Month: May 2018

Two MS Positions in Freshwater Ecology and Conservation

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The Capps Lab in the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia is interested in recruiting up to two MS students to begin coursework in the fall of 2019. I am excited to support MS students in the Ecology or the Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development programs.

To work in our lab, you must: 1) meet the entrance requirements for the University of Georgia and be admitted to the program in the Odum School, 2) enjoy working in a team environment, and 3) have a strong work ethic.
Students in our lab group typically conduct a combination of field and laboratory work and integrate both experimental and observational approaches to answer ecological and/or socio-ecological questions pertaining to fresh water. Though there are funding sources that are available through UGA and the Odum School for competitive students (Fellowships/RAs/TAs), MS students will be encouraged to pursue additional grants and fellowships within UGA and from other funding agencies (e.g., EPA, NSF, the Fulbright Program) during their graduate studies.

Entrance to the Odum School of Ecology typically requires high GPAs and competitive verbal and quantitative GRE scores, though there is some flexibility if an applicant has extensive research experience and/or particularly strong letters of recommendation. If you have not taken your exams, but will complete them by November, please make sure to mention that information in your email. If you have concerns about the entrance requirements for the Odum School, please feel free to contact the director of graduate admissions, Dr. Katherine Adams.

Please read below to learn more about the research programs and the additional requirements for each position.

Position 1: This project will examine the long-term impacts of urbanization on the evolution of stream macroinvertebrate populations. The student will be advised by the research team of Krista Capps, Jill Anderson, and John Wares. Applicants should have completed or will complete a degree in biology, ecology, evolution, or a related field by August 2019. Applicants are required to have previous research experience, and those with previous experience working with freshwater macroinvertebrates and/or genetic analyses are preferred.

Position 2: This project will examine relationships between anthropogenically-derived subsidies and stream fish communities in a large, tropical river. The student will be advised by Krista Capps and will be working with research teams in the US and in Mexico. Applicants should have completed or will complete a degree in biology, ecology, chemistry, or a related field by August 2019. Applicants are required to have previous research experience, and those with previous experience working with freshwater fishes and/or biogeochemical analyses are preferred. Applicants must have some working knowledge of Spanish and be willing to live in Mexico for up to several months.

Contact Instructions: If you are interested in graduate study in the Capps Lab, please send Dr. Krista Capps (kcapps [ at ] uga.edu an email with (1) a two paragraph description of your research interests and relevant work/educational experience, (2) one sentence outlining your GRE (and TOEFL if applicable) scores, and (3) one-sentence identifying the degree you are interested in pursuing. Please attach a pdf of your curriculum vitae or resume and copies of university transcripts.

Useful Links:
Graduate Application Information:
http://www.ecology.uga.edu/admissions.php?Graduate_Application_Information-
3/
Support and Awards: http://www.ecology.uga.edu/admissions.php?
Support_and_Awards-10/

MS opportunity in community ecology

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Subject: MS opportunity in community ecology

A MS position is available in the Davenport lab to study the effects of predator phenology on experimental food webs. The focal aspects of the research will pertain to responses of lower trophic levels and ecosystem function within pond ecosystems. The field component of the research will be conducted in the Missouri Ozarks and the experimental/lab work will be completed on campus at Appalachian State University. Coursework will be carried out at Appalachian State University and the field season will run from early September-late June. The student will also have additional research and outreach opportunities such as participating in long-term monitoring of wetland vertebrate populations and additional food web research. The position begins in the August 2018. This position will be supported by a TA position that includes an annual stipend and tuition waiver.

Qualifications: Prospective students should have prior experience in field biology, familiarity with zooplankton sampling and identification, a working knowledge of statistics, demonstrate good communication skills and be willing to work with others in humid environments. Prior experience in surveys of pond-breeding amphibians and invertebrates is preferred but not required. Prospective students should also possess a valid driver’s license. Preference is given to North Carolina state residents. A B.S. in biology, ecology or wildlife biology is required with a GPA >3.0. Applicant must meet admittance criteria set by the Appalachian State University Graduate School and Biology graduate program.

Application materials: Interested applicants should email the following items to Dr. Jon Davenport (davenportjm@appstate.edu) by June 10:  1) cover letter detailing past research experience and professional goals,
2) CV or resume, 3) 2 references, and 4) unofficial transcripts.

seabird research vol opportunity Northeast US

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ATT anyone who likes birds/conservation/research and is in the eastern US, you’d be interested in this coastal ecology/seabird biology opportunity:
 
Want to spend time studying rare and endangered seabirds on an island biological research station that has made major discoveries in the last 50 years as part of one of the longest running ornithological studies in the world?
 
