Fish and wildlife management in the Pacific Northwest is dependent on collective action to address emergent threats, including warming waters and intensifying wildfires. Many different groups, including watershed councils, soil and water conservation districts, nonprofits, and state, federal and Tribal agencies must collaborate to respond to these evolving challenges. However, conservation scientists and practitioners rarely have the training or time they need to engage with the “hidden homework” of making complex group decision-making effective.

This MS student will work on topics under the umbrella of team science, which might include: trust and distrust, empathy, conflict, creativity, collective action, and facilitation. Focal domains the student could integrate include river and wetland habitat restoration, wildfire adaptation, human-beaver coexistence, and management of threatened and endangered species such as salmon and steelhead. They will develop skills in both qualitative and quantitative social science, including interviews, document analysis, and related approaches such as social network analysis. Focal geographies might include the Oregon coast, the Klamath Basin, or the Columbia River Basin.

Start date: September 25, 2025 or sooner (summer stipend available)

Salary: 12 months of Graduate Research Assistant support for two years including salary (~$30-33k) and covering the costs of tuition, fees and benefits.

To apply: Please download the attached position description (which you can find here) and submit the required packet. Priority will be given to applications received by Monday, March 17th. Feel free to reach out with questions.

If you are interested in exploring postdoctoral scholar or research associate opportunities in my lab, please feel free to reach out to discuss ideas.

Prospective students are also welcome to contact me if you’re interested in exploring future graduate opportunities within the HD Lab. Please include the following in your email:
- A current CV
- 1-2 paragraphs outlining your research interests, and how they align with the HD Lab
- How you plan to pursue funding for your graduate degree (see here for details)

For more details on the graduate admission process in the Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences department, check out the department website.

There are many other research groups working on these issues. You might consider subscribing to some list-servs to where you can keep track of graduate student and postdoctoral opportunities as they arise, including:

• IASNR google group (International Association for Society & Natural Resources)

• SSWG google group (Society for Conservation Biology’s Social Science Working Group)

• ESS forum (Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences)