[Taxacom] Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Illinois (Parasitoid Wasp Systematics and Bioinformatics)

[James Whitfield]

Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Illinois (Parasitoid Wasp 
Systematics and Bioinformatics)

    A 2-year postdoctoral research associate position is available in 
the Department of Entomology 
(http://www.life.uiuc.edu/entomology/index.html at the University of 
Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The position is associated with NSF-funded 
research on braconid parasitoid wasps in the laboratory of Dr. James 
Whitfield (http://www.life.uiuc.edu/whitfield). The Department of 
Entomology has recently been ranked #1 nationally among Entomology 
graduate programs, and the postdoc will join a leading laboratory in 
insect molecular systematics with close ties to other top insect 
systematics labs both on campus and at the Illinois Natural History Survey.

Molecular systematics of the hyperdiverse genus /Heterospilus/

    Funded by NSF RevSys 0717365, this project combines monographic 
taxonomic work on the speciose braconid wasp genus /Heterospilus/ in 
Costa Rica with a multigene phylogenetic exploration of the genus on a 
broader (world) geographic scale.  The  postdoctoral associate will 
assist Dr. Paul Marsh 
(http://www.life.uiuc.edu/whitfield/Paul_Marsh.html) with the taxonomic 
part of the  study, databasing the taxonomic data and illustrations, 
designing online interactive identification keys, and helping author a 
Tree of Life webpage for the group. Parallel to this work, under the 
direction of Dr. Whitfield, a graduate student (position being 
advertised separately) will extract, amplify and sequence each of 3 
genes from roughly 200 species of wasp, and conduct molecular 
phylogenetic analyses to test monophyly of the genus worldwide, and to 
explore relationships within the genus, especially for the neotropical 
fauna.
For the postdoctoral position, some research experience in insect 
systematics is required, and experience with biodiversity informatics 
packages such as mx, Delta or LucID is highly desirable.  The position 
is available as soon as Summer 2008.

Interested candidates should submit the following (preferably by email) 
to Dr. James Whitfield (jwhitfie at life.uiuc.edu):

1)    A letter stating why you want to apply for the position, and why 
you think you would be the best person for this research.  Please also 
include a broader perspective on your career and graduate school 
objectives.
2)    A current curriculum vitae, including any previous research 
projects you have been involved with, honors, awards, publications and 
presentations.
3)    A list of relevant field, laboratory and analytical techniques 
with which you have
experience.
4)    Names and contact information (email, phone, address) for at least 
3 people who
can supply reference letters.

    We will begin assessing applications during early December.  On 
order to receive full consideration for this position, please submit 
application materials by December 1 2007.