The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Wildlife Division, and conservation partners operating in Michigan need a planning document and interactive tool that identifies both priority locations for restoring wetlands and conserving existing wetlands in the context of waterfowl habitat and related ecosystem functions and services. Historically, waterfowl and wetland staff within Wildlife Division have drafted and updated a statewide strategic document outlining where to focus wetland conservation efforts based on physiographic regions and migratory pathways to implement the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) habitat conservation goals. Michigan DNR, Wildlife Division, and partners need updated strategic guidance identifying locations and hotspots that can guide on-the-ground conservation delivery for waterfowl, other wetland wildlife, and societal benefit.
The selected candidate will be a member of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Michigan Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit under the direction of unit scientists. The unit is housed in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University. The position has secured funding support for ~2 years.
The goal of this project is to design and develop spatially explicit decision support tools and assist with updating an Implementation Plan to identify and prioritize locations in Michigan which are most suitable to protect and restore for waterfowl and wetland associated functions and services. This goal will be achieved by fulfilling the following objectives:
- Convening of conservation partners
To convene conservation partners with an interest in waterfowl habitat conservation in Michigan and facilitate the gathering of knowledge, data, and input on habitat objectives, priorities, and modeling.
To model the spatial distribution and quantify the suitability of waterfowl habitat conservation capital and opportunity in Michigan, including consideration and modeling of associated environmental and social factors.
To lead the development of a draft Michigan waterfowl habitat conservation strategy which defines and assesses progress towards habitat restoration and retention objectives, considers historical population dynamics and landscape changes, guides spatial prioritization and evaluation of habitat delivery, evaluates multiple conservation benefits (e.g., ecosystem goods and services), and recommends monitoring and research priorities.
- Interactive online geospatial interface
To design online spatially explicit decision support tools for waterfowl habitat conservation in Michigan. This objective includes the following sub-objective:
To provide all datasets and associated codebooks including all variables and equations, documentation of any weighting and imputation procedures as relevant, any associated survey or interview instruments, and documentation of any models including all equations and a discussion of all assumptions. Datasets and models will be in format compatible with Wildlife Division software and hardware.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Doctorate -Wildlife Ecology and Decision Science
Background managing and analyzing large datasets, developing geospatial models and tools, familiarity with ESRI products or similar GIS software(s), proficient in programming in both R and/or Python. Ability to collaborate and clearly communicate with stakeholders, state and federal agency biologists, university scientists, and non-governmental conservation organizations.
Experience in wildlife ecology, particularly waterfowl and wetland ecology, and in developing decision-support or conservation planning products is preferred but not required.
Please include a cover letter, current CV, and contact information for 3 professional references in one combined document.
07/29/2026
MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/fw/
The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife is a vibrant community of scholars including approximately 50 core faculty, 20 postdoctoral research associates, 100 graduate students, 240 undergraduate students, 7 core staff, and 25 research/center/program staff. Our Mission is to build local, national, and international capacities to conserve ecosystems that support fish, wildlife, and society through integrated programs in research, education and engagement. We are committed to the integrative nature of natural resources conservation and management, with our expertise ranging from disciplinary areas with a long-standing history in the domain of fisheries and wildlife to those emerging more recently.
The U.S. Geological Survey's Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit at Michigan State University was established in 2023. The goal of the cooperative research unit is to work collaboratively with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Fish and Wildlife Service to solve the natural resource challenges in the state, to mentor graduate students to become the next generation of fish and wildlife professionals, and to contribute to the excellence of the Michigan State University Fisheries and Wildlife Department by mentoring students and teaching graduate level courses.
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
