he Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) are seeking a PhD student to evaluate the effects of prescribed fire on Box Turtles in Massachusetts. The position announcement is below. However, the deadline for applications is rapidly approaching – December 1, 2021. The late deadline is because we’re hoping for the student to enroll in the evolutionary biology program, which offers additional support. The student would start in Fall 2022. There will be an intensive field component on Cape Cod.

Michael T. Jones, Ph.D.
State Herpetologist
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife
1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581
p: (508) 389-7863 | e: michael.t.jones@state.ma.us
mass.gov/masswildlife | facebook.com/masswildlife



Graduate Student Opportunity (PhD level): Box turtle-Prescribed Fire
Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (MA Coop Unit)
University of Massachusetts, Organismic & Evolutionary Biology Department, Amherst, MA
Review of applications will begin 01 Dec 2021
Position start date Summer 2022

Position description Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) mortality during prescribed fire is a
management concern in Massachusetts and other northeastern states. Observational and experimental
studies have found that individual Box Turtles exhibit a range of complex behavioral responses to fire,
and that early growing season fires may be more lethal under normal circumstances. It is clear that the
effect of fire is highly variable, and likely to influence populations differently based on habitat, landscape
connectivity, population structure, season, fuel conditions, and weather. The Massachusetts Division of
Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), the Massachusetts Army National Guard, and UMass Amherst are
partnering to develop a coherent, empirically-informed, locally-tested management protocol for Box
Turtles in the context of prescribed fire management in Massachusetts.

Therefore, we are seeking applications for a PhD level graduate student position at the University of
Massachusetts, Amherst. We highly encourage people from historically underrepresented groups or
non-traditional backgrounds to apply. The successful candidate will enroll in the PhD program in the
Organismic & Evolutionary Biology Department (https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgpls.cns.umass.edu%2Foeb&data=04%7C01%7Ccinnis%40neaq.org%7Ce1c90ab4bf9847bf0a2408d9aeb0e803%7C89f48289f3b64464923fe55ac82cdbbb%7C1%7C1%7C637732897095143961%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=XwHyZdaN%2FTht0hTQgAf%2BpAONEGYN3V5W%2BCEuxya6G9A%3D&reserved=0) and be part of the MA
Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww1.usgs.gov%2Fcoopunits%2Funit%2FMassachusetts&data=04%7C01%7Ccinnis%40neaq.org%7Ce1c90ab4bf9847bf0a2408d9aeb0e803%7C89f48289f3b64464923fe55ac82cdbbb%7C1%7C1%7C637732897095143961%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=hUWFDk6AgAxKnC%2BGdRRzriMMtwka4slfSxYUr2MlRtM%3D&reserved=0).
Note that the position is contingent upon final funding details.

Project objectives Potential objectives, which are subject to modification based on the successful
applicant’s interests, include:
● Gather standardized information on prescribed fires within Box Turtle habitat and fire-related
Box Turtle mortalities
● Implement an observational study of Eastern Box Turtles using radiotelemetry at Camp Edwards
and adjacent areas during the active season for each of four years
● Characterize and model the behavioral response of live Box Turtles to fire through controlled
experiments
● Evaluate the effects of season, fuels, weather, habitat, and turtle position on mortality and injury
rates, using “surrogate models”
● Implement standardized post-burn surveys for Box Turtles following prescribed fires- requires
flexibility in terms of traveling to and from Camp Edwards with little notice
● Use a spatially-explicit population viability analysis to evaluate the population-level effects of fire
on priority populations
● Facilitate—through Structured Decision Making—a workshop with stakeholders to appropriately
minimize the effects of fire on Box Turtle population persistence

Salary/Benefits The graduate student will be provided:
1. Research assistantship funding and teaching assistantship funding for at 5 years through the
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, which includes graduate student stipend (~$32,000 per year
for 20 hrs/week), health benefits, and tuition waiver. More information about benefits is available
through the UMass Graduate Employee Organization (https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geouaw.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7Ccinnis%40neaq.org%7Ce1c90ab4bf9847bf0a2408d9aeb0e803%7C89f48289f3b64464923fe55ac82cdbbb%7C1%7C1%7C637732897095143961%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=bv1pyt8zICrDy%2FRnm%2FYLimV4E2zaXZxu22%2BtLKMHg6k%3D&reserved=0).
2. Professional development experiences relevant to federal and state jobs but transferable to
other conservation agencies.
3. Mentoring, encouragement, and autonomy to ensure that they see and understand how they
and their perspectives are vital to achieving the goals of the project.

