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M.S. project on the spatial ecology of desert wetlands
M.S. project on the spatial ecology of desert wetlands by Mcintyre, Nancy (07 Oct 2025 16:28 EDT)
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M.S. project on the spatial ecology of desert wetlands
Starting Fall 2026; application deadline 1 January 2026
We are seeking a highly motivated applicant to join our labs to conduct M.S. research on geospatial dynamics of desert wetlands across environmental gradients, co-advised by Dr. Nancy McIntyre (Biological Sciences) and Dr. Kerry Griffis-Kyle (Natural Resources Management), Texas Tech University.
Prospective students will be funded for three years by a 9-month/year departmental Teaching Assistantship and possibly by additional graduate school fellowships (with awards ranging from $2500 for 1 year to $30,000/yr for 3 years).
Preference will be given to students with experience/coursework in landscape ecology, remote sensing, and GIS and applicants with experience in hot desert field conditions.
Skills that will be acquired:
Experience with ArcGISExperience with RCuration of spatial datasetsScientific communication
Applications are due by 1 January 2026 but space is limited, so early applications are encouraged.
Interested applicants should email both Dr. McIntyre (nancy.mcintyre@ttu.edu) and Dr. Griffis-Kyle (kerry.griffis-kyle@ttu.edu) with “Graduate application – desert wetlands” in the subject line. Please include all of the following in your email:
A statement of your research interestsHow this position will help you fulfill your career goalsResume/CV with a summary of your research experiences and skills and your contact infoUnofficial transcriptsGRE scores (optional but encouraged)Contact information (names, addresses, phone numbers, emails) of three references
MS Position available – Hurricane Ecology in southern ecosystems – UCF Biology and the Jones Center at Ichauway
MS Position available – Hurricane Ecology in southern ecosystems – UCF Biology and the Jones Center at Ichauway by Nicole Zampieri (07 Oct 2025 14:38 EDT)
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An MS research assistantship is available with Dr. Nicole Zampieri (Dendroecology and Disturbance Lab, Department of Biology, University of Central Florida) and Dr. Jeffery Cannon (Landscape Ecology Lab, Jones Center at Ichauway) starting Fall 2026. The successful applicant will investigate how disturbances such as hurricanes influence plant composition. The research will leverage available long-term data with new field investigations. The student will be appointed as a Graduate Assistant at University of Central Florida, and the student’s work will be co-sponsored by the Jones Center at Ichauway. Financial support is available for two years, starting in Fall 2026, and includes a stipend ($21,000/year) and tuition waiver. Health insurance is covered by the University of Central Florida for graduate students. The student will be expected to TA during semesters sponsored by UCF (approximately one year of the two year appointment).
Link to full advertisement: https://nicolezampieri.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/3/3/143396975/ms-advertisement-2025.pdf
Project description: Hurricanes are a powerful but understudied ecological force in the southeastern US, where landscapes have historically been shaped by frequent disturbances. Hurricanes have only recently gained recognition as an ecologically important and recurrent disturbance, with most forests in the Southeast experiencing cyclone-force winds about every six years. Understanding how these storms influence ecosystem structure and function is critical for predicting future dynamics in a region experiencing both intensifying storm regimes and rapid environmental change.
This proposed research will investigate the long-term impacts of hurricanes on community composition using established long-term monitoring datasets. By combining these data with a historical record of hurricane windfields, the student will examine how single or repeated exposure to storms shapes patterns of plant diversity, abundance, and recovery over time. In addition, the project will explore how management interventions, such as prescribed fire or salvage logging, influence the trajectory of community composition following disturbance. This work will contribute to a growing body of knowledge on hurricane ecology, helping to illuminate how recurrent storms interact with management and shape the trajectory of southeastern ecosystems. The work will involve leveraging longterm datasets with newly collected field data.
Required Qualifications:
•?????Bachelor’s degree in ecology, biology, environmental science, forestry, wildlife sciences, environmental engineering, geography, geospatial science, or a related field.
