Apply to become a Jornada Fellow
Jornada fellows will join an active and collaborative community of Jornada scientists and postdocs to address the pressing challenges of supporting resilient and sustainable agroecosystems. Beyond the specific projects listed below, fellows will have opportunities to develop new cross-disciplinary, cross-thematic research. These opportunities include but are not limited to attending regular Jornada scientist meetings, presenting at Jornada workshops and seminars, and collaborating with Jornada’s partners at science institutions, conservation and land management agencies, NGOs, ranchers and producers.
Sheri Spiegal (sheri.spiegal@usda.gov)
The USDA Agricultural Research Service seeks a postdoctoral fellow to advance understanding about the groups that recycle nutrients among farms and regions of the U.S. Working with a multidisciplinary team, the postdoc will:
The position is located with LTAR-Jornada at the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Full performance level is GS-0102-12.
A PhD is required; experience conducting focus groups is preferred.
Interested individuals should submit a statement outlining experience and research interests, a current CV, and the names and contact information of three references to sheri.spiegal@usda.gov. Letters of reference may be requested of finalists.
Dawn Browning (Dawn.Browning@usda.gov)
Open until filled, applications will be reviewed as they are received.
Plant phenology is of paramount importance to ecosystem function and management, yet there are knowledge gaps in dryland systems. The Jornada Experimental Range is seeking highly motivated applicants for a postdoctoral scholar position to generate remotely sensed estimates of forage condition, vegetation greenness, and forage availability. The successful candidate will work with multidisciplinary team to leverage big data, such as large monitoring datasets stored in the Landscape Data Commons, remote sensing products such as the Rangeland Analysis Platform and related tools, climate, and soils data to model near-real-time estimates of rangeland vegetation greenness. Models will inform development of decision support tools in the Sustainable Southwest Beef Project and Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network.
The anticipated start date is negotiable (preferred first quarter of 2023). The appointment is for 1 year, with renewal after the first year based upon performance. This is a full-time appointment with New Mexico State University based at the Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. The Jornada Experimental Range is a USDA-ARS laboratory located on the New Mexico State University campus. The incumbent would therefore be expected to work closely with both USDA and University employees.
Interested individuals should submit a statement outlining experience and research interests with respect to the requisite qualifications, a current CV, and the names and contact information of three references. Letters of reference may be requested of finalists.
Jeff Herrick (jeff.herrick@usda.gov)
Open until filled, applications will be reviewed as they are received.
You will join a global network of scientists working to increase the ability of anyone, anywhere in the world, to access and apply site-specific knowledge and information necessary for sustainable land management, including regenerative and more traditional agriculture and rangeland management. The algorithms you create will make it easier for non-soil scientists to accurately predict soils and soil properties based on a variety of inputs including traditional soil maps, digital soil maps, digital elevation models, soil survey descriptions and field observations. Your algorithms will be made available through the next generation of LandPKS mobile apps and through APIs, ensuring that your work will have global impact. The position is based at the Jornada Experimental Range at New Mexico State University. You will have the option of working remotely or at the Jornada, allowing you to collaborate directly with a large, dynamic team of researchers working on related issues while collaborating with global scientists and technology developers at ISRIC, IFDC, USAID, the University of Colorado, CGIAR centers, and TechMatters (a technology for good NGO based in the Silicon Valley), among others.
Two years, with extension possible depending on funding. Salary and benefits commensurate with experience.
Interested individuals should submit a statement outlining your experience and research interests with respect to the requisite qualifications, a current CV and the names and contact information of three references. Letters of reference may be requested of finalists.
Sheri Spiegal (sheri.spiegal@usda.gov)
Open until filled, applications will be reviewed as they are received.