Expectations
The following will be considered positive factors in choosing a successful candidate. We do not expect
applicants to have all of these qualities and is not meant to discourage applicants.
– Evidence of a strong desire to learn (as supported by evidence of superior academic
achievement, extracurricular activities, or life experiences)
– Interest and/or experience conducting field work
– Interest in population ecology and conservation
– Interest in box turtle conservation and prescribed fires
– A great deal of flexibility (e.g., being called a few days prior to a prescribed fire burn and being
ready to travel to Camp Edwards at a moment’s notice)
– Creativity (e.g., problem solving and creative solutions to answering objectives)
– Practical field skills (e.g., standard auto transmission, GPS, radiotelemetry, fire safety, GIS
skills/experience).
– Red card and/or previous experience using fire for restoration (formal or informal) is a plus.
In addition, the graduate student will be provided training and support to learn and accomplish the
following:
– Work alongside MassWildlife, USGS, and other stakeholders to accomplish the objectives of this
project
– Apply and obtain permits and IACUC approval
– Collect and analyze data
– Perform field work at Camp Edwards in Bourne, MA
– Present research findings at quarterly meetings with stakeholders
– Prepare at least three manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals

Eligibility
– Minimum of a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) for undergraduate students
– Have graduated from undergrad by May 2022 to start graduate school in Fall 2022

Application To apply, you will need to submit your application to 2 locations by Dec 01, 2021:
(1) Please submit your UMass graduate school application to the OEB program here:
https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.umass.edu%2Fgraduate%2Fapply%2Fhow-apply&data=04%7C01%7Ccinnis%40neaq.org%7Ce1c90ab4bf9847bf0a2408d9aeb0e803%7C89f48289f3b64464923fe55ac82cdbbb%7C1%7C1%7C637732897095143961%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=fjw85lEAWEVXV1u0GaeIygMpJ1mFKD4PkEiRlvxEiR0%3D&reserved=0
(a) More details on the application materials can be found here:
https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgpls.cns.umass.edu%2Foeb%2Fadmissions&data=04%7C01%7Ccinnis%40neaq.org%7Ce1c90ab4bf9847bf0a2408d9aeb0e803%7C89f48289f3b64464923fe55ac82cdbbb%7C1%7C1%7C637732897095143961%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=9516ReDzZ0JlBCQZDWkw7TocFpo63ApP7COuVfdL5vY%3D&reserved=0
(b) Briefly, you will need the following:
(i) All official undergraduate and graduate transcripts
(ii) A Personal Statement
(iii) At least three letters of recommendation
(iv) A Curriculum Vitae
(v) GRE scores are not considered.

(2) Please also send the following materials in a single PDF with the following document name
“YOUR LAST NAME-Box turtle app- 2021.pdf” in an email with the subject “Box turtle-prescribed
fire application” to Dr. Graziella DiRenzo at gdirenzo@umass.edu:
(a) The same personal statement submitted to the UMass graduate school. Ideally, the
personal statement describes your interest in the position, past research experiences,
interest in conducting fieldwork, desire to pursue graduate work, and any discrepancies
in your academic record;
(b) A curriculum vitae or resume;
(c) The contact information (name, position, relationship to applicant, email, and phone
number) for three references;
(d) Unofficial transcripts

You must submit your application to BOTH locations by Dec 01, 2021 (UMass graduate school &
emailed to Dr. Graziella DiRenzo) to be considered for the position. Please send questions to any of the
project investigators listed below.

Project investigators
Dr. Graziella DiRenzo (gdirenzo@umass.edu), U.S. Geological Survey, MA Coop Unit
Dr. Tammy Wilson (tammywilson@umass.edu), U.S. Geological Survey, MA Coop Unit
Dr. Michael Jones – State Herpetologist, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

Nondiscriminatory AA/EEO statement The University of Massachusetts provides equal employment
opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion,
gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability,
military status, genetic information, pregnancy or a pregnancy-related condition, or membership in any
other legally protected class. The University of Massachusetts complies with all applicable federal, state
and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the university
operates.

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