•?????Conduct ecological research creatively and independently, with guidance from mentors
•?????Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team and be willing to mentor others and assist with lab members’ research when needed
Preferred Qualifications:
•?????On-the-job training will be provided as needed, but previous experience in vegetation surveys, and collecting/processing ecological data is preferred
•???? Ability to complete field work in the woods, involving some strenuous physical activity (walking, standing, bending, stooping, climbing, and lifting) under demanding field conditions (i.e., with exposure to heat, humidity, insects, poison oak/ivy)
•?????Possess a current driver’s license valid in the U.S. and be able or willing to learn to drive a 4WD truck on both highways and dirt roads
•?????Prior experience with research including data analysis using R, SAS, JMP, SPSS, and/or other statistical software, scientific writing for publication in peer-reviewed journals
If interested, please email to Dr. Nicole Zampieri (Nicole.zampieri@ucf.edu) and Dr. Jeffery Cannon (Jeffery.cannon@jonesctr.org) (1) a letter of interest that discusses your research and education qualifications; (2) a resume/CV; (3) unofficial transcripts, (4) contact information for three professional references, and (5) a writing sample. The deadline for applications is November 6th, and review of applications will begin immediately. Interviews will be scheduled for the following week on November 10th and 12th.
The selected applicant will be required to apply and meet the requirements of the graduate program in the Department of Biology at the University of Central Florida. Details on the full application process to the can be found at https://sciences.ucf.edu/biology/graduate/applying/. Applications to the University of Central Florida Department of Biology are due December 1st, 2025.
Nicole Zampieri is an incoming Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Central Florida. For more information about the department, visit https://sciences.ucf.edu/biology/. Additional information on the Landscape Ecology Lab and the Jones Center can be found at https://lab.jonesctr.org/cannon/.
Ph.D. student assistantship: Seagrass ecosystems and nekton communities in the Gulf Islands National Seashore
Ph.D. student assistantship: Seagrass ecosystems and nekton communities in the Gulf Islands National Seashore by Zachary Darnell (07 Oct 2025 14:27 EDT)
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PH.D. STUDENT ASSISTANTSHIP
Understanding Drivers of Change in Seagrass Ecosystems to Inform Management of Critical Habitats in the Gulf Islands National Seashore
The University of Southern Mississippi
Ocean Springs, MS
We seek a highly motivated student to fill a funded Ph.D. assistantship at The University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, MS. The selected student will be co-advised by Dr. Zachary Darnell and Dr. Kelly Darnell. This assistantship will begin in either January or June 2026 depending on the availability of the selected student.
The assistantship will be centered on a recently funded project to identify and monitor long-term trends and variability in seagrass-dominated ecosystems in the Gulf Islands National Seashore and identify drivers of change in biodiversity and productivity of these systems to address knowledge gaps and uncertainties prioritized by resource managers. The project will involve substantial field sampling for seagrass and seagrass-associated nekton across the Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida and Mississippi, as well as laboratory sample processing. Experience working in seagrass beds and familiarity with coastal nekton communities is preferred but not required. This is a collaborative project with researchers at multiple academic institutions and stakeholders from multiple agencies including the National Park Service.
The student selected for this position will pursue a Ph.D. degree in the Division of Coastal Sciences within the School of Ocean Science and Engineering (SOSE). The assistantship includes tuition and a stipend of $29,400 per year for a duration of 5 years. The student selected for the assistantship will be a fully integrated member of the project team and will contribute to study design, collection and analysis of data, and manuscript preparation. Applicants with an M.S. degree are preferred.
The Division of Coastal Sciences is a research and graduate education unit within SOSE, which offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs in Coastal Sciences, Hydrographic Science, Marine Biology, Marine Science, and Ocean Engineering, and a certificate program in Uncrewed Maritime Systems. The faculty and staff of SOSE leverage its location on the Gulf Coast and expertise in marine and coastal science and engineering to address challenges facing coastal and marine environments. SOSE has significant research infrastructure and facilities across four principal sites spanning the Mississippi Gulf Coast: the NASA Stennis Space Center, the Gulf Park Campus at Long Beach, the Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise at the Port of Gulfport, and the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs. This position will be located in Ocean Springs at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, a marine laboratory featuring comprehensive research programs in coastal and marine biological sciences. Research program support includes state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and instrumentation; a fleet of small and large research vessels; the GCRL Museum collection; facilities at the Center for Fisheries Research and Development (CFRD) and Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center (TCMAC); and the NSF I/UCRC Science Center for Marine Fisheries. Ocean Springs is a small, coastal town known for its beauty, natural resources, and vibrant arts community. It is home to galleries, restaurants, and schools that are ranked among the best in the state.
Interested students should contact Dr. Zachary Darnell (zachary.darnell@usm.edu). Please include a cover letter describing your interests and career goals, a copy of your CV, unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts, and contact information for three professional references. Review of applicants will begin on October 15, 2025 and continue until the position is filled.
Now Accepting Applications for the UTEP ROADS 2026-2027 Cohort!
