Dr. James Vonesh (Aquatic Community Ecology;https://wp.vcu.edu/voneshlab) and Dr. Paul Bukaveckas (Aquatic Ecosystem Ecology; http://wp.vcu.edu/pabukaveckas/) are interested in recruiting a PhD student through Virginia Commonwealth University=92s Integrative Life Science PhD Program (https://lifesciences.vcu.edu/academic-programs/phd in-integrative-life-sciences/) to collaborate on research aimed at understanding processes that shape community assembly and food web structure and how these, in turn, influence ecosystem metabolism. Our study system is a population (>500) of riverine rock pools along the James River which vary in community composition and their dependence on allochthonous and autochthonous inputs (http://www.jamesriverpark.org/science-in-the-park/rock-pools.php). This student will also participate in K12 educational outreach activities focused around the rock pools (https://vcu.exposure.co/natural-wonders). The ILS PhD program offers 5 years of support in total, including 2 years RA support. VCU is a premier urban, public research university located in Richmond, Virginia along the James River (https://www.vcu.edu/about/index.html). Richmond is a vibrant city with an excellent balance of urban and outdoor life (https://www.vcu.edu/about/richmond.html). Preference will be given to applicants that already have a Masters degree in a relevant field. For more information contact James Vonesh at jrvonesh@vcu.edu.