Positions in Systematic Entomology

[Stephen Gaimari]

This message is a pre-announcement that several of our Insect Biosystematists will be retiring within the year, and pending their actual retirement dates and the end of our State hiring freeze (or our acquiring the requisite exemptions), we plan to fill their positions with highly qualified, PhD-level systematic entomologists. Thus, one to several positions may become available soon for Associate Insect Biosystematists in the Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), Sacramento, California. The current salary scale for Associate level is $51,792 - $62,496 per annum. Please visit our website for more information on our lab (http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ppd/).

The major duties for an Associate Insect Biosystematist at CDFA include the following:

1) Perform timely and accurate identifications and diagnostics for your assigned responsibility. A broad familiarity and knowledge of your group is necessary for this function, and candidates with diverse interests are preferred. You would also be expected to develop or assist in the development of diagnostics tools and procedures for target pest groups.

2) Conduct research in the systematics of your group of interest (note, there is no requirement that the incumbent's diagnostic specialty be the same as his or her research in systematics), resulting in scientific publications. Applying for research grants is strongly encouraged.

3) Assist in the curation and building of the California State Collection of Arthropods.


With our upcoming retirements, we have recognized the following taxonomic gaps for potential hiring**:

1) Non-aphidoid Sternorrhyncha (scales, whiteflies, and relatives).
2) Coleoptera (especially weevils, leaf beetles, and relatives). 
3) all the "lower insects", incluing Orthopteroids, Thysanoptera, Hemiptera (but not Sternorrhyncha or Auchenorrhyncha), etc. 
4) all the arachnids (e.g., mites, spiders, and relatives), myriapods (e.g., millipedes and centipedes) and non-insect hexapods (e.g., Collembola). 
5) all the mollusks (snails and relatives), miscellaneous invertebrates (e.g., crustaceans) and occasional vertebrates. 
6) Lepidoptera.
7) Hymenoptera.
8) Molecular diagnostics (responsible for all groups).

** note, just because your taxonomic specialty is not on this list does not mean you will not receive full consideration, provided you are willing to learn and perform your assigned diagnostics duties, in addition to your research interests.


In making this preliminary announcement, we are hoping to solicit information from interested potential candidates (e.g., CV's, reprints, etc.) so we have a list of potential applicants when the time comes for submission of official application materials. Past experience dictates that once a job here is officially announced, things will move very fast, so we are trying to be proactive in this endeavor.

Please feel free to contact Steve Gaimari (contact information below) or any of the systematists listed on our web site (http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ppd/Entomology.htm). 

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Dr. Stephen D. Gaimari
Curator, California State Collection of Arthropods

Plant Pest Diagnostics Lab
California Department of Food and Agriculture
3294 Meadowview Road
Sacramento, CA 95832-1448, USA

916-262-1131 (tel.)
916-262-1190 (fax)
sgaimari at cdfa.ca.gov
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ppd/Gaimari.htm
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