Now Accepting Applications for the UTEP ROADS 2026-2027 Cohort! (Due March 1st 2026) by Schaeffer, Kathleen E
Are you a recent graduate or about to graduate with your bachelor’s degree in Biological Science, Environmental Science, or related fields?
Not sure what your next step is?
The UTEP ROADS Postbaccalaureate program could be for you!
UTEP ROADS is an NSF funded RaMP (Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates) program that aims to provide the next generation of global change scientists with transformative research training and professional development – all while engaging them within a supportive academic network at the University of Texas at El Paso and beyond.
The ROADS program is seeking applicants who:
Have received a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences, Environmental Science (or related field) within the last 4 years (May 2022 – May 2026)
Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (preferred)
Have US Citizenship or Permanent Residency
Why should you apply?
ROADS students will:
Be awarded one-year of full support ($32.5K stipend, funds for research, travel, and subsistence)
Develop and conduct a year-long research project at UTEP within a faculty members lab
Experience innovative science that focuses on identifying the effects global change has on ecological, evolutionary, and environmental processes in the extreme dryland environments of the Arctic and Desert
Participate in expert led workshops, seminars, and networking events that aim to enhance the professional skills needed to thrive in graduate school or STEM careers
Have an opportunity to publish their findings in scientific journals
Be part of a supportive and collaborative team of mentors and peers!
How can you apply? Applicants must submit:
Online Application and Registration https://etap.nsf.gov/
Emails of 2 professional references for letters of recommendation
A personal essay on interest in the ROADS program and research background
Unofficial Academic Transcript
Applications for the ROADS Postbaccalaureate program are due March 1st , 2026
Please see the full Application Details on our UTEP ROADS Website!
Have additional questions? Please contact ramp@utep.edu
PhD position at Simon Fraser University in Alpine Stream Ecology
Come join the Little Ecology Group (www.littleecologygroup.ca) at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada! We are hiring a PhD student to conduct aquatic biodiversity research as part of the Alpine Horizons research project, a joint effort of multiple B.C. universities, the Squamish Nation, and British Columbia Parks. You can learn more about Alpine Horizons here.
The project: A doctoral position is available for a student with a background in ecology and/or environmental science. British Columbia’s Coast Mountains feature unique alpine landscapes, webbed by glacial and snowmelt-driven streams. The biodiversity of these freshwater ecosystems is poorly documented in scientific literature, and as a result it is challenging to understand how climate change will impact stream biodiversity, or how biomonitoring could be used to evaluate impact of infrastructure development in the alpine zone. To address the needs of our project partners (Squamish Nation and B.C. Parks), this project aims to fill the knowledge gap on freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity in the Coast Mountains, as well as investigating stream ecosystem functioning. This project will entail fieldwork in rugged areas, as well as conceptual work linking species traits to climate risk and environmental conditions.
Within these topics, the group leader Dr. Chelsea Little is excited to work with the student to develop research ideas that inspire them. The Little Ecology group focuses on community and landscape ecology, but across a wide array of ecosystem types, scales, and taxonomic groups. We seek group members who would thrive in this environment and who enjoy learning about the processes at work in the natural world.
Expectations: Doctoral students are expected to develop at least three research chapters for their dissertation. We expect that students will be increasingly independent as they advance through their doctoral career. Group members should conduct sound, reproducible research and uphold principles of open science. In this interdisciplinary project, we also expect that students consider input from project partners and help mobilize their knowledge to communities.
The Little Ecology Group values diversity and seeks to build an inclusive lab. Currently, our research group consists of mix of graduate students, undergraduate researchers, and one postdoc. Group members are expected to contribute to a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. International students and those from groups that are under-represented in ecology are encouraged to apply. You can read our lab values statement below the “how to apply” section of this page.
Eligibility: Candidates must have completed a masters degree in a relevant field. Competitive candidates will have experience working in field settings; strong statistical and modelling skills, including comfort in the R computing environment; and excellent interpersonal and writing abilities. Expertise in freshwater macroinvertebrate identification is an asset. Experience working outdoors in mountain environments is beneficial, but the only requirement is willingness to conduct multi-day research trips in a remote environment, hiking with considerable elevation gain and occasionally in adverse weather conditions.
The student will be enrolled in the PhD program in either the Biological Sciences department or the School of Environmental Science at Simon Fraser University, depending on student interest. Information about the program, including admission criteria, can be found here for Biological Sciences and here for Environmental Science.