Pls forward to colleagues/students, this station is a fantastic place for budding bio/enviro/ornithology undergrads to see a conservation science project up close and contribute to it. I had a great time out there counting nests & eggs with a bunch of great volunteers and tens of thousands of seabirds on just a few acres in the Atlantic.  

The research team leader needs more volunteers in late June and all of July for banding chicks.  
 
Lots of students, bird watchers, citizen scientists, etc go there to help out. Free room and board, free boat ride from Niantic, CT, incredible views and sea air, etc. Cell reception, rustic conditions.
 
Here’s an article I wrote about it for Sierra magazine plus 18 images from a recent trip:
 
For details and to volunteer, contact Ann Pacheco <annmpacheco@gmail.com>
 

Employment opportunity – Aquatic Wildlife Specialist

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WILDLIFE SPECIALIST II
“Aquatic Wildlife Specialist”
FIELD OPERATIONS DIVISION / REGION 4 / YUMA BASED
FLSA- Exempt / SALARY GRADE 20 ($36,814-$65,827)
REQUISITION #38234 – CLOSING DATE: 05/30/2018
 
The mission of the Arizona Game & Fish Department is to conserve Arizona’s diverse wildlife resources and manage for safe, compatible outdoor recreation opportunities for current and future generations.  It is our vision to be the national conservation leader supporting the continuation of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and Arizona’s most trusted, respected and credible source for wildlife conservation products, services and information.
 
Description of Duties: Under the direction of the Aquatic Wildlife Program Supervisor, the Aquatic Wildlife Specialist will perform a variety of professional work related to fisheries management for the Yuma Regional Office. The Specialist will be responsible for planning and conducting fisheries management actions and projects in accordance with work plans. Develops and writes management plans and study proposals.  Coordinates and conducts management activities, surveys, and evaluations on fish populations and aquatic habitats.  Plans and coordinates work activities with Department personnel, other agencies, special interest groups, and the public. Collects data, manages databases, analyzes data, interprets analysis, and prepares various technical and popular reports.  Presents information to various agencies, fisheries professionals, special interest groups and the general public.
 
Develops and maintains positive working relationships with other local, state, and federal agencies, special interest groups, and the general public and provides high quality customer service to both internal and external customers.  Reviews and provides comments on proposed actions and management plans that could affect fisheries resources.  Coordinates and conducts various educational and outreach activities such as fishing clinics, educational talks/presentations, round-table discussions, and public meetings.  Assists in developing annual work plans and various reports.  Evaluates and issues special licenses and permits.  Facilitate efforts to enhance aquatic habitats, fish populations, fishing opportunities, and angler access.  Operates, maintains and repairs program equipment.  Trains and may oversee other Department employees, interns, and volunteers assisting the fisheries program.  Serves as acting program supervisor in supervisor’s absence, and other duties as assigned to maintain and implement the aquatic wildlife program.
 
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities: (KSA’s) The position requires knowledge of: fish, wildlife, habitat research, investigation, management, and conservation techniques and procedures; species identification and habitat requirements of Arizona  fish and aquatic flora and fauna, fish and water monitoring, surveying, sampling, and collection techniques and procedures; federal, state, and local laws, regulations, policies, and procedures related to fisheries management; federal, state, and local agency roles and functions relative to fisheries management and environmental issues and administrative procedures for special licenses and permits.
 
The candidate must be skilled in effective writing and oral communication, mathematics and basic statistical analysis, data collection, management, analysis, interpretation, and presentation, GPS, GIS, and topographic use, vehicle, watercraft, and hand equipment operation, safety, and maintenance, report writing, project planning and execution, work management, supervision, leadership, working in remote areas, first aid, and survival skills, and working with others.
 
The candidate must have the ability to develop effective and positive working relationships with various federal, state, and local agencies, special interest groups and the general public, able to provide positive and effective customer service to a variety of internal and external customers, effective communication with a wide variety of audiences, work outdoors in extreme and isolated conditions and be able to train and lead others.
 
The candidate must have a Bachelor of Science degree in fisheries management, fisheries biology, wildlife management or closely related field. The preferred candidate will have a Master of Science degree or three years of experience designing and implementing fisheries management practices, investigations, or research.
 
Employment is contingent upon completion of a post-offer medical/physical examination and the agency’s ability to reasonably accommodate any restrictions.  This position requires possession of and the ability to retain a current, valid state-issued driver’s license appropriate to the assignment.  Employees who drive on state business are subject to driver’s license record checks, must maintain acceptable driving records and must complete any required driver training in accordance with Arizona Administrative Code R2-10-207.12.
 
All newly hired employees will be subject to the E-Verify Employment Eligibility Verification program.  
  
