Hometown?
Issaquah, Washington
 
Where did you study for your undergraduate degree?
University of Washington
 
What project were you working on immediately before joining the Lewison Lab?
Before joining the lab, I was working as a fisheries observer in the Deep-Set Buoy Gear, Drift Gillnet, and Deep-Set Longline fisheries targeting swordfish and tuna in Southern California. 
 
What experience led you to pursue your current career path?
Growing up, I was consistently surrounded by fishing, rivers, Puget Sound, and salmon. My hometown even has an annual festival, Salmon Days, to celebrate the return of the local Chinook population. This appreciation for the ecological, economic, and social benefits fish provides people, paired with early career exposure to fisheries management and conservation research solidified my path in the field. 
 
What are you most excited about in joining the Lewison Lab and the SDSU Ecology Program?
I am excited to contribute alongside a bright group of individuals on applied science topics and develop quantitative fisheries and ecological modeling skills. 
 
What is your favorite study species you have worked with?
Steelhead, Oncorhynchus mykiss
 
Favorite place you have lived/visited?
Lived - Washington State. It’s hard to think of a better place to live than the Cascades. Visited - The Andes, but specifically Peru and Colombia. Experiencing Colombia’s unmatched tropical biodiversity and Peru’s high alpine on the Cordillera Huayhuash were spectacular experiences. 
 
Who is your science hero?
Billy Frank Jr was an incredibly influential environmental leader and treaty rights activist for both his Nisqually Indian Tribe and Pacific Northwest salmon. His legacy integrated social, cultural, and ecological values in salmon conservation and serves as a powerful inspiration for fisheries management. 
 
What is your dream job?
Research Fisheries Biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service or similar agency.
Random fun fact that we don't know about you!
I have poison dart frogs as pets. But they’re not poisonous in captivity.

Hometown?
New York, NY

Where did you study for your undergraduate degree?
Oberlin College, where I majored in biology.

What project were you working on immediately before joining the Lewison Lab?
I was working with whale sharks, characterizing their distribution in the western North Atlantic Ocean using species distribution modeling.

What experience led you to pursue your current career path?
It’s hard to settle on a single experience (because there were several!), so I’ll summarize what was the most recent and what I would describe as my first. The most recent would be my work investigating whale shark movement ecology, where I was a summer student fellow with Dr. Camrin Braun at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I had some experience in R but nothing nearly as quantitatively focused. That said, I really learned to appreciate (and now seek out) how we can harness something as small as a laptop and use it to help us address complex questions in a difficult to work in field—the open ocean. Pivoting, the first experience would be me winning a goldfish at a carnival when I was ~13 or so and got a tank to support it: slippery slope from there (pun intended).

What are you most excited about in joining the Lewison Lab and the SDSU Ecology Program?
To join a team that geeks out over the same topics as myself, join a supportive community, and learn about/contribute some awesome research along the way.

What is your favorite study species you have worked with?
Whale sharks.

Favorite place you have lived/visited?
Cairns, Australia

Who is your science hero?
Her deepness, Sylvia Earle

What is your dream job?
To continue what I’m doing!
​
Random fun fact that we don’t know about you!
Broke my collarbone rolling off my bed in my sleep.

​Wildlife Landscape Ecology
We are seeking a highly qualified and experienced candidate to join our research team and lead research aimed at understanding the dynamic relationships among animal distribution, abundance and landscape structure, composition, configuration and connectivity. Applicants should have strong interest and background in applied ecology, conservation, and spatial analyses. Quantitative proficiency in occupancy, sightability, mark/recapture, connectivity and other relevant quantitative approaches is needed.
 
Seabird Population Dynamics
Southern California is home to some of the largest breeding colonies of seabirds and coastal/wetland shorebirds. In partnership with CDFW, IEMM provides quantitative expertise to support CDFW’s ongoing efforts to monitor and conserve these populations. Applicants should have strong interest and experience in using long-term seabird datasets, analyzing survey data, population analyses, and quantitative approaches to identify trends and relative impact of biotic and abiotic conditions on population dynamics.
 
Qualifications
A PhD is required as well as training or experience in ecology, applied conservation science, or related fields. Candidates must demonstrate scholarship, leadership and have at least 5 years of experience conducting ecological research. Experience in interdisciplinary and innovative, integrated research approaches is a plus. Candidates should be able to work both independently and in a collaborative setting with project team members, stakeholders, and partners at a variety of natural resource management organizations, and community organizations. We are excited to welcome candidates with excellent interpersonal skills, strong writing capacity, and a growing publication record. The researchers will be based at SDSU and will work under the direction of Drs. Megan Jennings and Rebecca Lewison. The positions may require travel within California. 

Appointment: Appointments will be for two years from start date, contingent upon performance. Starting salary is approximately $66,560 a year plus benefits (DOE). There are no requirements for citizenship.
 
To apply:
Application review will begin immediately.
- Wildlife Landscape Ecology: Follow this link to apply
- Seabird Population Dynamics: Follow this link to apply 

Troy Wynne, PhD Student