Both Canadian and international students are eligible for these positions. Note that a Canadian student could start as early as May 2026, but due to study permit processing times, an international student could realistically not start until September 2026.
Compensation: PhD students receive $34,100 per year in compensation for at least four years. It is expected that a portion of this will come from teaching assistantships, and that students will apply for appropriate fellowships/scholarships. For example, Canadian applicants are expected to develop an NSERC CGS-D application in fall of 2026 or 2027, if they are selected for the position. The balance of the students’ compensation packages will come from grant funding. The Biological Sciences funding policy can be found here.
How to Apply: To express your interest, get more information, or ask questions about my mentorship approach, please email your CV, academic transcript(s), and a cover letter that includes a short description of your research interests and background and a note about your career goals to Chelsea_little AT sfu.ca. Review of applications will begin on October 25, 2025, and continue until the position is filled. If the position is still listed on this site, we are still accepting applications!
Our values:
As stated in its name, the Little Ecology Group values each little piece that makes up our collective group. Our lab members come from varying backgrounds, including in our positionality and understanding of the world, and we are dedicated to making this a safe place for people of all backgrounds and levels of experience. The Little Ecology Group celebrates these differences, for they enrich what we all share: our curiosity and love for science. We strive to create an environment where people can feel confident and supported in seeking higher learning, regardless of their background or experience, and where we practice kindness and respect for ourselves and others. We seek inspiration from other group members and aim to create a fun and collaborative environment where we can learn in an engaging and supportive way. Although our research is focused on ecology, our work is not limited to only the natural world and we must consider all aspects of natural and social science, including historical relevance, cultural importance, political influence, and scientific method. We recognize the importance of not only doing science, but of understanding it in the larger context of the world, and of communicating it effectively across communities. We are community participants who share our work with local policy and decision-makers to help protect nature. If you align with these values or if you have new views to challenge and improve who we are as a group, the Little Ecology Group welcomes you!
Chelsea Jean Little (she/her)
Assistant Professor
School of Environmental Science & Department of Biological Sciences
chelsea_little@sfu.ca
www.littleecologygroup.ca
Assistant Professor
School of Environmental Science & Department of Biological Sciences
chelsea_little@sfu.ca
www.littleecologygroup.ca
I live and work on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the x?m??kw?y??m (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and S?l?ílw?ta? (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Ph.D. position in Dryland Ecosystem Dynamics at the University of Nevada Las Vegas
Ph.D. position in Dryland Ecosystem Dynamics at the University of Nevada Las Vegas by Matthew Petrie (01 Oct 2025 19:27 EDT)
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POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: Ph.D. position in Dryland Ecosystem Dynamics at the University of Nevada Las Vegas
Are you interested in studying the environments of ecosystems in the southwestern United States? My lab has collected datasets capturing unique locations, vegetation attributes, and meteorological events in deserts, woodlands, and forests in Arizona and Nevada. I am recruiting a student who would like to use these datasets to design and carry out scientific studies focused on the meteorological, temperature, and water dynamics of dryland ecosystems. Our lab elucidates the mechanisms of ecosystem change using techniques and data sources from field sampling and experiments, remote sensing and instrumentation, and modeling. The selected student will have the opportunity to learn and assist with these techniques as part of their training.
The dryland ecology group in UNLV’s School of Life Sciences is small, friendly, and collaborative, with 5 faculty members, 10 graduate students, and 2 postdocs.
Applicants are welcome to visit the lab website (https://unlv-ecohydrology.mystrikingly.com/) and email me (matthew.petrie@unlv.edu). Please note that UNLV does not allow faculty to “pre-evaluate” applicants before they apply to the graduate program (https://www.unlv.edu/admissions/graduate/apply). This means that I cannot provide feedback on applicant qualifications, likelihood of being accepted, etc., until after they have applied. I can answer questions and provide more detail about projects and other items that can help determine if this position is a good fit. The anticipated start date is August, 2026.
The successful applicant will have most or all of the following:
– M.A. or M.S. degree in a STEM field
– Peer reviewed publication(s)
– Data analysis experience
– GIS experience
– Interest and creativity in ecological research
– Writing skills
This position will be housed within the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (https://www.unlv.edu/lifesciences). UNLV is a Carnegie R1 research university, and is one of the most diverse campuses in the nation. In addition to nightlife, dining, and entertainment options, Las Vegas offers extensive year-round outdoor recreation, a ski area, and ten US National Parks and the Pacific Ocean within a day’s drive.
