First name”.

• Curriculum Vitae – Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter – (2 page max.): explaining why you are interested in this position and what makes you a good candidate for it
• Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – (1 page max.) which includes a discussion of past contributions to diversity and future plans for continuing this effort.

• Contact information for at least 3 references

Applications will be accepted until July 22, 2022.