Imagine standing at the edge of a Michigan lake, watching the water shift from clear to cloudy under the weight of nutrient runoff, invasive species, and changing land use. For more than half a century, volunteers and scientists have carefully recorded these changes. Now a rare opportunity exists to transform that vast archive of observations into practical tools that local communities can use to protect their water.
A 1.5-year postdoctoral researcher lake ecology position at Michigan State University places the successful candidate at the center of this effort. Working with Drs. Jo Latimore and Kendra Spence Cheruvelil in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the BridgeLab, the postdoc will combine large-scale data analysis with genuine community partnership. The goal is clear: convert decades of lake and stream measurements into state-of-the-watershed reports, decision-support tools, and policy briefs that support locally driven conservation.
This role stands out because it spans the full arc of modern environmental science. It begins with rigorous quantitative work on continental-scale patterns of human disturbance and harmful algal blooms, then moves directly into collaborative design of resources with watershed groups, municipal leaders, freshwater volunteers, and resource managers. Few postdoctoral positions offer such a seamless bridge between big-data ecology and on-the-ground action.
Summary
- Company: Michigan State University
- Job Title: Postdoctoral Researcher: Turning large-scale lake & stream data into community water action
- Job Type: Full Time
- Qualification: BA/BSc/HND/MSC/PhD
- Location: USA
Job Title: Postdoctoral Researcher: Turning large-scale lake & stream data into community water action
The Twin Projects Driving the Work
Two complementary funded projects form the core of the appointment.
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The first, supported by the Mott Foundation, focuses on Turning MiCorps community science data into community water solutions. MiCorps, Michigan’s statewide volunteer lake and stream monitoring program, has collected high-quality observations for over 50 years. Details and current data are available at www.micorps.net. Volunteers measure water clarity, nutrients, chlorophyll, dissolved oxygen, invasive plants, and shoreline habitat across hundreds of lakes and streams. The postdoc will help analyze these long-term records, identify the stressors shaping water quality in agricultural, forested, and urban watersheds, and then work side-by-side with local partners to co-create usable products.
The second project, funded by the National Science Foundation, quantifies the interactive effects of human disturbances on lake biota and harmful algal blooms at the continental scale. This work draws on the LAGOS-US research platform , an open-access data system covering nearly 480,000 lakes and reservoirs across the conterminous United States. In the first year the postdoc will also contribute to updating one of the LAGOS-US data modules to improve macroscale prediction of harmful algal blooms.
Together these projects allow the researcher to move fluidly between statewide Michigan analyses and broader continental patterns, always with an eye toward practical application.
A Day in the Life of the Postdoctoral Researcher
The successful candidate will operate as a full collaborator rather than a traditional research assistant. Responsibilities include co-creating research questions with the team and community partners, acquiring and harmonizing existing datasets, authoring clear metadata, visualizing and statistically analyzing complex data, synthesizing relevant literature, writing manuscripts and reports as lead or co-author, publishing code and data openly, and presenting findings to both scientific audiences and community stakeholders.
There may also be opportunities to supervise undergraduate students or on-call staff. The position emphasizes open science practices, including use of tools such as GitHub and Zenodo, and values strong interpersonal skills in problem-solving, collaboration, and inclusion.
Because the work is community-engaged from the start, the postdoc will help select six priority watersheds and partner directly with local groups to ensure the final resources meet real needs. This approach increases the likelihood that research findings translate into lasting stewardship actions rather than remaining in academic journals alone.
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Who Should Apply
The minimum requirement is a doctorate in ecology, aquatic ecology, limnology, or a related discipline with a strong quantitative emphasis in statistics or computer science. Desired qualifications include demonstrated experience with big-data lake ecology techniques such as statistical modeling, machine learning, and data mining; familiarity with open science tools; a clear interest in participatory or community-engaged research; the capacity for both independent and collaborative work; a strong record of peer-reviewed publications and presentations to diverse audiences; and excellent interpersonal skills.
The position is designated remote-friendly for Michigan residents, allowing 1–3 days of remote work per week. However, the postdoc is expected to be present in the Natural Resources Building on the East Lansing campus at least two days each week and to attend periodic in-person stakeholder meetings across the state.
Salary is $56,000 per year for a 40-hour week. The appointment begins between September 1 and November 30, 2026, and ends between March 1 and May 31, 2028. Review of applications begins August 31, 2026, with a final application deadline of November 30, 2026.
Why This Opportunity Matters Now
Freshwater ecosystems face intensifying pressures from nutrient pollution, habitat loss, invasive species, and land-use change. Harmful algal blooms continue to threaten drinking water, recreation, and aquatic life across the United States. At the same time, decades of carefully collected community science data remain underutilized for local decision-making.
This postdoctoral researcher lake ecology role directly addresses that gap. By pairing continental-scale analysis through LAGOS-US with the rich, long-term Michigan records from MiCorps, the work can reveal patterns that neither dataset could show alone. More importantly, the explicit commitment to co-developing tools with the communities that live beside these waters increases the chance that scientific insight becomes practical action.
Michigan State University’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife provides a supportive environment for this kind of interdisciplinary, publicly engaged scholarship. The BridgeLab’s existing relationships with volunteers, watershed organizations, and state agencies give the postdoc an immediate network of collaborators.
How to Apply and Next Steps
Interested candidates should prepare a 1–2 page cover letter describing research experiences and interests, a current curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information of three references. Applications are submitted through the Michigan State University careers portal. Search for Job No. 1149929 or visit the official posting for full details and the application link.
For additional information, contact Dr. Jo Latimore at latimor1@msu.edu or Dr. Kendra Spence Cheruvelil at ksc@msu.edu. The preferred contact method is email.
Readers seeking broader context on the data platforms can explore the LAGOS research platforms at lagoslakes.org and the MiCorps volunteer monitoring programs at micorps.net. Michigan State University’s main site and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife pages provide further information about the academic home of the position.
This postdoctoral researcher lake ecology opportunity represents more than a temporary research appointment. It is a chance to shape how long-term ecological data serve the communities that depend on clean, healthy lakes and streams. For quantitative aquatic scientists who want their work to reach beyond academic journals and into the hands of people making decisions on the ground, the timing and structure of this role are ideal.
Applications are open now. Review begins in late August 2026. Those ready to turn large-scale lake and stream data into community water action should prepare materials and apply through the official Michigan State University careers site. The next chapter of Michigan’s freshwater story is waiting to be written—with data, collaboration, and tangible local impact.
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