Project Assistant

Position Title: Project Assistant

Position Summary: 
Responding to the mounting challenges of wildfire risk management requires a solid understanding of fire dynamics, interactions, and impacts, as well as the strengthening of science-based adaptive governance systems. The "Fire Impacts and Risk in (the Llanos de Moxos) social-Ecological Systems” (FIRES) transdisciplinary research proposed here will achieve three primary goals. First, develop a transdisciplinary platform for academics and non-academics to exchange knowledge, experiences, and lessons learned on fire and fire risk management. Second, advance debates on the dynamics and impacts of fires in Amazon savannahs and wetlands. Third, to fortify and expand collaborative research relations with the goal of developing a multi-million-dollar research proposal for consideration by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF) Andes-Amazon Initiative. The Llanos de Moxos (LdM) constitute the largest ecosystem of savannas and wetlands in the Amazon (120,000 km²). The high diversity of savannah habitats, wetlands, forest islands and riparian forests has given rise to the development of a significant wealth of flora and fauna. Currently, half of the 36 indigenous peoples of Bolivia are in the department of Beni, where the Llanos de Moxos are located. Fire has historically been a feature of human-environment interactions in LdM but their magnitude and frequency are increasing. While there are monitoring efforts to locate and quantify heat sources and burnt areas every year, little is known about the interactions between fire, the diversity of the LdM ecosystems, and people’s livelihoods and wellbeing, thus limiting opportunities for fire and fire risk management. To achieve project goals, we bring together a diverse team of academic and non-academic researchers with complementary expertise. Key project activities will include the establishment of a regular coordination space to exchange knowledge and capacity; the compilation of secondary and field data; and the organization and implementation of a validation workshop in Bolivia. Main outcomes will be centered on a novel framework to understand fire dynamics and impacts in LdM (and other savanna and wetland ecosystems), a multi-year research proposal, a peer-reviewed publication and a dissemination report. The project assistant will be tasked with the bulk of secondary data collection and organizing.

Department Summary:
The Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability (ESS) is the fifth and newest department of the Warner College of Natural Resources. The CSU Board of Governors approved the formation on February 17, 2011. It is the only program in Colorado that focuses exclusively on scholarship and discovery in the area of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability. Sustainability is a critically important concept to the future quality of American society, and training in ways to think about sustainability is beginning to be conducted at only four other universities in the United States. This department is joined with the world premier Watershed Science and Sustainability program, which was originally part of the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship. Watershed Science is the study of the natural processes and human activities that affect fresh water resources. Water is a critical component of Earth’s ecosystems and is used for human consumption, agriculture, energy production, transportation, and recreation. Management of fresh water resources is an increasingly important and complex challenge in Colorado and worldwide. Our faculty members are fully dedicated to students, working side-by-side with them in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the field. This faculty brings together over forty years of leading research at CSU’s Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory.

Responsibilities/Duties:
• Participating and contributing to monthly team meetings;
• Compiling, organizing and sharing available geospatial, climatic, biological and social-ecological secondary data relevant to the study of fire dynamics in Llanos de Moxos;
• Writing a synthesis report explaining the key findings regarding available data, analysis possibilities, identified gaps, and preliminary take-aways.

Required Qualifications:
• Graduate degree in geography, biology, hydrology, forestry, engineering or any other relevant field to the study topic;
• Proficiency with geospatial analysis and data science;
• Proficiency with fire dynamics knowledge and modeling in the Amazon basin;
• Fluency in Spanish (reading, speaking, writing, and listening);
• Highly organized and team oriented;
• Has demonstratable interest and experience in conducting research within complex social-ecological systems in Latin America.

Preferred Qualifications: 
• Has knowledge and experience working or conducting research in South America’s lowlands in general, and Llanos de Moxos in particular;
• Has experience with collaborative and transdisciplinary research processes;
• Has experience with multi-stakeholder advisory committees regarding fire regulation;
• Demonstratable writing and publishing experience;
• Speaks another widely spoken language in Latin America (e.g. Portuguese, Guaraní).

Number of weekly working hours: 10

Potential Start date and duration: October 2025 for about four months

Number of Openings: 1

Hourly Pay Rate: $27.78

Application Instructions: To apply, email your resume to andreabf@colostate.edu

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.