6 Total Positions Available (Summer 2018) Monday, May 14th – Friday, August 10th** **with possible extension through Friday, August 17th

Location: 3 positions in State College, PA and 3 positions in Coudersport, PA

Pay: Full time, 40hr/week appointment. $11.50/hr. Housing is provided, along with access to a field vehicle.

Duties:
Must be able to find, monument, and inventory permanent forest vegetation plots using GPS and other tools in central or northern Pennsylvania. Daily duties include navigation to remote parts of Pennsylvania state forest lands, hiking up to 2 miles with equipment, and collection of quality vegetation monitoring data-the identification, size class, and abundance of more than 100 species of overstory and understory plants-with a field PC.

Key qualifications:
At least two years toward a natural resources baccalaureate degree; demonstrated plant identification skills (as evidenced by a course in plant ID, such as dendrology, and/or field experience collecting vegetation data); ability to work independently and reliably without direct supervision in challenging field conditions; and possession of a valid driver’s license.

Questions: Contact Danielle Begley-Miller at dfb5098@psu.edu.

Application deadline: Applications reviewed as received.

To apply: Send a letter, résumé, transcripts, and contact information for three references (via email preferred) to Bobbi Joy Scovern. At least one reference should be able to comment on your plant identification skills.

Email applications to:
Bobbi Joy Scovern, Administrative Support Assistant Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
419 Forest Resources Building
University Park, PA 16802
Email: bys5@psu.edu
Phone: 814-865-4511

2 Positions Available (Summer 2018)
Wednesday, May 9th – Friday, August 10th** **with possible extension through Friday, August 17th

Location: 1 position in State College, PA; 1 position in Coudersport, PA

Pay: Full time, 40hr/week appointment. Crew leaders – $12.50/hr. Housing is provided, along with access to a field vehicle.

Description: These positions are part of a long-term vegetation monitoring project assessing the effects of white-tailed deer browsing and other factors on understory plant community composition and tree regeneration (http://ecosystems.psu.edu/research/projects/deer). We are also advertising for an incoming PhD student to work on the project under the direction of Marc McDill and Kim Steiner in the Ecosystem Science and Management Department at Penn State University. The PhD candidate will focus on oak regeneration in central Pennsylvania. The State College crew leader position would ideally be filled by the incoming student.

Duties:
Must be able to find, monument, and inventory permanent forest
vegetation plots using GPS and other tools in central or northern
Pennsylvania. Daily duties include navigation to remote parts of
Pennsylvania state forest lands, hiking up to 2 miles with equipment,
and collection of quality vegetation monitoring data-the identification,
size class, and abundance of more than 100 species of overstory and
understory plants-with a field PC.

In addition to performing the duties described above, crew leaders must
be able to successfully manage and lead a vegetation monitoring crew
while they perform daily duties. This includes daily planning of plot
visits, assessing access routes and equipment needs, and
management/archiving of collected data.

Key qualifications:
Possession of a baccalaureate degree in natural resources or a related
field; demonstrated plant identification skills (as evidenced by at
least one year experience as field technician monitoring vegetation
data); ability to supervise and manage field crews under difficult field
conditions; possession of a valid driver’s license.

Questions: Contact Danielle Begley-Miller at dfb5098@psu.edu.

Application deadline: Applications reviewed as received.

To apply: Send a letter, résumé, transcripts, and contact information
for three references (via email preferred) to Bobbi Joy Scovern. At
least one reference should be able to comment on your plant
identification skills. In your letter, please indicate if you would like
to be considered for a crew leader position.