Thank you for your interest!
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PhD Opportunity at Emory University’s Environmental Sciences and Society (ESS) program
PhD Opportunity at Emory University’s Environmental Sciences and Society (ESS) program by Lonsdorf, Eric V. (01 Oct 2025 17:38 EDT)
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I (Eric Lonsdorf) am recruiting a PhD student to join a collaborative team working to integrate the contributions of nature to people into decisions aimed at supporting more sustainable cities and agricultural systems. The student would be supported by a graduate fellowship and join a cohort of other students as part of Emory University’s Environmental Sciences and Society (ESS) graduate program.
I study how ecosystems contribute to people’s well-being and how decisions shape those contributions over time. The collaborative projects I’m a part of blend ecological modeling, climate change science, and decision analysis to tackle applied problems—from pollinator services and conservation and sustainable agriculture to urban resilience and natural capital accounting – my published work can be found here.
I am looking for a student with strong quantitative skills and a passion for connecting science to sustainability challenges. Ideal candidates will have experience in one or more areas such as geospatial analysis, statistical or ecological modeling, environmental or ecological economics, or decision analysis, and some programming experience with tools like R, Python, or MATLAB. Evidence of clear writing or communication is important, as is an interest in collaborative, transdisciplinary research that bridges ecology, data science, and societal decision-making. This student will gain experience in integrative modeling (e.g., InVEST, custom Python/R/matlab workflows), work directly with decision-makers, and develop projects that connect fundamental ecology with applied solutions for sustainability. The student will also have the opportunity to work with the Natural Capital Project, where I am a senior fellow, and contribute to applied projects with Natural Capital Insights, a company I co-founded.
Rather than e-mailing me, please let me know of your interest by filling out this brief questionnaire.
Apply here by December 1st! Frequently asked questions are found here.
Graduate opportunities at Northern Illinois University
The Ecology, Evolution, Behavior, and Conservation faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Illinois University are seeking applicants to the M.S. and Ph.D. graduate programs starting Fall 2026.
Research interests among the faculty are diverse and include community ecology, restoration ecology, conservation genetics, vertebrate and invertebrate evolution, behavioral ecology, and microbial ecology.
EEBC faculty that are taking graduate students for Fall 2026 are:
Michael W. Henson: Our lab is interested in how microbes shape, and are shaped by, changing aquatic environments. Right now, we’re tackling three big projects: The Mississippi River Microbiome, Diadama Mass Mortality (NSF Funded), and Microbial Thermal Stress tolerance: https://www.theaquaticmicrobiologylab.com/
Holly P. Jones, restoration ecology and conservation biology: https://hjones82.wixsite.com/website
Jennifer A.H. Koop, ecology and evolution of host-parasite interactions; invasion biology: https://jenniferkoop.weebly.com/
Karen E. Samonds, paleontology, skeletal biology and paleobiogeography: http://www.sadabe.org/Samonds/Index.html
Details of the graduate program and application process are available at https://www.niu.edu/clas/biology/academics/graduate-studies/index.shtml The department offers teaching assistantships including stipend and tuition waiver, on a competitive basis. The deadline for application materials is January 1, 2026. However, prospective students should contact potential faculty advisors well in advance of applying to discuss research interests and relevant qualifications. See faculty websites for how to get in touch.
Northern Illinois University is a ~15,000-student research university and Hispanic-Serving Institution situated an hour from downtown Chicago in DeKalb, Illinois. Dekalb is a diverse community of 50,000 with a low cost of living. Regional research resources include The Field Museum, Burpee Museum of Natural History, Nachusa Grasslands, Morton Arboretum, Fermilab, Argonne National Laboratory, and numerous local county forest preserves and state parks.
Graduate position: GeorgeWashingtonU.EvolutionaryBiology
The Zhang Lab (visit https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzhanglabgwu.weebly.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmid14018%40ad.uconn.edu%7C89650eb1b4994a30209508ddfc21212b%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638943941449795356%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2FAK206JrwV8u5mFqSvcEljZNjWcMC1ImHR%2FWq%2F2Q61k%3D&reserved=0 for more information) is currently seeking a highly motivated PhD student to join our team in the Department of Biological Sciences at George Washington University, with the expected start date in the fall of 2026. The deadline for application is December 1 st, 2025.
