M.S. Assistantship in Social-Ecological Systems – Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit within the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team that aims to understand spatial and temporal patterns and dynamics in a social-

ecological system.  The Valentine National Wildlife Refuge (VNWR), located in north-central Nebraska, represents an important social-

ecological system that is managed for multiple purposes and visitors.=20 However, it is unclear how visitors may differ in their spatial and temporal use of the VNWR.  The successful candidate will 1) quantify visitor use within this tractable system, 2) identify the types of visitors and how they use the VNWR, and 3) explore spatial and temporal interactions among visitors across the VNWR landscape.  Data will be collected using a suite of on- and off-site methods.  Individuals interested in social-ecological systems, landscape ecology, behavioral ecology, environmental sciences, and social sciences are encouraged to apply.  Collaboration with agency, academic, and general public entities will be required.  Applicants must hold a valid driver=92s license and pass a university drivers background check.  Please email a single document including a letter of interest, CV, unofficial transcripts and GRE scores, and contact information for three references to Dr. Mark Kaemingk (mkaemingk2@unl.edu) and Dr. Kevin Pope (kpope2@unl.edu).=20 Applications will be reviewed when received and the position will remain open until filled.  Expected start date of January 2018.

We are seeking Ph.D. students interested in agro-ecology and/or conservation biology to join the Karp Lab in the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at the University of California, Davis. The Karp lab (http://karp.ucdavis.edu) has a diversity of ongoing projects focused on (1) understanding patterns of bird biodiversity across climate and land-use gradients, (2) quantifying impacts of alternative agricultural practices on biodiversity-driven ecosystem services and disservices, and (3) identifying tradeoffs among biodiversity and ecosystem services to inform development of multi-

functional landscapes.

Candidates with interest and/or experience in conservation science, ecosystem services, agro-ecology, community ecology, and/or countryside biogeography are encouraged to apply. If interested, please send a current CV with GPA and GRE scores and a brief (<1 page) statement describing your research interests to Daniel Karp (dkarp@ucdavis.edu). Interested applicants would apply to UC Davis=92s Graduate Group in Ecology (http://ecology.ucdavis.edu/), which is consistently ranked as one of the top ecology graduate programs in the United States. Applications are due Dec. 15, 2017.=20 Underrepresented groups, women, and those with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The University of California, Davis is a Research I public university located in the Central Valley of California. Local ecological research activities are possible in the diverse farmland, forests, wetlands, and grasslands that typify the area. Easy access to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Trinity Alps, and the coast provide for a suite of recreational activities. Davis is also adjacent to Sacramento, a burgeoning metropolitan area, and close to San Francisco and Berkeley.

Join the Oleson and Trauernicht labs at the University of Hawaii Manoa as an MS or PhD student working on modeling fire and ecosystem services

Fully funded 2 year McIntire-Stennis fellowship (with possibility of up to 5 years, pending funding)

For more info on the labs:

http://olesonlab.org/news/ <http://olesonlab.org/news/>

https://www.nrem-fire.org/ <https://www.nrem-fire.org/>

Duties and Responsibilities:

Watersheds provide critical ecosystem goods and services that support human quality of life. In Hawaii, recurrent wildfires have reduced the extent of forested areas, with implications for ecosystem services derived from both upland and coastal environments. Understanding how and where fire-induced degradation impacts socially valuable ecosystem goods and services can aid watershed managers in identifying priority management actions and areas. Understanding the broader benefits and trade-offs of alternate watershed and fire management strategies can improve both conservation and economic outcomes. Managers considering alternate approaches to fire management require decision support tools to help quantify and map ecosystem service changes across the landscape from state changes due to fire. Managers also need decision tools to spatially prioritize fire suppression or other watershed restoration measures to maximize conservation outcomes.

