Primate-Jobs
Positions Wanted

conservation , primate behavior, general project help

Date Posted:
2009-10-21

Position Description:
I will be traveling to Buenos Aires in mid January 2010 and plan to be in the region (Northern Argentina, Uruguay and Southern Brazil) for about 2.5 months. My interests lie in conservation and primate behavior. My first choice would be to volunteer with an organization working towards primate habitat conservation. I would be interested in observational work or general project duties as well. I am not seeking a paid or fully supported position as I will already be traveling to the region I can cover my own living expenses. Some room and board would be helpful but not completely necessary.

Educational Background:
I have a Bachelors degree in Biological Psychology with a minor in Anthropology where I concentrated my minor coursework in Biological Anthropology. I graduated from the University of Florida in 1999, since graduation I have been at the University of Washington working as a Research Coordinator and taking courses in demography, the evolution of human behavior, human population genetics, public health and research methods, and most recently primatology. I am hoping to begin a PhD program in Biocultural Anthropology in 2010 or 2011. I speak Spanish and would be willing to work on learning Portuguese before starting a position.

Qualifications/Experience:
As an undergraduate I worked as a Research Assistant for a PhD candidate observing the repetitive behaviors of Peromyscus maniculatus (deer mice). My job duties involved animal care and behavior coding using the Observer software. I would code in real time (as I watched the animals in their cages) and from film. Since graduation I have worked as a Research Coordinator for the Dementia Health Services Research Group of the University of Washington and in the University of Washington Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. My duties include grant and manuscript writing, research subject interviewing where I determine subject qualification for research and subject cognitive status, project development, completing applications to the Institutional Review Board overseeing research at UW and maintaining project approval, and presenting projects at scientific meetings.

Application Deadline:
February 20, 2010

Comments:
I will be available until March 26, 2010. I am willing to travel to Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay or Chile for a position. Or another close region if necessary however I will be flying back to the United States from Buenos Aires. I would be happy to send my CV to any interested groups, please email me your request.

Contact Information:
Mary Lessig
Argentina

Telephone Number:
206-616-2752

Fax Number:
206-685-1139

E-mail Address:
mlessig@u.washington.edu