Email applications to:
Bobbi Joy Scovern, Administrative Support Assistant
Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
419 Forest Resources Building
University Park, PA 16802
Email: bys5@psu.edu
Phone: 814-865-4511

The Department of Geography & the Environment at Villanova University is accepting Fall 2018 enrollments for our Master of Science in Environmental Science program.  Our faculty specialize in ecosystem studies that span the coastal and inland environments, with on-going research projects throughout the United States, in particular the northeast region, and around the world.  Our program uniquely offers the opportunity to develop geospatial technical skills that are highly
marketable and sought-after by employers.   We have thesis and non-
thesis options, that can be completed within two years or part-time by working professionals. For more information, please see our website and contact Ms. Kathleen Cooper (kathleen.f.cooper@villanova.edu), Program Coordinator for more information.

On-Going Research Projects:
https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/artsci/geoenv/academicprograms/Grad
ute_Programs/ResearchAreas.html

MSES Program:
https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/artsci/geoenv/academicprograms/Grad
ute_Programs.html

To be considered for competitive graduate fellowships (including tuition
+ a 9-month stipend for two years), please submit all application
materials by March 1, 2018.

The Miller Lab at Rice University in Houston, TX is recruiting a PhD student to begin in Fall 2018. Research in the lab focuses on demography, dispersal, population dynamics, and species interactions, primarily in plant and insect systems. We blend theoretical and mathematical approaches with experiments in the field, greenhouse, and laboratory.
Learn more about our research here (http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~tm9/) and about the Rice EEB graduate program here (http://biosciences.rice.edu/EEB_GradAdmissions.aspx). The successful student will be expected to develop independent PhD research in line with the themes of the lab. Preferred applicants will have research interests that may include plant population biology, mutualism/symbiosis, demographic modeling, theoretical ecology, and statistics. A Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, or related fields, including research experience, is required.

Graduate students and faculty in the Rice EEB program form an engaged, dynamic, supportive, and highly interactive community of scholars excited about ecological discovery. The lab, department, and institution value a diverse student body; students whose backgrounds are under-represented in STEM are particularly encouraged to apply.

For consideration, send a statement of interest and CV to tom.miller@rice.edu before January 26, 2018.

Subject: M.Sc. student assistantships open for Fall 2018 in Department of Biology at Eastern Washington University

The Department of Biology at Eastern Washington University is recruiting graduate students interested in pursuing a 2-year thesis-based Master of Science (MSc) degree. Applicants must hold a 4-year baccalaureate degree in Biology or related field from an accredited college or university.
Applications for starting in Fall 2018 are currently being accepted, with a final deadline of April 1st, 2018. However, incoming graduate student are eligible to apply for Graduate Student Assistantship (GSA), which are part-time positions as Teaching Assistants (TAs), providing a tuition waiver and a modest stipend. The deadline for applications for the GSA positions is February 20, 2018. You can learn more about our long-standing and successful MSc program at the following link:

https://ewubiologyblog.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/looking-to-earn-an-msc-
in-biology-come-join-the-ewu-biology-graduate-program/

as well as explore the range of topics and success of the alumni of our program here (be patient as it loads):

https://ewubiology.shinyapps.io/Graduate_Students_Alumni/

Interested students should review the range of expertise and research interests of our faculty, which you can see here:

https://www.ewu.edu/cstem/departments/biology/biology-faculty-and-staff

In particular, the following faculty are planning to recruit new students in the below general topics:

Krisztian Magori, Ph.D. (kmagori@ewu.edu)     Disease ecology of
mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases in WA State

Camille McNeely, Ph.D. (fmcneely@ewu.edu)      Stream ecology,
particularly projects focused on invertebrates, food webs, or nutrient dynamics

Jenifer Walke, Ph.D. (jwalke@ewu.edu)          Microbial ecology of the
honey bee gut microbiome and amphibian skin microbiome

Ross Black, Ph.D. (rblack@ewu.edu)             Ecology and evolution of
aquatic  organism

Students considering applying to our program are encouraged to identify potential advisors they would be interested in working with for their thesis research prior to submitting their application, and contact them via email. Conditional upon finding an appropriate major advisor, students can apply to the program here:

https://www.ewu.edu/cstem/departments/biology/ms-biology

Application materials include official transcripts, GRE scores, and two recommendation forms. Importantly, letters of recommendations have to be submitted by their professional references before the February 20 deadline to be eligible for the GSA positions.