This project will integrate fire prediction and land cover effect models with ecosystem service models into a novel decision support tool capable of assessing the broader benefits and trade-offs of various fire management strategies. The GA will: (1) develop ecosystem service models capable of assessing impact of fire and fire management measures in Hawaii; (2) couple ecosystem services models with fire prediction and land cover change models in a decision support tool capable of assessing the benefits of alternative fire management strategies, and (3) apply techniques derived from decision science to evaluate management alternatives. Initial duties include (but are not limited to) conducting literature reviews; identifying, collecting, organizing, quality controlling, processing, and properly managing secondary environmental, social, and economic data; developing, calibrating, and validating environmental models; analyzing data using appropriate statistical and other analytical techniques; building relationships with potential model users; writing manuscripts for publication; and producing reports and outreach materials. The GA is expected to perform other additional tasks as assigned. Duties also include collaborating and working with other researchers in an interdisciplinary environment.

Minimum Qualifications:

Admission to, or ongoing, graduate student at UH Manoa in NREM or directly related field of study

BS in environmental science, geography, and/or related fields

Excellent knowledge of GIS and experience with geospatial analysis

Experience managing geospatial data

Strong interest in ecosystem services modeling and fire modeling

Demonstrated team player, with ability to work independently

Organized, with excellent communication skills

Desirable Qualifications:

MS in environmental science, geography, and/or related fields

Good performance in environmental courses

Experience working with the Federal and state governments, NGOs, and communities in Hawai’i

To Apply:      =20

Submit cover letter and CV to Dr. Kirsten Oleson (koleson@hawaii.edu <mailto:koleson@hawaii.edu>)

               :              :              :              :              :              :              :              :              :=09

               Kirsten L.L. Oleson

               Associate Professor of Ecological Economics

               University of Hawai’i Manoa

               Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

=09

               http://www2.hawaii.edu/~koleson <http://www2.hawaii.edu/~koleson>

               Office:

               Sherman 109

               808-956-8864

               koleson@hawaii.edu <mailto:koleson@hawaii.edu>

               Skype: kirstenllo

               :              :              :              :              :              :              :              :              :=09

               Kirsten L.L. Oleson

               Associate Professor of Ecological Economics

               University of Hawai’i Manoa

               Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

The lab of Allison Shaw (http://umn.edu/home/ashaw) in the Department of

Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota is

recruiting a PhD student to start in Fall 2018. Research in our lab uses

mathematical models to understand the ultimate factors that drive

long-distance movement (migration, dispersal) as well as the

consequences of movement for population viability, spread, and

interspecific interactions.

The specific research topic is flexible but could include developing

theory to understand how migration or dispersal can interact with

climate change, parasites, and infectious diseases. See the lab webpage

(http://umn.edu/home/ashaw) for details on current research projects.

Interested applicants should send (1) a cover letter describing their

research interests, mathematical background, and training, and (2) a CV

(with GPA and GRE scores) to Dr. Allison Shaw (ashaw@umn.edu). Questions

and possible projects can also be discussed over email as well. Students

with prior research experience, and with exposure to mathematical

modeling (through coursework or research) are particularly encouraged.

Formal applications should be submitted to the Ecology, Evolution and

Behavior (EEB) Graduate Program

(https://cbs.umn.edu/academics/departments/eeb/graduate/graduate-admissions)

by December 1, 2017. Interested applicants should also consider applying

for a Graduate Research Fellowship from the NSF.

The EEB graduate program is a richly collaborative community that

includes students with theoretical and empirical interests, spanning

organismal to ecosystem scales. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

is located in the center of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area

with a wide variety of cultural attractions. The campus is also home to

a diverse set of researchers (https://cbs.umn.edu/biota/people) and

resources in the mathematical and biological sciences. These include the

Bell Museum of Natural History

(https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/new-building), the Minnesota

Supercomputing Institute (https://www.msi.umn.edu/), and the Institute

on the Environment (http://environment.umn.edu/).

Candidates for an MS position will be considered to begin in the Spring or

Fall of 2018 in the Watershed Ecology Lab in the Dept. of Forestry and Env.

Resources at NC State (http://watershedecology.weebly.com/). Candidates

should be interested in the intersection of the natural, agricultural, and

built environments, particularly with respect to water resources and

forests. Students should have a background in ecology, environmental

science, or a related discipline, and good quantitative skills. Spatial

analysis, including basic GIS are preferred. If interested, please contact

katie_martin@ncsu.edu and include a brief biosketch, (degree, GPA, GRE, and

TOEFL scores), and an overview of your motivation for this position,

including project ideas. Members of historically underrepresented identities

are particularly encouraged to apply.

