Month: October 2018

Information session on Joint BS-MS in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

Please announce in classes today and otherwise distribute!

Dr. Eric Schultz will host an hour-long info session on our Joint BS-MS Degree in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology.  In this program, students earn a Masters through (in most cases) a fifth year of course work, combined with a research experience and an internship.  This informational session will be of particular assistance to students who are sophomores and above, but first-year students are also welcome.

Date: Monday 10/1

Time: 5 pm

Place: Pharmacy-Biology 203 (second floor fishbowl) Contact Dr. Schultz at eric.schultz@uconn.edu if directions would be helpful.

Graduate student position in Ant Evolution and Ecology

The Blaimer lab at North Carolina State University invites applications for a graduate student (PhD or MSc) beginning in the Spring or Fall semester of 2019. Our research group focuses on applying cutting-edge molecular technologies to address relevant questions in evolutionary biology, systematics and community ecology, mainly by studying ants and other Hymenoptera. We value collection-based research and actively conduct field surveys for ants and other insects, with a particular focus on canopy diversity.

NC State University’s Entomology Department offers a highly-rated research environment and is situated in a vibrant and scientifically stimulating atmosphere in the Research Triangle, with both UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University, as well as the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences close by. Our NC State Insect Museum is a mid-size insect collection that provides state-of-the-art training opportunities in specimen-based research techniques and curation. Raleigh is a lively town with an inexpensive, yet high standard of living, and its surroundings offer numerous recreational activities.

We are looking for a highly motivated student with a keen interest in evolutionary biology and entomology, and a fascination for ants or Hymenoptera. Thesis projects can be tied into ongoing research in the lab, or developed according to mutual interests. Interested students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with our research and publications at https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=www.blaimerlab.weebly.com&data=02%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7C38ba72554ee74e6d8ccc08d627898158%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C636739868871931509&sdata=7Wo2Ph8vG32G7K%2FytgOT0ELIgA3FZFKb3ZmF4qHiXqo%3D&reserved=0.

How to apply:
Send a one-page cover letter outlining motivation and research interests, a CV and the names and contact information for three references to Dr. Blaimer at bonnie_blaimer[at]ncsu.edu.

Application Deadline: October 26, 2018.

MS Assistantships in Silviculture and Applied Forest Ecology at the University of Vermont

MS Assistantships in Silviculture and Applied Forest Ecology at the University of Vermont
Project: The University of Vermont, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources is seeking two master’s-level graduate students to participate in two different research projects examining the dynamics and management of forests in northeastern North America. The first project is focused on developing management guidance for addressing the impacts of southern pine beetle (SPB) on pitch pine forests in New England and New York. The student will join a team of collaborators from the University of Vermont and U.S. Forest Service Forest Health Protection program in quantifying forest conditions in areas impacted by the recent range expansion of SPB to inform a stand hazard rating system for guiding SPB management and restoration efforts in these areas.
The second project project is focused on quantifying the impacts and outcomes of management practices designed to mitigate the impacts of the introduced emerald ash borer (EAB) on the current and future composition and structure of northern hardwood forests in New England and New York. The student will join a team of collaborators from the University of Vermont, U.S. Forest Service Forest Health Protection program, and University of Quebec at Montreal in quantifying forest development in areas impacted and threatened by EAB and integrating these results into a decision support tool to evaluate appropriate management responses to EAB across the region.
Both positions are available for Summer 2019 and include two guaranteed years of funding (stipend, tuition waiver, and health insurance).
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in forestry, biology, natural resources, environmental sciences or a closely related field.  Applicants should be able to work independently, but also cooperatively with other researchers in the lab and on the larger project. Applicants should also have a strong work ethic, demonstrated writing and quantitative capabilities, plant identification skills, and a record of leadership.

Application: 
Interested applicants should supply all application materials to the UVM Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources (RSENR) Program (MS in Natural Resources) by February 1, 2019 – when applying, please state your interest in this position in the “Statement of Purpose.”
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PhD position – Collective migration in ungulates – University of Wyoming

Subject: PhD position – Collective migration in ungulates – University of Wyoming

The Merkle Research Group at University of Wyoming is seeking a highly motivated, creative, and quantitative Ph.D. student to lead a project investigating group dynamics and collective decision-making in migratory ungulates (including mule deer, pronghorn, bison and/or elk).