The Zhang lab focuses on understanding two fundamental evolutionary
processes: adaptation and speciation. Current research topics in the lab include, but are not limited to, understanding evolutionary responses to environmental change and the mechanisms of speciation. We are broadly interested in how populations adapt to shifting climates and novel habitats, and how these adaptive processes contribute to the origin and maintenance of biodiversity. Projects in the lab often integrate ecological fieldwork, genomic analyses, and experimental approaches to address questions such as: How do environmental gradients shape patterns of adaptation? What genetic and phenotypic mechanisms underlie reproductive isolation? And how do interactions between species (e.g., hosts, natural
enemies) influence evolutionary trajectories?
The successful applicant has the chance to develop their own projects that are within PI’s realm of interests in evolutionary biology. Experience in field work, programming language (e.g. R, python, unix), molecular biology skills (DNA-based lab work), and quantitative analysis are strongly preferred. This position is guaranteed for five years of funding including summer stipends. It consists of two years of TA and three years of fellowship. Detailed application documents can be found here (
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbulletin.gwu.edu%2Farts-sciences%2Fbiological-sciences%2Fphd%2F%23admissionstext&data=05%7C02%7Cmid14018%40ad.uconn.edu%7C89650eb1b4994a30209508ddfc21212b%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638943941449820171%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=w%2FSegpi0gXzGYxYYPAA1pVsRRrK2hoj2LPcE7CwYR4Y%3D&reserved=0
).
Prior to applying to the department of Biological Science at GWU, please contact Dr. Zhang at linyi.zhang@gwu.edu. In the email, please include (1) CV, (2) an unofficial transcript, (3) a brief statement describing your research interests, relevant research experience, and motivation for joining the lab, (4) your referees’ contact information, (5) a writing sample.
grad student positions in ecology at the University of British Columbia
The Williams Lab at UBC is looking for 1 MSc and 1 – 2 PhD students to join our group in 2026. We study how evolution and ecology interact to change population dynamics and species interactions in space and time. We want to understand how fast populations of native species can expand their ranges with climate change and invasive plants can expand following introduction to a new region, and also how plants in the endangered Garry oak ecosystem will respond to climate change. To answer these questions, we combine experiments in the field and greenhouse with quantitative models. We are also participating in research to understand the effects of trampling by hikers on alpine plants.
Graduate students have the flexibility to develop a project that fits into ongoing lab research. Specifically, for MSc students, there is an opportunity to lead a project in the Coast Range mountains investigating how the alpine plant community is affected by trampling by hikers (led by Dr. Nina Hewitt, and co-supervised by the Williams lab). PhD students will have more flexibility in project development, with the goal of one student leading a project on Vancouver Island, and a second leading a project exploring range expansion of invasive plants into higher elevations in the Coast Range and/or Interior mountains. In the Garry oak ecosystem, we have a 10-year (and counting) dataset on demography and community composition of understory species that can be harnessed in combination with experiments and/or further data collection. For the mountain invasion project, we have scouted a suite of candidate species and potential field sites, with much opportunity to develop the scope and particular questions of the project.
We are looking for graduate students who are curious about population and community ecology, with at least some relevant undergraduate coursework and/or research experience. Students in the group will develop strong quantitative skills (statistical and/or modeling) and do reproducible research. Prospective students should be in interested in becoming more quantitative, and we will help them get there. Prospective students should have experience identifying plants, an introduction to R and statistics, and a valid driver’s license. For students who wish to work in the mountains, backcountry hiking and camping experience is advised, and the ability to carry a backpack.
The Williams Lab is committed to creating a safe and supportive lab environment. Our group interacts with a diverse group of geographers interested in the environment, and with ecologists and evolutionary biologists from across UBC, who are brought together by the Biodiversity Research Centre for classes, seminars and discussion groups. We have ties with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Metro Vancouver, and land managers at native prairie sites across the Pacific Northwest.
Applications for MSc students are due in mid-December 2025 and for Ph.D. students in early January 2026, for a May or September 2026 start date. Curious if you might fit into the group? Send an email to jennifer.williams@geog.ubc.ca telling a little about your research interests. Already know you’d like to be considered, please fill out this webform. We will start reviewing responses in mid to late October.
For questions about the MSc position, email nina.hewitt@geog.ubc.ca. For more info, see the lab website: http://williamslabubc.weebly.com/; for more about the alpine trampling project: https://garibaldialpine.wixsite.com/garibaldialpine/copy-of-our-team-2024; learn about applying to UBC Geography here: http://www.geog.ubc.ca/graduate/.
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- — Jennifer Williams Professor, Department of Geography & Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia office phone: +1 604 827-1592 email:
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- website: