Purdue University’s Department of Entomology invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position focused on predicting the spread and establishment of invasive insect pests. The successful candidate will contribute to SWARM-II (Surveillance and Weather-Linked Analytics for Risk Monitoring of Insect Invasions), an interdisciplinary project integrating insect surveillance records, weather and climate data, transportation networks, and geospatial modeling to improve invasive species forecasting. Initial research will focus on spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) and spongy moth (Lymantria dispar).
The successful candidate will lead four primary objectives:
- Integrate invasive insect surveillance records with meteorological, transportation, land cover, and environmental datasets.
- Develop and validate spatial models to reconstruct dispersal pathways and forecast establishment risk for spotted lanternfly and spongy moth.
- Generate county-scale risk maps and contribute to a prototype decision-support platform for invasive species surveillance.
- Help develop a competitive, large-scale, multi-investigator research proposal targeting USDA-NIFA, NSF, or other federal funding opportunities.
The postdoctoral researcher will be expected to work independently while collaborating with faculty, graduate students, technical staff, and state and federal agency partners. Responsibilitiesinclude developing analytical workflows, conducting statistical and geospatial analyses, publishing results in peer-reviewed journals, presenting findings at scientific meetings, and contributing substantially to the scientific development and writing of external grant proposals. The position provides extensive opportunities to collaborate with researchers in entomology, forestry, climatology, remote sensing, engineering and artificial intelligence, as well as partners from the USDA Forest Service and Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
This is a full-time, 12-month position, with potential extensions contingent upon performance
and funding availability.
The anticipated start date is January 4, 2027.
Minimum Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Ecology, Entomology, Forestry, Environmental Science, Geospatial Science, Remote Sensing, Data Science, or a closely related discipline.
- Demonstrated experience in statistical modeling, spatial analysis, or predictive environmental modeling.
- Proficiency in R and/or Python.
- Experience with GIS and geospatial datasets.
- Strong scientific writing and communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary research team.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with species distribution modeling, ecological forecasting, or insect dispersal modeling.
- Experience integrating meteorological, climate, or remote sensing datasets with ecological data.
- Familiarity with machine learning, spatial statistics, or transportation network analysis.
- Experience with invasive species ecology or forest health.
- Experience contributing to competitive research proposals and interdisciplinary grant development.
Application Instructions
Applications should include the following:
- Cover letter describing research experience, quantitative skills, and interest in interdisciplinary research and grant development.
- Curriculum vitae.
- Contact information for three professional references.
Applications should be submitted as a single .pdf file to Dr. Matthew Ginzel at mginzel@purdue.edu and please write “SWARM-II Application” in the subject line.
Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access university.