The successful applicant can shape the project goals; however, it is expected that the student will advance our theoretical understanding of collective migration and then link theory to empirical data using creative analyses. This project will be carried out in collaboration with the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the Wyoming Migration Initiative, and other state and federal partners. The student will have access to existing and ongoing datasets of animal movement in Wyoming. The student will also be expected to employ an array of trail cameras on migration corridors to quantify group dynamics of marked and unmarked populations.

Candidates must have a B.S. and preferably a M.S. degree in Ecology, Biology, Wildlife, Biological Statistics/Mathematics or related fields.
Applicants must also have an excellent undergraduate GPA and competitive GRE scores. Applicants with prior experience managing and analyzing large datasets in program R (or Matlab/Python), and conducting and publishing research will be favored. Successful applicants will be expected to participate in a team environment, present results at professional conferences, publish results in a timely manner in peer-reviewed scientific outlets, and assist with preparation of grant proposals.

A competitive graduate assistantship will be provided, which includes annual stipend, tuition, and benefits. The successful applicant will be admitted through the Program in Ecology at the University of Wyoming. To apply, please email a SINGLE PDF file that includes 1) a cover letter outlining experience and specific interests related to migration ecology and group dynamics, 2) a CV, 3) unofficial GRE score sheet, 4) contact information for three references, and 5) transcripts to Dr. Jerod Merkle (jmerkle@uwyo.edu). Review of applicants will begin 12 November 2018. Start date is negotiable, but January 2019 is preferred.

Ph.D. & M.S. Graduate Student Positions: fire & ecosystem ecology

Ph.D. & M.S. Graduate Student Positions

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences | University of Nevada, Reno

?Effects of shifting fire regimes on biogeochemical processes in dryland environments?

The Fire & Dryland Ecosystems Lab led by Dr. Erin Hanan in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno invites applications for a Doctoral or Master?s student position starting in the Fall of 2019.
Research in the lab explores how wildfire influences plant, soil, and hydrologic processes, and the interactions among them. Two key questions are: (1) how have climate change and human activities altered these interactions, and (2) what can we expect in the future??

Prospective graduate students will have the opportunity to develop their own research topics, which may be centered in one or more of the following areas:

?       Effects of climate change on future wildfire regimes
?       Carbon, nitrogen, and water dynamics in fire-prone ecosystems and watersheds
?       Fire as a driver of biogeochemical processes in dryland systems
?       Ecological resilience and recovery in the context of climate change
?       Influence of fuel management on watershed function

Research in the lab is conducted at study sites in the Sierra Nevada, the Great Basin, southern California, and the Pacific and Inland Northwest. We work with a range of tools, including process-based models, remote sensing, and field/laboratory analysis.

Competitive candidates will have a B.S. and/or M.S. degree in ecology, environmental science, computer science, or a closely related discipline. They will also have strong written and oral communication skills and evidence of scholastic success. Candidates with quantitative and/or programming skills are especially encouraged to apply. Funding will be available from a variety of sources, including fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships.

To apply, please send a summary of your research interests/background and a CV to Erin Hanan (ehanan@unr.edu).

More information about the lab can be found here:
https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnaes.unr.edu%2Fhanan&data=02%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7Cfd5452ae24294825b1bf08d62636ab98%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C636738413580656304&sdata=e32zjlL%2BRhFAfuAmtQMmgs57IjuPjZ4J3f6nYRscBhI%3D&reserved=0. To learn about the Ph.D. program, go to UNR’s Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology graduate program webpage:
https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.unr.edu%2Feecb&data=02%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7Cfd5452ae24294825b1bf08d62636ab98%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C636738413580666312&sdata=unTrt5RItKuKe5ohqKjgJ6KyFKQw7oLI15yNdUE%2BglA%3D&reserved=0, and for the Master?s program, go to the Natural Resources and Environmental Science program page (https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unr.edu%2Fnres&data=02%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7Cfd5452ae24294825b1bf08d62636ab98%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C636738413580666312&sdata=oKM3GQlgKTYBYegwJ%2FS7c3GCQmYpfZHOLyvCdFkNsUI%3D&reserved=0).

Grad Student Opportunities in Global Change Ecology and Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry

The Yang Lab in Global Change Ecology and Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry (https://sib.illinois.edu/yang) in the Departments of Plant Biology and Geology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign seeks creative and motivated graduate students to join the lab in Fall 2019. We explore how human activities change the functioning of natural and managed ecosystems and how ecosystem responses to global change can feed back to fuel or slow future global change.
 