The State of Arizona offers an outstanding comprehensive benefits package including:
 
* 13 days’ of vacation
* 12 sick days
* 10 paid holidays
* Participation in the nationally recognized Arizona State Retirement System
* Superior health care options
* Vision care, dental care, pharmacy benefits, and flexible spending account (options available)
* Life, long-term disability, and short-term disability insurance options are available
* Many more benefit programs are available
 
Arizona State Government is an EOE/ADA Reasonable Accommodation Employer
 
TO APPLY CLICK AZSTATEJOBS.GOV
CLICK SEARCH FOR JOBS, SELECT GAME AND FISH DEPT FROM AGENCY DROPDOWN
 

PH.D. Graduate Research Assistantship: Invasion Ecology in Agroecosystems

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Subject: PH.D. Graduate Research Assistantship: Invasion Ecology in Agroecosystems

Ph.D. Assistantship –
Integrating new technologies to understand invasion ecology in Agroecosystems

We seek a highly motivated student to fill a fully funded Ph.D. position in the labs of Drs. Marcus Lashley and Garrett Street at Mississippi State University to study Invasion Ecology in Agroecosystems. This research is an extension of an ongoing 6+ year project (beginning year three now). The student will be expected to collect data with unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAV) to integrate with other in situ data sets into a landscape modelling framework with the objective of predicting the spatiotemporal probability of human wildlife conflicts, the effects of swine invasion on native wildlife communities, and swine population vulnerability as predicted by island biogeography theory. The successful student will have access to large data sets from radiotags and accelerometers deployed on feral swine, remotely sensed agricultural data, a captive feral swine facility, the Center for UAV Research, and camera traps deployed in remnant forest patches across Agroecosystems of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.

Required Qualifications: Successful completion of the FAA UAS training will be required within the first semester. Possess or obtain a driver’s license. Ability to work in teams or individually in secluded and remote, hot and humid conditions, where most organisms want to sting, bite, or puncture you.

Preferred Qualifications: Strong quantitative, GIS, and written skills are desirable. Strong interpersonal skills, fun attitude with a good sense of humor, and desire to promote research and technology transfer through social media and public speaking.

Interested applicants should submit via email a cover letter outlining your interest in the project, a current curriculum vitae, contacts for three references, and an example of writing (preferably a peer-reviewed
publication) to Dr. Marcus Lashley, marcus.lashley@msstate.edu.
We will be accepting and reviewing applications immediately until a suitable applicant is found. Start date is flexible but intended for August 2018.

Two MS positions in Ecotoxicology

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The Glaberman Lab is looking for two graduate students to perform research on ecotoxicology as part of the Masters in Environmental Toxicology Program
(ETOX) at the University of South Alabama (USA).  This is a two-year program that combines coursework and a thesis research experience. We are looking for students to work on each of the following general projects:

(1)     Computational ecotoxicology: the student will focus on looking at the
genetic and protein basis for understanding differences in species sensitivity to chemicals. This project combines examination of molecular biology data and bioinformatics with available information on chemical toxicity. Experience with statistical software (e.g. R) or bioinformatics tools (e.g., BLAST) is a plus.

(2)     Nematode ecotoxicology: the student will help develop our new toxicity
testing system in nematodes. This includes performing nematode husbandry and designing toxicity testing procedures. The project will focus initially on looking at effects of neurotoxic pesticides on nematode behavior, survival, and reproduction. The goal is to build an improved system for examining effects of chemicals on soil health.

The deadline to apply to the MS program for Fall 2018 is July 15th, so prospective students should contact me at least several weeks in advance.
Students have the ability to earn an assistantship and stipend and serve as teaching assistant for extra money. More information on USA’s ETOX program can be found at:
http://southalabama.edu/graduatemajors/etox/

The Glaberman Lab is based in the Department of Biology at the University of South Alabama. We specialize in applying evolutionary biology approaches to ecotoxicology. More information on Dr. Glaberman’s laboratory can be found at:
http://scottglaberman.com

The University of South Alabama is located in Mobile, Alabama on the Gulf Coast. Mobile is a short drive from beautiful beaches and wildlife viewing spots and its Mardis Gras is the oldest Carnival celebration in the US.

If you are interested in these MS positions or have any questions, please contact Dr. Scott Glaberman (scottglaberman@southalabama.edu).