Rural communities across the American West rely on ranching for landscape stewardship, human capital, economic activities, and community cohesion. Despite these benefits, ranches face numerous threats to their long-term viability, including advanced age of most ranchers with diminishing prospects of family succession, loss of agricultural support businesses, and absentee ownership which can hinder adaptive,opportunistic, and collaborative management required by complex rangeland systems. These economic and demographic challenges arise in the context of diminishing forage production, increasing temperatures, and increasingly unpredictable rainfall in many parts of the West. Yet at the same time, new economic opportunities are available, such as carbon markets and niche marketing of “environmentally friendly” beef. This postdoctoral scholar will work in collaboration with agricultural economists at NMSU, University of Wyoming, and Colorado State University to model outcomes of, and responses to, economic and climate stressors in order to understand the capacity of ranches to remain viable. Example topics that the collaborative group may pursue include: 1) how public lands policy impacts private ranches and the communities that rely on them; 2) how climate projections will impact ranch viability, including how alternative management actions can lessen these impacts; 3) how goals of GHG net-neutrality will alter ranch- and community-level profitability and social welfare; and 4) how new technologies, management practices, and marketing options can enhance ranch sustainability, and how adoption of these new technologies transform local communities. The incumbent will collaborate in the Sustainable Southwest Beef Project, Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network (LTAR), and Hatch WDC 54.
The successful applicant must demonstrate capacity to help build: a) models that analyze stochastic, dynamic, non-linear optimization of ranch-level outcomes, b) a multisectoral model capable of incorporating data from the ranch-level optimization model that can analyze community-level outcomes, and/or c) local public finance risk models for rural communities. Professional knowledge of agricultural economics and/or environmental economics is required. Working knowledge of data mining technologies, information management and analysis, and spatial modeling (e.g., with GIS, remote sensing products, R/Python, Google Earth Engine) is desirable.
The anticipated start date is negotiable (preferred first quarter of 2023). The appointment is for 1 year, with renewal after the first year based upon performance. This is a full-time appointment with New Mexico State University based at the Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. The Jornada Experimental Range is a USDA-ARS laboratory located on the New Mexico State University campus. The incumbent would therefore be expected to work closely with both USDA and University employees.
Interested individuals should submit a statement outlining experience and research interests with respect to the requisite qualifications, a current CV, and the names and contact information of three references. Letters of reference may be requested of finalists.
Emile Elias (emile.elias@usda.gov)
USDA's Climate Hubs are a unique collaboration across USDA agencies. The Climate Hubs translate climate science into action by linking USDA research and program agencies to develop and deliver timely and authoritative tools and information to agricultural producers and professionals. This position is funded through the USDA NIFA Extension, Education & USDA Climate Hubs Partnership program.
The USDA Southwest Climate Hub in partnership with Montana State University (MSU), University of California - Davis, and the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) seeks a Climate Hub Associate to focus on improving climate, weather, and risk communication with key stakeholders through the development of online visualization tools. This is an annual position with an optional extension of up to three-years. The successful candidate will work with a diverse team of researchers at USDA Climate Hubs, MSU, UC Davis, and NCAT.
This Climate Hub Associate will play a critical role in linking climate research and communications with agricultural stakeholders. The successful candidate will:
The anticipated start date is negotiable (preferred first quarter of 2023). The appointment is for 1 year, with renewal after the first year based upon performance. This is a full-time appointment with New Mexico State University based at the Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. The Jornada Experimental Range is a USDA-ARS laboratory located on the New Mexico State University campus. The incumbent would therefore be expected to work closely with both USDA and University employees.
Please send your completed application package as a single PDF to emile.elias@usda.gov and eric.belasco@montana.edu with Climate Hub AgRisk Fellowship in the subject line.
Sarah McCord (sarah.mccord@usda.gov)
Open until filled, applications will be reviewed as they are received.
The USDA ARS Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, NM seeks a highly motivated postdoctoral ecologist to contribute to projects investigating ecological dynamics and resilience on US rangelands. The successful candidate will leverage big data, such as large monitoring datasets stored in the Landscape Data Commons, remote sensing products such as the Rangeland Analysis Platform, climate, and soils data to identify where US rangelands are resilient and where rangelands might be at-risk requiring adjustments to land management. The project involves: 1) using monitoring data to identify where native species communities remain; 2) using remote sensing data to look at trends on rangelands to identify communities that appear to be resilient to state change; 3) identify where restoration actions and other conservation practices might build resilience to known rangeland stressors (e.g., invasive species, drought, fire, climate change). This project will be co-developed under the supervision of Dr. Sarah McCord with our partners at the Bureau of Land Management and the Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Effects Assessment Project Grazing Lands Component. In addition to published papers, project outcomes include providing products to land managers to help prioritize the application of restoration and conservation practices.
We are seeking applicants with a PhD in ecology, environmental sciences, natural resources, geography, or related fields who have experience in landscape scale processes, soil-vegetation relationships, plant community dynamics, and how they vary across space and time. Qualified candidates will also have experience coding and/or modeling (R, Python). Experience working on rangelands and with Google Earth Engine is preferred. This position is open to only U.S. citizens.
The anticipated start date is negotiable (preferred first quarter of 2023). The appointment is for 2 years, with renewal after the first year based upon performance and funding. This is a full-time appointment based at the Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. The Jornada Experimental Range is a USDA-ARS laboratory located on the New Mexico State University campus. The incumbent would therefore be expected to work closely with both USDA and University employees.
The position will be hired as a Research Associate at the GS 11/12 level.
Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Interested individuals should submit a statement outlining your experience and research interests with respect to the requisite qualifications, a current CV, and the names and contact information of three references. For questions and to submit an application contact Dr. Sarah McCord (sarah.mccord@usda.gov).
Brandon Edwards (bedwar4@nmsu.edu), Nicholas Webb (nick.webb@usda.gov)
Open until filled, applications will be reviewed as they are received.
The Jornada Experimental Range is seeking applicants for a postdoctoral scholar position with a focus on continued development of a wind erosion model to evaluate the impacts of land use and land cover change on aeolian sediment transport and mineral dust emissions in the United States. The incumbent’s research will be directed toward parameterizing the Aeolian EROsion (AERO) model across land use and land cover types, including modification of the drag partition scheme to resolve effects of turbulent flow around plants and other erodible and non-erodible roughness. The incumbent is expected to use data from and collaborate with partners across the National Wind Erosion Research Network and USDA Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network. The broad program objective is to develop AERO as a wind erosion and air quality decision-support tool and produce analyses that contribute to management objectives of partner agencies, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The position therefore requires a multi-disciplinary approach that promotes close working relationships with USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists, universities, and government agencies, including a highly collaborative group of soil scientists and ecologists at the Jornada.
Candidates must have a PhD in Physical Geography, Meteorology, Earth Science, Soil Science or related field by appointment start date. The successful candidate will have evidence of: (1) interest and expertise in aeolian processes and environmental modelling, (2) experience in Python programming, or a demonstrated ability to learn the languages rapidly for environmental modeling applications, and (3) a demonstrated ability to publish research in appropriate outlets.
We seek a highly collaborative postdoctoral scholar with research experience in aeolian process theory and/or modelling. Successful applicants should be highly motivated and creative. They should be willing to work independently and as a part of a diverse and multi-disciplinary team and have excellent written and oral communication skills.
The anticipated start date is negotiable (preferred first quarter of 2023). The appointment is for 1 year, with renewal after the first year based upon performance and funding. This is a full-time appointment based at the Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. The Jornada Experimental Range is a USDA-ARS laboratory located on the New Mexico State University campus. The incumbent would therefore be expected to work closely with both USDA and University employees.
The position will be hired at the level of Postdoctoral Researcher.
Interested individuals should submit a statement outlining your experience and research interests with respect to the requisite qualifications, a current CV and the names and contact information of three references. Letters of reference may be requested of finalists.
