Current Opportunities

• We are currently seeking a Ph.D. student with a passion for connecting theoretically-driven science to the development of innovative invasive species management techniques that meet the needs of managers and community stakeholders. In collaboration with a diverse team of scientists and managers, the Ph.D. student will lead a project that will investigate the migratory behavior of invasive sea lamprey in several river systems draining to the Great Lakes using a combination of fine-scale acoustic telemetry, hydrologic modeling, and geomorphological mapping. The results will be used to identify locations throughout the basin where fishing devices may be placed to intercept and capture migrants before they spawn. The Ph.D. student will also contribute to a post-doc led project that is working to evaluate the global knowledge base regarding how to capture migrating lampreys, by contributing ideas for the design of new types of fishing devices that exploit the Ph.D. student’s discoveries about migration behavior. We seek applicants with a solid background in fish or fisheries ecology, movement ecology, animal behavior, or a related field. Strong candidates will have a master’s degree, experience conducting field or laboratory experiments, experience with the collection and analysis of telemetry data, and some programming experience with R or related tools. Applicants will be evaluated based on their statement of interest, academic record, recommendation letters, and prior experiences. Interested students should contact Michael Wagner ([email protected]) and should provide a statement of interest, resume or CV, and unofficial transcripts. We plan to begin reviewing applications on 15 November 2025 and will continue until a suitable candidate is found. Additional information about the requirements for the graduate program at MSU is available at: https://grad.msu.edu/.

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Interested in joining the ABEL team?

Undergraduate Students

• Each spring we seek a number of full-time temporary research technicians to assist with our projects. Please contact Dr. Wagner directly via email if you are interested in applying for one of these positions. We also advertise these widely on society employment lists (e.g., American Fisheries Society).
• If you are in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at MSU, we also develop projects for the Glassen Research Experience for undergraduates, and train students in special topics courses. Please reach out to Dr. Wagner via email if you are interested in either of these opportunities.

Graduate Students

• Funded graduate positions will be posted here when they become available.
• If you wish to work with us to seek support, please contact Dr. Wagner directly via email, including your CV, a summary of your research interests (past, present, and future), and any ideas you have regarding funding opportunities you would like to target. 
• MSU has a number of fellowship opportunities for Ph.D. students. These fellowships are highly competitive and generally require a M.S. or M.A. degree, GPA > 3.7, and GRE scores in the top 15%. We (and MSU) are very interested in facilitating the recruitment of historically underrepresented groups for these positions. Please contact Dr. Wagner if you believe you are qualified.
  
  

Post-doctoral Research Associates

• Funded post-doctoral research associate positions will be posted here when they become available.
• If you wish to work with us to seek support, please contact Dr. Wagner directly via email, including your CV, a summary of your research interests (past, present, and future), and any ideas you have regarding funding opportunities you would like to target.

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Team Policies and Practices

We are working to develop formal written policies and practices for working in our team. As they are completed and approved by the team members they will be posted here.

• ABEL Authorship Policy