Postdoc position: Freshwater macroinvertebrate ecology - Kansas State University
The Arthropod Ecology lab is seeking applicants for a postdoc position in the Division of Biology, at Kansas State University. This position is based in the college town of Manhattan, Kansas, USA. The postdoc will conduct research on freshwater macroinvertebrate communities to identify long-term trends and their drivers. Research will be conducted in collaboration with researchers Nathan Baker (Nature Research Center, Vilnius, Lithuania), Ellen Welti, and Keith Gido (Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA).
Research questions and approaches can be tailored based on the postdoc’s interests but may include:
1) Testing for community homogenization of freshwater macroinvertebrates in long-term datasets from Lithuania and Poland,
2) Identifying spatial and temporal shifts in traits of freshwater macroinvertebrates across the US and Europe in response to changing freshwater policy and environmental conditions, and
3) Pilot sampling of emerging aquatic insects and testing responses to local conditions at nearby field site Konza Prairie Biological Station
The position will begin as at the earliest availability/feasibility. The position includes benefits and an annual salary of $55K.
Requirements
- Obtained a PhD in ecology, biology, or related field by time of hire
- Demonstrated experience conducting independent research
- Demonstrated statistical experience and proficiency in the R coding language
- Have enthusiasm for ecology and freshwater macroinvertebrates
- Have strong oral and written communication skills
- Work effectively independently and as part of a team
- Be respectful to all team members
- Follow safety protocols
Preferred qualifications
- Early career scientist with strong publication record
- Demonstrated work with long-term ecological data
- Freshwater macroinvertebrate identification skills
- Hold a valid driver’s license
- Enjoy being outdoors and willingness to work outside in variable weather conditions
Interested applicants should apply by submitting your application materials to Ellen Welti (elwelti@ksu.edu). Your application materials should include (1) a brief personal statement (no more than two pages) detailing your academic background, previous research experience, reasons for applying, your specific current research interests, and how your research interests relate to at least one of the research topics proposed above, (2) your CV, (3) informal PhD transcripts, and (4) contact information for three references. Application materials must be submitted as one combined PDF file titled “yourlastname_ yourfirstname_MacroinvertPostdocApplication”. Please put “Macroinvert postdoc application” as the email subject line.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis (open immediately) but no later than Jan 31, 2026.
Arthropod Ecology Lab
The Arthropod Ecology Lab is located in the Division of Biology at Kansas State University. We study what, how, and why arthropod communities vary over space and time and the repercussions of this variation. Our lab is a welcoming and inclusive environment where discrimination is not tolerated. We prioritize the well-being of all lab members and collaborators, and value scientific integrity, strong communication, work-life balance, and scientific mentoring and research opportunities for all experience levels.
Why Manhattan, KS, Kansas State University Biology, and Konza Prairie?
Manhattan, KS is a friendly college town with a population of 55K residents +nonresident college students, affordable housing within walking distance of campus, a temperate climate with four seasons, an airport with multiple daily flights to Chicago and Dallas, a large number of local coffee shops, two downtown districts, art and natural history museums, and is a two hour drive away from Kansas City, a city with a population of 500K+ and many cultural amenities.
Kansas State University (KSU) is a 162-year-old public land grant and R1 research university with a large centrally located campus in Manhattan, KS. KSU has >20K students including >4K graduate students and 65 academic departments within 9 colleges. KSU’s Division of Biology is within the College of Arts and Sciences and contains ~40 faculty and ~55 graduate students spanning a broad variety of research interests and an open and collaborative atmosphere. More information about the Division of Biology at Kansas State University is available at https://www.k-state.edu/biology/.
Konza Prairie Biological Station, an 8,616-acre tallgrass prairie research station jointly owned and operated by KSU and The Nature Conservancy, is a 15 min drive from the KSU campus, hosts a herd of 200+ bison, a large-scale fire experiment, and is a global hub for grassland research. More information about Konza Prairie is available at: https://kpbs.konza.k-state.edu/ and https://lter.konza.ksu.edu/konza-prairie-long-term-ecological-research-lter.