Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is emerging as an important biofuel
candidate in the United States. Our labs (see list of collaborators
below) collectively study the ecology, genetics/genomics, physiology
and agronomy/plant breeding of Switchgrass. We are seeking a talented
and diverse group of undergraduate students interested in conducting a
variety of research in Switchgrass biology across the US.

Program description:
This program is an opportunity for undergraduate students to
participate in mentored independent research on the biology of
Switchgrass. The program is funded through the NSF Research Experience
for Undergraduates (REU) program and is associated with our ongoing
interdisciplinary work on the ecology, physiology, and genomic
responses of switchgrass to future climate change. Summer students
will be immersed in research and learn basic and applied biology
through active participation in primarily field-based work. Working as
part of our research team, they will contribute to group research
projects, design short research projects, and present their work in an
end-of-summer student symposium.

Each position is supported for 8-10 weeks beginning the first week of
June. Students are awarded a $4500 stipend, plus a housing and food
allowance, and some funds to help defray the cost of traveling to the
designated University.

Who Should Apply:
Undergraduates that are not in their senior year (typically 1st to 3rd
year students), who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents
studying in the U.S.

Application process:
The application deadline is February 19, 2017. Applicants should
submit a 1-page cover letter describing any relevant research
experience, along with their motivation for joining our research
group, and include a copy of their current transcript (unofficial
transcript or screenshots are acceptable). Applicants should also
ensure that two letters of recommendation are submitted on their
behalf. Only applications that are complete will be considered.
Applications and requests for further information should be directed
to:

Dr. Brandon Campitelli
e-mail: brandon.campitelli@utexas.edu
Subject: Switchgrass REU 2017

For more information regarding this opportunity, and ongoing research,
please visit our website:
https://sites.cns.utexas.edu/juenger_lab/summer-research-opportunities

Happy New Year from the team at Green Corps! As you may know, Green Corps combines classroom training on advocacy and organizing skills with real-world experience. We partner with established groups like Environment America and the Wilderness Society to build and mobilize public support for their campaigns. I’m excited to share this opportunity with your students and encourage them to apply. Our early application deadline is January 20th. Thank you for your help, Joshua Buswell-Charkow Green Corps Executive Director Apply today at GreenCorps.org! We’re the Field School for Environmental Organizing Are you passionate about the environment? Are you ready to learn how to run campaigns to help solve the climate crisis or save our last wild places? We offer a year-long, paid training program that will prepare you for a career in environmental organizing. Here’s how it works: Part One: Classroom Training You’ll participate in eight weeks of intensive classroom training conducted by representatives from a wide range of organizations and campaigns. Our staff and trainers present overviews on the biggest issues facing our environment as well as teaching our organizers a variety of valuable skills such as volunteer recruitment, campaign planning, public speaking and much more. Part Two: Field Training on Real Campaigns As a Green Corps organizer, you’ll receive the bulk of your training through hands-on experience working on behalf of organizations such as the Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society and Food & Water Watch. Job responsibilities include recruiting, training and supervising volunteers; organizing visibility events; securing media coverage; and building strong coalitions. You’ll lead three to five different campaigns in communities across the country. By working with several different campaign partners, you’ll gain experience tackling a diversity of issues and working with a variety of individuals. For example, a team of organizers recently helped run a campaign that persuaded Kellogg’s, the cereal company, to pressure its supplier of palm oil to stop destroying tropical forests. Other Green Corps organizers have played critical roles in the retirement of over a dozen coal-fired power plants on the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. Part Three: Launch Your Career After completing the training program, Green Corps connects graduates to groups looking to hire full-time staff. Our alumni now work with organizations such as Environment America, Greenpeace, Corporate Accountability International, Rainforest Action Network, National Wildlife Federation, 350.org and NRDC, among others. Location And Compensation The target annual compensation for this position is $26,000. Green Corps offers a competitive bene ts package. We also offer an excellent training program and opportunities for advancement. Green Corps organizers go where the fight is and wherever they can make the biggest impact. They could work on campaigns almost anywhere in the country and while location preferences are considered for placements, we require all organizers to be geographically flexible. Green Corps is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status.

The Helton Lab seeks a PhD student at The University of Connecticut, advised by Dr. Ashley Helton (ashley.helton@uconn.edu; www.ashleyhelton.weebly.com).

The student’s project will focus on understanding headwater stream carbon dynamics and their response to rising temperatures at the stream reach and river network scales.  The student will work closely with PIs and students at collaborating universities and will have opportunities to travel to field sites in North Carolina.  Prior experience in GIS, simulation modeling (or a strong quantitative background), and stream or landscape ecology preferred.

The position includes a competitive stipend, tuition, and health insurance.=20=20

To apply, e-mail Dr. Helton a 1 page description of your research interests.

Please also send your CV (including GPA and GRE scores), a recent transcript (unofficial is OK), and names and contact information of three

references.

Fauna Forever, a non-profit organization leading projects in the rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon since 1997, is looking for field research interns to assist its international team of conservation biologists, botanists, science photographers, geographers, and educators with numerous field research projects (biodiversity, ecosystem services, climate change), natural resource management planning, native community development, green business development, and global outreach initiatives.

At present we are particularly keen on identifying interns (students or recent graduates) who would like to assist us with Neotropical herpetology (amphibian and reptile), ornithology, botany, science photography, and community-based natural resource management projects for periods of between one to three months, starting any time after 1st March 2017. In addition, for those students looking to undertake an independent research project, perhaps as part of their thesis or dissertation requirements, we have identified a series of studies the results of which would contribute to our work (please find the list of studies below). Expert training in field study methods and post- doctoral-level supervision of projects is provided by our team.

Note: Due to the limited nature of our central funds, successful intern applicants will need to cover their in-country costs associated with food, accommodation, local transport, training and supervision, wifi access, equipment use, etc. in Puerto Maldonado (our base-camp city) and at field sites. A 6-week stay for instance would cost around US$3,000 (US$71 per day). We strongly encourage data collected by student interns to be published in peer-reviewed journals. All field assistants are also acknowledged in our own publications. A knowledge of Spanish is not required, as all of our staff speak English. Energy, enthusiasm, attention to detail, and working well as part of a diverse, international team, is a must!

DISSERTATION-TYPE RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

Mammals

=95 To what extent does primate group size and home-range size vary with forest type and fruit resource composition and availability in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How and why does the relative abundance of rodents (like agoutis, pac= as and squirrels) vary within and between forest sites in Amazonian Peru, based on seed removal experiments?

=95 How does ecotourism, Brazil nut extraction, timber extraction, and/or bush-

meat hunting by local communities affect the diversity, abundance and activity patterns of mammals in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How habituated to the presence of humans are mammal species at increasing distances from ecotourist lodges, research stations, and rural villages in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the geophagy (clay-eating) activity patterns in rainforest mammals vary from place to place in Amazonian Peru, based on camera-trap methods and direct observations?

Birds

=95 How do the characteristics (species composition, abundance, home-rang= e size)=20 of mixed-species bird flocks differ between forest types in Amazonian Per= u?

=95 How does the abundance of oropendola, cacique, macaw, parrot and other flocking bird species differ as the distance from human settlements increases in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the diversity and abundance of nocturnal raptors (family=20 Strigidae), based on transect and call-count station sampling methods, differ between sites in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the flower-visitation rate of hummingbirds vary between flowering plant and bird species, and between forest types (areas of differing forest structure and floristics) in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the species and colony size of army ants (e.g. Eciton sp.) affect the community of insectivorous birds that follow army ant swarms?

Herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles)

=95 How does the abundance of Dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus sp.) vary between forest streams and main river channels in Amazonian Peru, and what stream/river characteristics help explain any difference observed?

=95 How and why does the mean size and weight of amphibian and reptile species differ within and between sites in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does forest structure and light gap characteristics affect the diversity, abundance and behavior of lizards in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the size and position of temporary ponds made from natural and artificial materials affect the amphibian species that use them?

=95 What is the herpetological conservation value of Brazil-nut midden pi= les in=20 Amazonian Peru?

Invertebrates

=95 Is there a relationship between dung-beetle biomass and mammal biomas= s in=20 Amazonian Peru?

=95 How abundant are phoretic mites on dung-beetles in Amazonian Peru, an= d what=20 factors affect this abundance?

=95 What is the =93perfect=94 bait mixture for attracting the most diverse assemblage of butterflies to Van Someron-Rydon-type live traps in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How diverse is the insect community (with an emphasis on a particular Order, like beetles) that inhabits Guadua bamboo thickets as compared with=20 neighboring forest types (without bamboo) in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the community of microscopic animals and plants found in temporary water bodies (such as those found in bromeliads, tree trunks, the holes left by fallen trees) vary across sites in Amazonian Peru? Microscopy equipmen= t is=20 available on site

Botany and Carbon

=95 What tree seedlings regenerate naturally in the forest gaps made duri= ng the=20 process of selective harvesting of tropical timber trees in Amazonian Peru, and is there a relationship to the extracted tree species?

=95 How does the productivity of trees differ between forest types, as measured by biomass of falling leaves, fruit, and flowers in Amazonian Peru?

=95 What is the relationship between the abundance of key-stone fruiting tree species and the abundance of fruit-eating mammal and bird species in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the size distribution of big trees like Dipteryx, Brazil nut, Ceiba, and Fig trees differ between forest plots in conservation areas, as compared to timber concessions and close to local communities in Amazonian Peru?

=95 What is the soil carbon content in seasonally flooded palm swamps and how does it compare to the soil carbon in terra firme forest types in Amazonian Peru?

=95 How does the estimated above ground carbon content of trees in 0.05-h= a plots=20 vary across a gradient from seasonally-flooded forest to non-flooding terra firme forest in Amazonian Peru?

For more information, to request an application form, and to send us your CV/Resume, please contact us at info@faunaforever.org

Applications can also be made via our institutional Facebook page=20 (http://www.facebook.com/notes/fauna-forever/application-form-volunteers-and-

interns/1041868142502124).

Many thanks!

Summer 2017 REU in Botany and Conservation Biology

The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, MO will be offering an
NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates summer program
in 2017.  Ten students will be chosen to participate in a ten-week
program involving full-time work on an independent research project,
with the guidance of a staff mentor, in addition to educational seminars,
discussion sessions and field trips.  Available research projects deal
with subjects including taxonomy, population genetics and speciation,
conservation biology, restoration ecology, biodiversity modeling,
and crop development.  Students will receive a weekly stipend as well
as housing, food, transportation, and funding for research supplies.
Eligible students are U.S. citizens or permanent residents who will
be returning to school in the fall semester after the REU program.
Students from schools with limited research infrastructure and from
underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.  Review of
applications will begin on March 20, 2017.  Further information on the
program, available mentors and projects, and how to apply can be obtained
from the website: www.mobot.org/reu.

Summers at Flathead Lake Biological Station, Montana, USA – Get Out Here!

Immersive field ecology experiences in Western Montana

Since 1899, the Flathead Lake Biological Station of the University of Montana has been offering transformative field ecology courses in spectacular western Montana.  2017 is going to be the best summer yet!

Students are already registering online at http://flbs.umt.edu/education/default.aspx.

We have nine great courses on offer in both aquatic and terrestrial realms that will be of interest to students ranging from “sophomores-to-be” (Field Ecology) to upperclassmen to early grad students. Here are some relevant pieces of info:

–   many scholarships are available

–   early registration discount (Deadline: January 15, 2017)

–   “buddy program” discount for students who sign up together

–   small classes with great faculty

–   immersive learning featuring field methods as well as interactions with natural resource professionals

–   two new courses for 2017: Aquatic Microbial Ecology & Drones for Water Assessment

–   credits easily transferable to other colleges/universities

Students who have completed a first-year college curriculum involving biology, some chemistry, and some math are eligible for our 5-credit Field Ecology class after which they can take subsequent courses that summer.  In any case, students can enroll with permission of instructor so they should contact us if they have questions.  For more summer session details, see the website at http://flbs.umt.edu/education/default.aspx or access the brochure at http://flbs.umt.edu/pdfs/FLBS%20Summer%20Session%20Brochure%202017.pdf.

The Biology Department at Western Washington University has openings for

graduate students starting Fall 2017.  Faculty members in the department

offer a wide range of expertise, from molecular biology to ecology. Graduate students are eligible for teaching assistantships, which fund the

majority of tuition and provide a stipend of $12,116 per year.  WWU is

located in Bellingham, WA, a coastal city north of Seattle at the base of

Mt. Baker in the northwestern part of the state.=20

More information can be found at: https://cse.wwu.edu/biology/biology-graduate-program

or by contacting Dr. Ben Miner, Graduate Program Advisor, at benjamin.miner

at wwu.edu

Potential advisors

Marion Brodhagen: Microbiology, molecular biology, and chemical ecology. Our

lab studies the plant pathogenic fungus Aspergillus and aflatoxin, a potent

toxin produced by this fungus. Our current projects involve the ability of

certain plant secondary metabolites to stop growth and/or toxin production

by Aspergillus. Future research directions will include investigations of

the molecular mechanisms by which these plant compounds alter fungal

metabolism. We also are interested in the role of Aspergillus in

colonization of plastics labeled biodegradable, in agricultural settings.

Aspergillus is a key colonizer of such plastics but its ability to break

down polymers is unclear, as is the extent of toxin formation during plastic

colonization. https://cse.wwu.edu/biology-faculty/brodham

Lina Dalberg: The Dahlberg Lab uses the model organism C. elegans to probe

the neurobiological, cellular, and behavioral role for proteins involved in

a ubiquitin-dependent processes called Endoplasmic Reticulum Associated

Degradation (ERAD). This project will use a variety of techniques, including

fluorescence microscopy, behavioral assays, and biochemical characterization

to investigate how ERAD targets neural receptors for degradation. A second,

NSF-funded project focuses on improving metacognitive skills in

undergraduate Biology students; students interested in this project must

have experience (via coursework or research) in education and pedagogy research.

https://cse.wwu.edu/biology-faculty/dahlbec

Dave Hooper: Plant Community and Ecosystem Ecology.  I will be accepting one

graduate student in fall 2015.  My local research is currently focused on

assessing ecosystem services associated with different scenarios of riparian

restoration in Whatcom County.  Student work would combine GIS analyses of

ecosystem services and field work, particularly on nutrient retention, to

validate modeling results.  I also have opportunities focused on analyzing

large data sets to understand aspects of biodiversity loss and assembly of

plant communities.=20 https://cse.wwu.edu/biology-faculty/hooper

Robin Kodner: Marine Microbial Metagenomics.  The Kodner lab does

interdisciplinary work integrating marine microbial ecology with comparative

genomics and bioinformatics for metagenomes. I am recruiting for one student

for work on bioinformatics projects.  Some experience with sequence analysis

and programming required.

https://cse.wwu.edu/biology-faculty/kodnerr

Suzanne Lee: The long-term research goals of the Lee Lab are to better

understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie gene regulatory pathways

that target RNA. The biological importance of gene regulation at the

post-transcriptional level is underscored by the fact that many human

diseases result when RNA metabolism goes awry. Currently, the Lee lab is

investigating pathways that target aberrant RNA transcripts for degradation

through engagement of RNAi machinery or the nonsense-mediated decay pathway.

We use an early branching eukaryote, the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, as

a model eukaryotic system in our research, as it offers the unique

opportunity to uncover both broadly applicable mechanisms and interesting

points of organism-specific diversification.  Students pursuing research in

our lab have the opportunity to learn a broad array of experimental tools

used in biochemistry and molecular and cell biology.  Project opportunities

exist for 1-2 Masters=92 students with prior experience in cloning, PCR,

protein purification, and/or microscopy.

https://cse.wwu.edu/biology-faculty/lees65

Craig Moyer: My interests are marine microbiology and geomicrobiology

focusing on molecular approaches for exploring microbial diversity,

community structure and ecological interactions. Presently, my lab and I are

focused on the study of iron-oxidizing Zetaproteobacteria acting as the

ecosystem engineers in microbial mats found at strong redox boundaries,

including seep, spring and vent habitats. We are also examining the

evolutionary divergence of surface and deep subsurface Zetaproteobacteria in

hydrothermal systems.

https://cse.wwu.edu/biology-faculty/cmoyer

Lynn Pillitteri: Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology.  A potential

graduate project in my lab would be aimed at understanding the molecular

mechanisms driving cell type differentiation in the model organism,

Arabidopsis thaliana.

