Postdoctoral Research Associate

SUMMARY:

Fort Valley State University's College of Agricultural Science, Family Science and Technology is seeking candidates for the Postdoctoral Research Associate position in the Department of Agricultural Research Station. This position is supported by USDA NIFA funding and requires a Ph.D. degree in the field of Agriculture or Plant Science or related area of study, experience in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), designing row crop experiments and insect studies such as sorghum aphid is preferred. This position will assist PI in collecting and analysis of robot and drone related data. The position specifically focuses on using AI related data collected from robot and drone while using next-generation sequencing data to associate important agronomic traits including insect resistance such as sugarcane aphid resistance in sorghum.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform independent research under the direct supervision of the PI/PD and other duties assigned by the advisor in the field or the laboratory.
• Support in training next-generation leaders in STEM field. Supervise and work collaboratively with graduate and undergraduate student workers.
• Work with supervisor for planning and executing research activities as part of a team to perform daily required maintenance of research activities, maintaining tidiness of work areas, taking observation, and data recording, maintaining research notebooks, analyzing data using statistics, writing conclusion of research observation, presenting result in professional meetings and writhing journal articles for publication.
• Participate in College and other university functions / activities.
• Work to create a safe work environment.
• Must be able to work outside in the summer where temperatures reach in to the upper 90s F, wear PPE, and drive a vehicle to research plots in Fort Valley, Tifton and to nearby cities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required

• Ph.D. degree in (Plant Science, Entomology, Botany, Biology, Plant breeding).
• Three years of experience working in the field and greenhouse or working experience for any research in the field or laboratory using plants.
• Two years of experience in plant breeding, plant genetic/QTL mapping, designing row crop experiments and insect related studies.
• Acquaintance with GBS data and software's and bioinformatic skills used in GWAS and QTL mapping

Preferred

• Five years of experience working in the field and greenhouse growing crops, greenhouse, or working experience for any research in the field or laboratory.
• Three years of experience in designing row crop experiments and insect related studies in sorghum crop.
• Skills using R/Rqtl or other bioinformatic skills used in plant genomics studies

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Ability to work outdoors, greenhouse and in the labs as required;
• Travel required for research activities and for presenting research paper in professional meetings.
• Occasional evening/night/weekend work required according to the research emergency.
• Ability to lift and carry items up to 50 lbs. as needed.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Occasional standing or sitting for extended periods of time, lifting heavy objects, performing repetitive tasks.
• Requires long standing hours in the field during summer and crop season for phenotyping and data collection on sugarcane aphids.