Nick Webb (nick.webb@usda.gov)
Hire in process
The Jornada Experimental Range at New Mexico State University is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher with a background in dryland science and ecology to investigate the links among land management and restoration practices and wind erosion. This position will leverage the recently developed Landscape Data Commons (LDC) and Aeolian EROsion (AERO) wind erosion model to produce original, applied research to inform dryland science and support land management and conservation actions on US rangelands. The LDC is an inter-agency monitoring data repository and portal, led by the USDA-ARS at the Jornada Experimental Range, that connects standardized monitoring data to analysis tools to support land management and research. AERO is an aeolian sediment transport and dust emission modeling scheme developed to leverage standardized ecological monitoring data to produce plot-scale estimates of horizontal (saltation) and vertical (dust emission) sediment flux. The successful candidate will be expected to collaborate with a diverse partnership of scientists and natural resource managers under the supervision of Drs. Sarah McCord, Nicholas Webb, and Brandon Edwards to conduct original research that quantifies landscape response to management treatments—including fuel removal, restoration efforts, and post-fire treatments, among others—and the impact of treatments on wind erosion and associated ecosystem attributes. Specifically, the candidate will identify critical gaps in our current understanding of the impact of management on ecogeomorphic interactions on rangelands, specifically relating to wind erosion, 2) develop methodologies that leverage the LDC database of standard monitoring data and model estimates to address these gaps, and 3) produce research products that communicate findings to the dryland science community and provide guidance to stakeholders on how to improve management and restoration practices.
Applicants should have a PhD in ecology, geography, natural resources, or a related discipline. Candidates should also have a demonstrated knowledge of scientific computing (including Python and R) and experience with large dataset manipulation and analysis. Preference will be given to those with a background that includes restoration ecology, wind erosion or aeolian processes. Familiarity with data collected as part of national rangeland inventory and monitoring programs (e.g., DOI Bureau of Land Management Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring, USDA Natural Resources Inventory) is also preferred. Successful applicants should be highly motivated and creative and be willing to work independently and as a part of a diverse, multi-disciplinary team. This position comes with benefits and relocation expense reimbursement.
This appointment is for an initial period of two years but may be renewed contingent upon funding and performance.
Brandon Bestelmeyer (brandon.bestelmeyer@usda.gov)
Open until filled, applications will be reviewed as they are received.
The Jornada Experimental Range is seeking applicants for a postdoctoral scholar position to conduct research on the relationship of information and technology to decision making, adaptation, and sustainability in rangelands, potentially including a variety of technologies and decision makers. The Jornada and other organizations have been involved in creating several tools and information sources intended to improve decision making (e.g., monitoring methods, land classification, mobile and web apps, precision ranching), some of which have been highly successful with respect to adoption. The science community, however, has seldom considered who does or does not take up these tools, how often and how they are used, and especially how they ultimately influence decisions and production/environmental/well-being outcomes when used. The broad question addressed by this project is: Does available scientific information and technology improve outcomes in rangelands? Other potential questions include: How might we reduce the costs of adoption for more widespread use; Which tools/approaches are inherently limited to certain purposes and audiences; How should we design/redesign tools; What is the best model for tool sustainability and user support into the future? In addition to our many stakeholders, the Jornada science team itself has decades of experience in tool use, successes, and failures that has not yet been systematically examined. This project will be overseen by Dr. Brandon Bestelmeyer from the USDA Jornada Experimental Range, Dr. Mark Brunson from Utah State University, and Dr. Emile Elias and staff of the USDA Southwest Climate Hub.
Applicants should have a PhD in social science, anthropology, geography, ecology, natural resources, or a related discipline. Candidates should also have a demonstrated knowledge of social science data collection design and methods and analyzing data from both qualitative (interviews, focus groups, workshops) and quantitative (from surveys etc.) sources. Candidates should have a strong interest in and commitment to interdisciplinary research. Preferred qualifications include familiarity and/or experience with (1) research on land management decision-making; (2) rangeland management; (3) geospatial analysis of social science data; (4) collaboration in an interdisciplinary team.
The anticipated start date is negotiable (preferred first quarter of 2023). The appointment is for 1 year, with renewal after the first year based upon performance. This is a full-time appointment with New Mexico State University based at the Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. The Jornada Experimental Range is a USDA-ARS laboratory located on the New Mexico State University campus. The incumbent would therefore be expected to work closely with both USDA and University employees.
Interested individuals should submit a statement outlining experience and research interests with respect to the requisite qualifications, a current CV, and the names and contact information of three references. Letters of reference may be requested of finalists.
The Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, NM is seeking a graduate research assistant (MS or PhD) to join our team. The successful applicant will work with Jornada scientists, staff and external collaborators on a funded project to assess the effectiveness of streamflow and vegetation treatments on dust emission from a playa surface. The project aims to understand how aeolian-fluvial interactions respond to climate and vegetation treatments to drive trends in local dust emission, which has significant economic and hazards impacts along a major transportation corridor. There are multiple avenues for the successful applicant to contribute to the overall project through their graduate research. The student will receive their degree from New Mexico State University’s Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences (https://pes.nmsu.edu/) and will be expected to produce original research for their graduate thesis. Successful applicants should be highly motivated, creative and be willing to work independently and as a part of a diverse, multidisciplinary team.
Applicants should have an undergraduate degree in natural resources, geography, environmental science, or a related field. A background in aeolian processes, restoration ecology or rangeland science is desirable, but not required. Experience (or coursework) with ecological, meteorological and/or climatological data analysis is also desirable.
The Jornada Experimental Range (https://jornada.nmsu.edu/) enjoys a global network of partners and collaborators as we work to increase sustainability and resilience in rangelands. Scientists and staff work closely with producers, land management agencies, and non-governmental organizations to support sustainable agriculture, land management, restoration, and climate adaptation. We also conduct research with numerous universities and international organizations. Students play an important role in these efforts and gain valuable experience working as part of large team to address complex issues. We actively support professional development and encourage students to engage directly with our network of stakeholders and collaborators. Many of our students go on to a successful career with these same partners.
Interested individuals should submit a brief statement outlining your experience and research interests related to the position, an unofficial copy of transcripts, and the names and contact information of two references. Letters of reference may be requested for finalists. Please send application materials (in a single pdf document) or questions about the opportunity to Brandon Edwards (bedwar4@nmsu.edu), Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM. In addition, there will be an opportunity to discuss the position further during this summer’s International Conference for Aeolian Research in Las Cruces. This position will be open until filled.
This position involves multiple field projects working as a member of a two- to four-person team at remote locations throughout southern NM and the southwest. Much of the field work includes extensive travel throughout southern New Mexico on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands. Some interstate travel may be required. Fieldwork includes hiking with up to a 40-pound pack in rugged terrain and adverse weather conditions. Field days may range from 8 to 12 hours of work in a single day. Additional duties may include entering research and monitoring data into Access database; error-checking data; self-directed work using ArcGIS, MS Excel, DIMA, MS Access, creating metadata, publishing historic data sets to the Environmental Data Initiative, web content development (WordPress), working collaborative with other agency personnel, as well as other tasks.
Applicants must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in ecology, environmental science, natural resources or a related field, and one to three years of experience related to the outlined duties.
This position requires a demonstrated ability to: collaborate in the field and office; follow written and oral instructions; coordinate data entry; maintain records; identify plants to species; work with standardized plant codes; use a handheld GPS unit for navigation; collect photo points; collect accurate data; use DIMA Microsoft Access database; error-check; appropriately manage time; work independently; conduct manual labor; and communicate among multiple research leaders.
An interest in scientific communication and graphic design preferred but not required.
Full time appointment for one year; extension is contingent upon funding. Salary is commensurate with experience.
Interested individuals should contact Laura Burkett at laura.burkett@usda.gov.