https://cse.wwu.edu/biology-faculty/pillitl

Dan Pollard: Cellular Systems Genetics and Genomics.  The Pollard lab has

opportunities to study the molecular mechanisms of natural variation in

protein expression dynamics in budding yeasts on an NSF supported project. The lab integrates microscopy, molecular biology, quantitative genetics,

genomics, and computational biology, providing a broad and diverse graduate

training experience. https://cse.wwu.edu/biology-faculty/pollard

Dietmar Schwarz: Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics,

Evolutionary Ecology. Schwarz’s lab offers opportunities to study

speciation, hybridization, and adaptation in host specific insects (apple

maggot flies and relatives). The Schwarz lab also collaborates with

Alejandro Acevedo on the molecular ecology of foraging in harbor seals.

https://cse.wwu.edu/biology-faculty/schward2

Anu Singh-Cundy: Plant Cell Biology and Biochemistry.  We study cell-cell

interactions at the physiological, cellular, and molecular levels. Current

projects are focused on understanding the role of HD-AGPs, which are

extracellular glycoproteins that are expressed in the transmitting tissue of

the pistil and in the vasculature of roots and shoots. We also study pectins

and pectin-modifying enzymes found in the pistil of solanaceous species.

https://cse.wwu.edu/biology-faculty/anu

The lab of Dr. Andrew Nelson in the Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences at the University of Idaho is seeking qualified applicants for 1 crew leader ($12-13/hour) and 2-3 technicians ($9-10/hour) for 40 hours per week during summer 2017. In general, the Nelson lab focuses on silviculture and applied forest ecology. Our research explores the effects of forest management on stand dynamics and tree growth, specifically forests of the Inland Empire (northern Idaho, northeastern Washington, and western Montana) and the greater Northern Rockies and Inland Northwest.

Expected start date May 22, 2017 and expected end date August 18, 2017. Employee will be responsible for arranging their own housing in Moscow, Idaho or surrounding area during the term of employment.

Technician Qualifications:

=95=09Knowledge of Inland Northwest vegetation or ability to learn quickly

=95=09Knowledge of forest measurements and tools

=95=09Be able to work in the field in all weather conditions

=95=09Be able to camp as needed (applicants must provide their own supplies)

=95=09Be able to hike in rugged terrain

=95=09Be able to carry 50 lbs

=95=09Pass a criminal background check

=95=09Possess a valid driver=92s license =95=09Be able to drive University of Idaho vehicles (cannot have suspended license in the past three years, cannot have alcohol or drug-

related offense)

Crew Leader Qualifications:

=95=09All the qualifications for the technician positions, plus:

o=09At least one year experience as a field technician

o=09Ability to communicate with forest managers and coordinate field activities

Interested applicants should submit a resume or CV, brief statement of interest and experience, and contact information (name, affiliation, phone number, and email) for 2 professional or academic references in a single PDF document to Dr. Andrew Nelson (asnelson@uidaho.edu). Review of applications will begin immediately. Deadline for application is January 31, 2017.

Brief Project Overview

1.=09Western Larch Thinning and Understory Vegetation

=95=09Location: Private and state forestland throughout northern Idaho and northeastern Washington =96 camping required

=95=09Long-term study of young, nearly pure western larch stands managed with three thinning densities (unthinned, 12 ft spacing, and 16ft spacing) and two understory management treatments (complete removal, no removal)

=95=09Duties include installing new trial sites and measuring treatment effects on tree growth, canopy structure, understory diversity, and soil moisture

2.=09Western Larch Genetics =D7 Environment Interactions

=95=09Location: Private forestland in northern Idaho, northeastern Washington, and northeastern Oregon =96 camping required

=95=09Long-term study to examine the performance of superior western larch clones in response to non-tree competition across a climatic gradient in the Inland Empire. 7 superior larch families in pure family blocks plus a standard orchard bulk seed mix block with and without complete control of non-tree vegetation.

=95=09Duties include assisting with greenhouse measurements of seedlings, locating study sites, and laying out planting blocks in the field in cooperation with forest managers.

3.=09Douglas-fir and Western Larch Competition Thresholds

=95=09Location: Private and state forestland throughout northern Idaho, northeastern Montana, and northeastern Oregon =96 camping required

=95=09Study will examine the amount of non-tree competition surrounding Douglas-fir and western seedlings required to cause a substantial decline in growth and survival across a climate gradient in the Inland Empire. Experiment will consist of two tree species with different areas of non-tree vegetation control around each seedling (no control, 1 ft control, 3 ft control, 5 ft control).