We currently have graduate research assistantship funding to investigate (1) how microbial diversity controls nitrous oxide reduction in soils, and (2) plant-soil-microbe interactions that regulate soil nitrogen cycling in bioenergy cropping systems. The latter project is part of a large interdisciplinary effort by the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) to develop the predictive capability to determine which feedstock combinations, regions and land types, market conditions, and bioproducts have the potential to support the ecologically and economically sustainable displacement of fossil fuels (https://cabbi.bio/research/sustainability-theme/). Other themes in our research program include controls on redox-sensitive processes in upland soils, such as denitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium, and iron reduction; and plant community composition effects on biogeochemical processes, including woody polycultures as a sustainable agricultural system, mycorrhizal mediation of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, and invasive species effects on ecosystem nitrogen dynamics. Students will be encouraged to develop their own research related to these themes.
 
There are multiple opportunities to join the lab to pursue a Master’s or Ph.D. degree:
(1) Department of Plant Biology (https://sib.illinois.edu/plantbio/graduate_admissions) – Deadline January 1
(2) Department of Geology (http://www.geology.illinois.edu/) – Deadline January 15
(3) Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology (http://peec.illinois.edu/) – Deadline December 15
 
If you are interested in joining the lab, please email Dr. Wendy Yang (yangw@illinois.edu) with a brief statement of your research interests and your CV.
 
 

Staff position: Academic Coordinator- Benioff Ocean Initiative at UC Santa Barbara

The Benioff Ocean Initiative (www.boi.ucsb.edu) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, seeks an academic coordinator to assist in the initiative’s goal of generating actionable environmental change in the oceans.
 
The Benioff Ocean Initiative is a new endeavor led by UCSB that aims to use marine research and marine scientists to help solve pervasive ocean problems— it’s an experimental model in innovating ways to translate university-powered research into tangible solutions to problems that affect ocean ecosystems and human communities.
 
The academic coordinator’s main duties will be to provide organizational support, project management, and administrative support. Incumbent will also provide considerable input in carrying out responsibilities that will include organizing scientific working groups to study ocean issues, coordinating ocean-related public outreach activities and working with contractors/service providers to carry forward projects generated by research groups.
 
Responsibilities include:
• Manage scheduling for BOI activities. Analyze incoming scheduling requests and general public communication to determine scheduling priorities; incumbent must be able to communicate effectively and accurately across diverse organizations.
• Coordinate travel logistics for BOI activities.
• Coordinate regular meetings and data sharing between group and collaborators. Use scientific understanding of group focus areas to research potential collaborators and local stakeholders at project sites (e.g. academic groups, NGOs, government agencies, etc.). Perform research and analysis, draft correspondence, and provide short- and long-term planning support.
• Develop, create, and present budget data and reports to the Director.
• Provide relevant policy information to staff and handle multiple complex and confidential projects that
require strong administrative and organizational skills.
• Oversee supply acquisition for multiple projects, lab equipment maintenance and setup, and work with contractors and service providers as required by specific projects.
• Oversee recruitment and training of volunteers and student assistants (medium-sized lab) for multiple projects, as well as training them on methods and skills required for each project. Additionally, provide leadership and guidance to volunteers throughout project duration.
• Plan and execute events and workshops associated with BOI programming. Synthesize and present meeting and workshop results.
• Assist with BOI social media communications.
 
Minimum qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in marine science, biology, ecology, environmental studies, or related field.
 
Preferred qualifications:
• Experience developing and managing project or programmatic budgets
• At least 1 year of administrative assistant, project coordination or related experience
• Experience in science outreach and communication
• Experience working in a science setting outside of academia (e.g. NGO, government)
 
The position is open to be filled immediately. The duration of the appointment is for 12 months at 100% time, reappointment is possible depending on performance and funding. Salary and benefits are competitive, commensurate with the applicant’s qualifications and experience.
 
Electronic applications (including a cover letter, CV, and contact information for 3 references) should be sent to:https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/apply/JPF01315
 
For primary consideration apply by October 19, 2018
 
Position open until filled.
 
The University is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching and service as appropriate to this position.
 
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
 

Benioff Ocean Initiative
Marine Science Institute
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-6150