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Position Title: CNHP Entomology Work Study Job Description

Position Summary: The Colorado Natural Heritage Program is midway through a five-year biodiversity data collection extravaganza known as the Statewide Natural Heritage Survey (SNHS). All manner of life from plants to animals are being documented and catalogued. Undoubtedly, the largest portion of Colorado’s biodiversity is comprised of insects, as is true of all terrestrial life elsewhere on this planet. Given that insects comprise such an enormous component of Colorado biodiversity, collecting data on them is no small task. During the summer months, CNHP entomologists work round the clock to collect, catalog, and observe these six-legged Colorado denizens. The resultant stockpile of precious data in the form of insect specimens is ever growing. That’s why the Colorado Natural Heritage Program needs you! We need help in processing insect specimens and their associated data.

Department Summary: Warner College of Natural Resources - Colorado Natural Heritage Program

Responsibilities/Duties:
We are looking for work study students capable of committing at the bare minimum 8 hours per week to help us process specimens. Each student will receive training with the goal of becoming self-sufficient within a month or so. Training, roles, and responsibilities will include:
• Pinning/pointing/preparing frozen insect specimens: Volunteers will learn how to prepare research grade insect specimens, learning when to pin, point, or preserve these specimens in alcohol.
• Labeling of prepared materials: Scientific specimens sacrifice their lives to aid our own pursuit of knowledge and understanding. We honor this noble sacrifice by ensuring every single specimen is accompanied by the data that makes their sacrifice so priceless. Volunteers will be responsible for digitizing hand-written labels, replicating the necessary number of labels to accompany every specimen, and printing and affixing these labels to the prepared insect specimens.
• Imaging of insect specimens: Once the specimens are pinned and labeled, the next step is to image them with special digital microscopes in the CNHP specimen laboratory. Volunteers will be responsible for imaging specimens with these microscopes, capturing all the anatomy requisite for experts to confidently identify CNHP’s insect specimens.
• Digitizing specimen data on iNaturalist: After images and data have been processed for these specimens, it is time to make their data accessible to insect experts worldwide. This is accomplished with the help of iNaturalist. Volunteers will batch upload insect images and collection data to the CNHP iNaturalist account.
• Finally, sorting and deposition of insect specimens: After all the insect data are digitized on iNaturalist, it is time to get the insect specimens ready for their final home, Colorado State University’s own C. P. Gillette Arthropod Diversity Museum. This institutional collection is the final destination of all of CNHP’s invertebrate specimens. Under the diligent stewardship of the collection’s manager, these specimens will be available to generations of scientists, helping facilitate discoveries hundreds of years into the future. Volunteers will prepare specimens for this noble send off by sorting them into their orders and helping deliver insect specimens to the on-campus collection.

Required Qualifications:
• Interest in curation and/or entomology

Preferred Qualifications: 
• Work-study

Number of weekly working hours: 8-15 hours per week

Potential Start date and duration: as soon as possible, through May 2026

Number of Openings: 2

Hourly Pay Rate: $16

Application Instructions: Applications will be accepted in Handshake. Please submit a cover letter and resume. If you have any questions, please contact David.Anderson@colostate.edu, Tristan.Kubik@colostate.edu.

Apply By date: open until filled

Employee Benefits: Employee Benefit information can be found on HR’s Website at https://hr.colostate.edu/current-employees/benefits/  

Colorado State University (CSU) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.