=95=09Duties include locating field sites, applying treatments, and initial seedling measurements.

4.=09Western White Pine and Douglas-fir Responses to Site Preparation

=95=09Location: Priest River Experimental Forest in the Selkirk Mountains of northern Idaho =96 housing provided

=95=09Study will examine the long-term effects (32 years post-

planting) of site preparation treatments (no management, scalping, bedding, bedding + non-tree vegetation control) on the diameter and height growth, and growth efficiency of western white pine and Douglas-

fir.

=95=09Duties include tree felling, detailed field measurements of tree branches and stems, laboratory measurements of leaf area and stem growth.

Master=92s student position for a project examining climate impacts on plant-insect interactions at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS).

The project=92s primary goal is to determine direct and indirect effects of host plant phenology on multi-trophic interactions. Applicants with interest in both field research as well as laboratory techniques are encouraged to apply. The student will be based at UCCS during the academic year, with summer fieldwork conducted primarily at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Gothic, CO. MS program will begin in Fall 2017 at UCCS, but data collection may begin in Summer 2017 at RMBL.

To express interest, please email (emooney@uccs.edu): (1) a statement of research interests/background and (2) the following supporting documents as a SINGLE PDF (a) CV, (b) a list of 3-4 professional references (names and contact information), (c) general GRE scores, and (d) unofficial transcripts. =20 Teaching or research assistantships are available for applicants (US citizens) during the academic year, and funding for all costs of field research is available for summer 2017 and beyond.  For full consideration (and after discussing interests with Dr. Mooney), interested students should apply to the UCCS graduate program in biology (http://www.uccs.edu/biology/future-students/graduate-program.html)=20

before February 1, 2017.=20

The Ruttenberg Lab and Needles Lab at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (http://www.marine.calpoly.edu/faculty/benjamin-ruttenberg;=20

http://www.marine.calpoly.edu/faculty/lisa-needles) have funding for a master’s student to work on a project examining Pismo clam population dynamics and potential techniques for restoration, to begin Fall 2017. The student would be based in San Luis Obispo, CA, with some travel required to local field sites, as well as sites throughout California and potentially Baja California, Mexico. More information about the Cal Poly Biology Graduate Program is available here: http://bio.calpoly.edu/content/grad-

degrees.

The primary goals of the project are to understand the current status, causes of decline, and potential for restoration of Pismo clams (Tivela stultorum) in San Luis Obispo County and throughout the range of the species (Monterey, CA to central Baja California, Mexico). Work will include significant field sampling of adult and juvenile clams, as well as laboratory experiments related to developing methods to spawn and rear clams. There will also be opportunities to explore additional questions of the student=92s interest related to these issues.  Funding for the project includes in-state tuition and all costs related to field work and travel; additional funding for student stipend may be available and opportunities will also be available to obtain support as a teaching assistant/lab instructor in the Biological Sciences Department at Cal Poly.

This is a specific project, and therefore the ideal student would have many/all of the following qualifications:

1.=09Experience conducting shore-based/intertidal fieldwork, including organizing field logistics.

2.=09Experience managing teams of students/assistants.

3.=09Experience with rearing and care of adult and larval molluscs, other invertebrates or fish in an aquarium setting is preferred but not required.

4.=09Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA and 150 on each GRE section (higher strongly preferred).

5.=09Experience/skills with statistics and data analysis; experience with software packages such as R strongly preferred but not required.

6.=09Potential availability to initiate fieldwork during summer 2017.

7.=09CA residency advantageous (but not required) since tuition funds only cover in-state tuition (but out-of-state tuition waivers are available for strong candidates)

Interested candidates should email Dr. Benjamin Ruttenberg (bruttenb@calpoly.edu) with a *brief* description of qualifications, interest in the Cal Poly MS program, and the project, as well as a short CV (2 pages max), all as a single PDF file (with the title =91LastName_Firstname.pdf=92). Please include GPA, GRE scores, experience with fieldwork, organizing logistics, animal care, data analysis experience and skills, etc, and names and contact info of at least 3 references.

Application deadline for Cal Poly is Feb 1.