The Department of Biology is located in the Science Building on the campus of Eastern Washington University, a regional comprehensive university located in Cheney, WA, approximately 30 minutes from Spokane, the second largest city of Washington. The Department has a strong connection with Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, a federal wildlife refuge located approximately 20 minutes south from campus, including a dedicated field laboratory.

NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in the Evolution of
Biodiversity across the Tree of Life

We are looking for 8 undergraduate students to participate in hands-on
research in biodiversity science and receive training in cutting-edge
techniques and analysis in evolutionary biology for 10 weeks during the
summers of 2016-2018.

Students will learn research techniques that include DNA sequencing and
computational analysis of genetic and genomic data, morphological
measurements and phylogenetic analysis, and microbiology and
next-generation microbial sequencing.  Scientific projects to be conducted
by the students include the morphological and ontogenetic variation in an
African rodent, population genetics and blood meal identification of a
parasitic catfish, coevolution of feeding morphology and taste receptors in
fish-eating birds, Assessing genomic information to identify lichens,
testing the causes of organismal diversification in the most species-rich
lichenized fungi, wing morphology and dispersal ability in New Zealand
water beetles, geographic variation in a widespread mullet fish, and
diversity, evolutionary history and specificity of symbiotic microbes
associated with turtle ants.

In addition students will receive career mentoring in a diversity of STEM
fields, gain experiences in public outreach and science communication,
receive training in ethics/responsible conduct of research, and participate
in a diversity workshop to help overcome bias in science.

https://www.fieldmuseum.org/reu
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/2018-reu-program-offerings

Students will be provided a stipend, dormitory housing, and assistance with
travel costs.

Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and an
undergraduate during the entire period. We especially encourage students
from groups traditionally underrepresented in science to apply.

To apply, please send complete the online application:
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/reu

Applications close April 22, 2016.

Please direct any questions to Emily Hallock (ehallock@fieldmuseum.org).

Please share widely.

The BEAST Lab (Biodiversity and Environments Across Space and Time) is recruiting a highly motivated PhD student for a research project reconstructing late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions, paleoclimates, and vegetation changes in Beringia. This project will involve: 1) opportunities for interdisciplinary training in cutting-edge methods in reconstructing paleonenvironments, including paleoclimate proxies and aDNA of vegetation from sediment cores, as well as classical methods (e.g., pollen, charcoal); 2) fieldwork in Alaska and Russia (including Wrangel Island and Pleistocene Park), 3) opportunities for training in outreach and science communication; and 4) opportunities to mentor undergraduates and high school students.

The ideal candidate should have an academic background in ecology, geography, paleoecology, or a related discipline, and some combination of: strong written communication skills, knowledge of R, strong quantitative skills, and/or experience working with sediment cores, molecular ecology, or Arctic plant communities. The successful applicant will join a diverse, supportive lab group, housed in the Climate Change Institute, with affiliations with the School of Biology and Ecology and the Ecology and Environmental Studies program. CCI is one of the oldest interdisciplinary research institutions in the US, integrating research on the physical, biological, and social aspects of climate change.

Located on the northern border of beautiful Downeast Maine, the University of Maine is the flagship campus of the University of Maine System, and a Land and Sea grant institution.
Baxter State Park and Acadia National Park are 90 minutes away in either direction, and there are numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation (including winter sports, hiking, and paddling). A low cost of living and a collegial environment make the greater Bangor area a great place to work and live.

Please send inquiries to Dr. Jacquelyn Gill (Jacquelyn.Gill@Maine.edu). To apply, please email a 1-pg cover letter outlining your background, career interests, and fit for this project, as well as a CV.  Applications will be reviewed starting immediately, and will continue until the position is filled.