bog turtle graduate position

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M.S.  Graduate Assistantship on Bog Turtle Conservation Planning 
A graduate position for a master’s student will be available Fall 2018.  The student would sample potential habitat for bog turtles in southwestern Virginia using an occupancy modeling framework, and estimate changes over time in population size and growth rates, using a previously developed GIS model and a long-term mark-recapture database.  Major goals are to work closely with state agency personnel to develop a conservation plan based on trends in land use and human population growth and to improve our understanding of wetland size and connectivity required to maintain viable populations of bog turtles.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries & Wildlife, Ecology, or related fields.  Successful applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA above 3.3, strong quantitative and writing skills, and GREs above 50th percentile. Experience with conservation planning, demographic analyses, occupancy modeling, wetland habitats, and/or GIS is desirable, as is having previous scientific publications.
Anticipated starting date: August 2018
To apply: Applicants should submit a letter of interest and a c.v. (including undergraduate and M.S. grade point average and GRE scores) as well as contact information for three references.  Letters of interest received by June 6th will ensure full consideration but applications will be considered until position is filled.  Promising candidates will need to submit an official application to the graduate school at Virginia Tech (https://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/how-to-apply.html).  Contact information:  Dr. Carola A. Haas, Department of Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences, Mail Code 0321, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, cahaas@vt.edu, 1-540-231-9269.  Please put “bog turtle graduate position” in subject line of emails to Professor Haas.

field technician, NJ Audubon

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NEWARK BUILDING FIELD TECHNICIAN needed 10 August through 9 November 2018 for research evaluating building/bird interactions in Newark, NJ.  Modern tall building in US cities, including Newark, have the potential to cause significant mortality to migrant birds.  Duties include but are not limited to pre-dawn surveys around buildings to document grounded birds, transporting injured birds to the rehabilitator and data management.  Proficiency with MS Excel and Word software a must.  Familiarity with birds of the northeastern US and use of hand-held GPS preferred.  Applicants must be able to work independently or as part of a team, and work irregular hours, including occasional weekends. Salary $1800 – $2200/month, depending on experience.  Must have a valid and clean driver’s license.  Send cover letter of interest, resume and three references, as a single pdf document, no later than July 6 to New Jersey Audubon by email to hr.research@njaudubon.org. Please include “Newark fall” in the subject line so that your application is routed properly.  The New Jersey Audubon Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, age, national origin, ethnic background, disability or any other characteristic protected by law.
 

MSc or PhD opportunity – Examining susceptibility to the Emerald ash borer (EAB) in the ash understory, University of New Hampshire

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Subject: MSc or PhD opportunity – Examining susceptibility to the Emerald ash borer (EAB) in the ash understory, University of New Hampshire

The Garnas lab (http://mypages.unh.edu/garnaslab) seeks a highly motivated graduate student (MSc or PhD; PhD preferred) for a USDA-APHIS funded project to advance understanding of how chemical and morphological traits vary across tree size and species, and how such variation may influence Emerald ash borer (EAB) oviposition behavior, larval performance and survival, and parasitism by native and introduced natural enemies. Key aspects of the project include the systematic characterization of defensive compounds across ash species and tree sizes using pyrolysis-GCMS and the design and implementation of experiments to examine how chemical and morphological trait variation influences EAB and its key biological control agents. Successful candidates must have a keen interest in plant defensive chemistry and associated consequences for plant-insect interactions. Some basic chemistry background (e.g., coursework or lab
experience) is preferred but not required. Opportunities for related ecological modeling and/or genetic analyses also exist, particularly in the case of PhD applicants.  The position will be housed in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (NREN;
https://colsa.unh.edu/nren) or in the Natural Resources and Earth Systems Science program (NRESS;https://www.unh.edu/nressphd) for MSc and PhD students respectively. Position ideally begins in Fall 2018.

The University of New Hampshire and NREN/NRESS programs are home to a vibrant community of productive researchers with a strong commitment to student success.  Located in the town of Durham, UNH is a beautiful campus surrounded by forest and natural landscapes.  Only 30 minutes from the ocean and under two hours from the White Mountains, outdoor and other recreational activities abound, including right on campus.

Interested applicants, please send:

– a CV
– a brief summary of research interests and any relevant experience
– GRE scores
– contact information for three references

as a single pdf file to jeff.garnas@unh.edu.  Position will be open until filled.

PhD opportunity in Coastal Wetland Ecology at UConn

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Beth Lawrence’s research group at University of Connecticut has an opening for a PhD student in wetland ecology. We conduct primary and applied research focused on improving our understanding of wetland plant community composition, restoration, and ecosystem function. The applicant will develop and examine questions related to how vegetation alters carbon cycling in coastal marshes, possibly examining the role of root exudates and rhizosphere oxygenation in organic matter persistence.
Top candidates will have an MS in a related discipline with relevant field and biogeochemistry research experience. Ideally, the Graduate Research Assistant will begin this fall semester (late August 2018), but a January 2019 start may be possible.

Contact Beth via email (beth.lawrence@uconn.edu) before June 1, 2018 to warrant full consideration with the following information: CV, GPA and GRE scores, and a brief statement of research experience/interests/career goals. See the following links for more information on my research program: http://lawrencelabuconn.weebly.com/,
the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment:
http://www.nrme.uconn.edu/ and details about applying to the Graduate School at the University of Connecticut:http://grad.uconn.edu/.