PhD Graduate Assistantship: Genetics and Genomics of Invasive Fern
>
> The Sigel lab in the Department of Biology at the University of Louisiana
> at Lafayette is recruiting a PhD student interested in pursuing research
> on the phylogenetics, population genetics, and genomics of the invasive
> aquatic fern Salvinia molesta. Widely considered one on the world’s
> most invasive and understudied weeds, Salvinia molesta poses an extreme
> ecological and economic burden in the southeastern United States. This
> project will involve extensive sampling of contemporary populations
> and historic herbarium specimens to infer the evolutionary origins of
> Salvinia molesta, as well as characterize its genetic and epigenetic
> variation within Louisiana and the adjacent Gulf of Mexico Coastal Region.
>
> This graduate position is part of the NSF funded Consortium for Plant
> INvasion Genomics (CPING), centered out of the University of Louisiana
> at Lafayette. This consortium unites researchers several institutions
> conducting similar projects that leverage herbarium specimens to better
> understand the evolutionary dynamics underlying plant invasions. This
> position will be supported by a two years of research assistantship,
> followed by a guaranteed teaching assistantship support or the possibility
> of a University graduate fellowship. The preferred start date is August
> 2020, with the possibility of beginning fieldwork in June 2020.
>
> The ideal candidate for this position is a passionate and motivated
> scientist with previous research experience in evolutionary biology,
> phylogenetics, genomics, or a related field. Previous experience with
> molecular lab skills, phylogenetics, genomic-scale datasets, and coding
> is highly preferred but not required. A desire to participate in field
> collection, learn new skills, and work collaboratively with others
> is necessary.
>
> The Department of Biology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
> has a large and productive graduate program, with relatively
> low TA teaching loads, guaranteed funding for PhD students, and
> many available fellowships. We have a strong research program in
> Evolutionary Biology with nine new faculty members in the last 5
> years. Information on our graduate program and curriculum can be found
> at https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbiology.louisiana.edu%2Fprograms%2Fgraduate&data=02%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7Cb030ee287cca47a8b8fa08d7822a18b2%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C1%7C637120989620704830&sdata=umWJdvU6NecOdO2ldA1XbLnxKE3C2%2FyNlzlmYQg8BoM%3D&reserved=0.
>
> Lafayette is a college town in south-central Louisiana in the heart of
> Acadiana, a region known for its Cajun culture, food, and music. Learn
> more at https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lafayettetravel.com%2Fexplore%2Fhistory-of-acadiana&data=02%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7Cb030ee287cca47a8b8fa08d7822a18b2%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C1%7C637120989620704830&sdata=f7PBKW2S4GQBx703FyPOJIo82eWxfSMIlznQHWJWelI%3D&reserved=0.
>
> If interested, please email Dr. Erin Sigel (erinsigel@louisiana.edu;
> erinsigel.net). Include a CV and a cover letter briefly summarizing your
> relevant experiences and interest in the position.
>
> Deadline for applications is February 1, 2020.
> —
>

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