The Ecology, Evolution, Behavior, and Conservation faculty in the Department

of Biological Sciences at Northern Illinois University are seeking

applicants to the department’s M.S. and Ph.D. graduate programs starting

fall 2018.=20

=09=09

Research interests among the faculty are diverse and include community

ecology, restoration ecology, conservation genetics, vertebrate and

invertebrate evolution, plant phylogenetics, behavioral ecology, microbial

ecology, and bioinformatics.  The EEBC faculty includes:

-Nicholas A. Barber, community ecology, restoration ecology, and

plant-insect interactions:

https://barberna.wixsite.com/barberecology

-Neil W. Blackstone, ecophysiology of corals and their relatives,

evolutionary conflict and conflict mediation:

http://www.bios.niu.edu/blackstone/blackstone.shtml

-Holly P. Jones, restoration ecology and conservation biology:

https://hjones82.wixsite.com/website

-Bethia H. King, entomology (basic biology, especially behavior, and

applied), behavioral ecology:

http://niu.edu/biology/about/faculty/bking/index.shtml

-Richard B. King, herpetology, ecology, conservation biology:

http://niu.edu/biology/about/faculty/rking/index.shtml

-Virginia L. Naples, comparative morphology and vertebrate paleontology:

http://www.bios.niu.edu/naples/naples.shtml

-Karen E. Samonds, paleontology, skeletal biology and paleobiogeography:

http://www.sadabe.org/Samonds/Index.html

-Wesley D. Swingley, environmental microbiology, extreme ecosystems, and

astrobiology:

https://wswingley.wixsite.com/labsite

-Yanbin Yin, plant and microbial bioinformatics, genome biology and

evolutionary genomics

http://cys.bios.niu.edu/

Details of the graduate program and application process are available at

http://niu.edu/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, 2018.  However, prospective students should contact potential

faculty advisors well in advance of applying to discuss research interests

and relevant qualifications.=20

Northern Illinois University is a 18,000-student research university

situated an hour from downtown Chicago in DeKalb, Illinois, a diverse

community of 50,000 with a low cost of living.  Regional research resources

include The Field Museum, Burpee Museum of Natural History, TNC=92s Nachusa

Grasslands, Morton Arboretum, Fermilab, Argonne National Laboratory, NIU=92s

Lorado Taft campus, and numerous local county forest preserves and state parks.

The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB)

<http://eeb.bio.utk.edu/>at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is

forming a new research unit focused on Conservation Science

<http://eeb.bio.utk.edu/con-sci-grads/>. We seek applications from

outstanding prospective graduate students in this topic, who wish to

pursue a PhD or research-based Masters. We have funding to admit a

strong cohort of students. While we encourage students to pursue

independent funding opportunities, EEB’s policy is to admit students

only when we are confident we can provide funding for the full duration

of their studies. We provide funding to both Masters and PhD students,

regardless of their citizenship. Our goal is to recruit a diverse pool

of students on a range of metrics, including background, career stage,

and research interests.

Our ecology program is among the top 10% for research impact in North

America (Keville et al., 2017

<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.1620/full>). Our recent

Conservation Science graduates have an excellent record of placement,

with students accepting post-doctoral positions in internationally

renowned research groups and leadership positions within conservation

NGOs and public agencies. Our students’ dissertation projects are

published in top-tier journals and deliver research products that our

practitioner partners use and value. Our students study globally

important conservation questions, commonly working in overseas field

systems alongside in-country practitioners.

We anticipate having a “cohort-model” where students interact with each

other and multiple faculty members. However, students typically have one

lead faculty advisor. Ensuring a good match between this advisor and the

student is a central feature of our recruitment process. *Interested

students should reach out to potential advisors by email* (view advisor

email list and full ad at http://eeb.bio.utk.edu/con-sci-grads) to

explore possibilities.

