Graduate Student Position - Lake Superior Food Web Ecology

Location: Milwaukee, WI with fieldwork across the Lake Superior basin
Position Type: Graduate Student Position (MS or PhD)
Funding: Research assistantship with full tuition waiver. 2.5 years of guaranteed funding.
Start Date: Flexible. Preferred start date between January and March 2027.

Join a multi-agency effort under the 2026 Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) to characterize the trophic structure of Lake Superior. Working alongside Michigan DNR, Minnesota DNR, Wisconsin DNR, tribal, and federal partners, this project is focused on examining the trophic ecology of predator and prey fish in Lake Superior.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Process and analyze fish stomach contents from multiple predator and prey species
• Identify fish, aquatic invertebrates, and zooplankton from diet and field samples
• Support DNA barcoding workflows to resolve unidentified fish remains in predator fish diets
• Participate in agency led field work on Lake Superior
• Collaborate with and disseminate research findings to state, tribal, and federal partners
• Develop thesis or dissertation research around project goals and objectives

DESIRED SKILLS

• Strong interest in Great Lakes fisheries and food-web ecology
  
• Identification of Lake Superior fishes
  
• Zooplankton identification of common Lake Superior taxa
  
• Demonstrated scientific writing proficiency
  
• Experience with data management and statistical analysis
  
• Ability to work in field and laboratory settings(vessel-based fish surveys, diet analysis)
  
• Effective communication skills (e.g., with external partners, internal collaborators, undergraduate student researchers, PI)
• Excellent organization and data management skills (e.g., tracking large numbers of samples, data entry)

To Apply

Email Dr. Brandon Gerig, PI (gerig@uwm.edu) to start a conversation.