Graduate research position in above and belowground multi-trophic interactions
The Mundim Lab at Utah State University is looking for enthusiastic graduate students (M.S. and Ph.D.) to begin Fall 2024. Research areas include plant-herbivore/parasite interactions and host-plant optimal defense, at the intersection of plant phytochemistry, entomology, nematology, population and spatial ecology, and evolution of species interactions. Students are welcome to bring/discuss their own original ideas or to work within the scope of the current projects in the lab, which include: the study of how belowground communities shape complex arrays of aboveground interactions; predictability and priority effects of plant responses to multiple herbivores; demographic responses of plant-animal interactions to disturbances/environmental variation.
The lab is highly interdisciplinary and candidates with experience and/or interest in plant-mediated interactions with aboveground and belowground partners/enemies are strongly encouraged to apply. Students will carry field work aimed at collecting insects, plants and soil organisms, conducting lab experiments, metabolomics and genomics analyses exploring chemical traits and genetic variation, and learning how to integrate these data using multiple statistical approaches.
Students will be funded via Teaching Assistantships and PI funds. However, I also strongly encourage applications for graduate research funding and doctoral dissertation improvement grants. In addition, students in the lab will be expected and supported to apply for additional funding opportunities from various sources in order to improve their grantsmanship skills.
To apply: Qualified candidates must contact Dr. Fabiane Mundim (fabiane.mundim@usu.edu) with the following information: 1) a letter of interest (one-page personal statement describing your scientific interests and career objectives), 2) a CV/resume (including GPA; unofficial transcripts are ok), and 3) contact information for two references. Prior to applying, students interested in joining the Mundim lab at USU are encouraged to review admission requirements (https://www.usu.edu/biology/students/graduate/prospective-students).
University, Community, and Lab: Utah State University is a student-centered land-grant and space-grant university. A core characteristic of USU is the engagement with community for economic development, improvements to quality of life, and human capital.
Our Biology Department (https://www.usu.edu/biology/) has a strong culture of collaboration across fields. The selected graduate student is expected and encouraged to interact with researchers from diverse fields as well as the community (farmers and stake holders).
The Mundim lab is a respectful and friendly environment that appreciates and welcomes the differences among us, whether in race, gender identification, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, beliefs, or disabilities. In the Mundim lab we believe that a diverse group is essential to help us query the world from multiple perspectives and in inventive ways