PhD Assistantships Responses to Stream Warming: Food Webs (University of

Alabama); Carbon Dynamics (University of Georgia); and Metabolism and Carbon

Emissions (Virginia Tech), starting spring or fall 2018

We are seeking enthusiastic and qualified applicants to join our research

team investigating the effects of climate warming on macroinvertebrate

communities, stream carbon dynamics and ecosystem metabolism/carbon

emissions in a new project funded by the National Science Foundation. The

larger scope of the project includes microbial to whole-stream reach

responses to temperature that will be used to predict future network-scale

fates of carbon, using a multi-scale design that includes a paired-catchment

whole-stream warming experiment, an array of warmed streamside channels,

laboratory studies of aquatic microbes, and reach- and network-scale

modeling. Fieldwork will take place in the Southern Appalachians at the USDA

Forest Service Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, North Carolina. Students will

engage in multiple aspects of research and will also develop their own

research questions under the overall theme of global change and thermal

effects in stream ecosystems.=20=20

Prospective students interested in the Food Web position should contact Dr.

Jon Benstead (jbenstead@ua.edu) at the University of Alabama. Those

interested in the Carbon Dynamics position should contact Dr. Amy Rosemond

(rosemond@uga.edu) at the University of Georgia, and prospective students

interested in the Metabolism and Carbon Emissions position should contact

Dr. Erin Hotchkiss (ehotchkiss@vt.edu).=20

Please send an email with 1) a CV and 2) a letter of interest by December 1

for full consideration. Include a description of your education, research

and work experience and perceived fit for the position. These positions are

open until filled; desired start date is on or before August 1, 2018. Each

position includes a competitive stipend, health insurance and tuition waiver.

Dr. Christina Staudhammer in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama (http://cstaudhammer.people.ua.edu/) is now inviting applications for a PhD position starting in fall 2018, to work on a project in urban forestry.

The benefits of urban forests to city-dwelling people include recreation, pollution, mitigation, energy savings, and water purification. However, fundamental questions still remain about the resistance and resilience of urban ecosystems to anthropogenic change, especially associated with projected alterations in global climate. A graduate student is sought to undertake dissertation work modeling ecosystem services provided by the urban forests of the southeastern US. The goal is to enhance our scientific understanding of the role of urban forests at local to regional scales, and how they contrast with those of natural forests.

It is expected that prospective graduate students will develop their own research plans and goals, and therefore should be self-motivated and independent. Students should be interested in combining field data collection with statistical modeling. Students should have a strong background in statistics and forest ecology, geography, or environmental science. A solid working knowledge of SAS and/or R is required, and those with strong quantitative skills will be given preference.

This position is primarily a Teaching Assistantship, supplemented by grant funding. However students are expected to apply for additional funding. Interested students will earn a graduate degree from the Department of Biological Sciences. The project will also offer the opportunity to interact with researchers from the USDA forest service, as well as researchers across universities across the US.=20 The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, a college town of ~100,000, surrounded by extensive and varied forests. These forests, and the greater region, provide a wide range of recreational amenities including rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking and mountain biking. To be eligible, students must meet the graduate admission requirements of the University of Alabama: an undergraduate GPA > 3.0 overall, 3.0 for the last 60 semester hours in a degree program or 3.0 for a completed graduate degree program, and a 300 on the GRE.  If interested, email a short summary of your research interests, an unofficial transcript from undergraduate (and post-graduate, if applicable) work, as well as a CV to Dr. Christina Staudhammer (cstaudhammer@ua.edu

The Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Toledo is

offering two graduate research assistantships in environmental science and

ecology to begin in January 2018.  The positions are partially supported by

research grants funded by NOAA and Ohio Department of Natural Resources to

develop ecological indicators for measuring wetland ecosystem responses to

climatic variability and management practices.  The incumbent will use the

funded project to develop his/her MS/PhD thesis in wetland ecology and

management. The candidate should have an undergraduate degree in

environmental science, biology, or related fields by the end of 2017.

Depending on the interest of the incumbent, thesis/dissertation topic can

vary, but will be related to quantitative (statistical) modeling of wetland

services (e.g., nutrient retention, habitat) and the changes of such

service in response to short-term weather fluctuation and long-term climate

change.  The project will also involve the use of GIS and remote sensing

data.

For more information please contact Drs. Song Qian (song.qian@utoledo.edu)

and Kristi Arend (kristin.arend@dnr.state.oh.us) with a current CV and

names of three references.