October 3, 2025 | Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Ph.D. position in Dryland Ecosystem Dynamics at the University of Nevada Las Vegas by Matthew Petrie (01 Oct 2025 19:27 EDT)
Reply to list

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: Ph.D. position in Dryland Ecosystem Dynamics at the University of Nevada Las Vegas

Are you interested in studying the environments of ecosystems in the southwestern United States? My lab has collected datasets capturing unique locations, vegetation attributes, and meteorological events in deserts, woodlands, and forests in Arizona and Nevada. I am recruiting a student who would like to use these datasets to design and carry out scientific studies focused on the meteorological, temperature, and water dynamics of dryland ecosystems. Our lab elucidates the mechanisms of ecosystem change using techniques and data sources from field sampling and experiments, remote sensing and instrumentation, and modeling. The selected student will have the opportunity to learn and assist with these techniques as part of their training.

The dryland ecology group in UNLV’s School of Life Sciences is small, friendly, and collaborative, with 5 faculty members, 10 graduate students, and 2 postdocs.

Applicants are welcome to visit the lab website (https://unlv-ecohydrology.mystrikingly.com/) and email me (matthew.petrie@unlv.edu). Please note that UNLV does not allow faculty to “pre-evaluate” applicants before they apply to the graduate program (https://www.unlv.edu/admissions/graduate/apply). This means that I cannot provide feedback on applicant qualifications, likelihood of being accepted, etc., until after they have applied. I can answer questions and provide more detail about projects and other items that can help determine if this position is a good fit. The anticipated start date is August, 2026.

The successful applicant will have most or all of the following:

– M.A. or M.S. degree in a STEM field

– Peer reviewed publication(s)

– Data analysis experience

– GIS experience

– Interest and creativity in ecological research

– Writing skills

This position will be housed within the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (https://www.unlv.edu/lifesciences). UNLV is a Carnegie R1 research university, and is one of the most diverse campuses in the nation. In addition to nightlife, dining, and entertainment options, Las Vegas offers extensive year-round outdoor recreation, a ski area, and ten US National Parks and the Pacific Ocean within a day’s drive.

Thank you for your interest!

—

PhD Opportunity at Emory University’s Environmental Sciences and Society (ESS) program by Lonsdorf, Eric V. (01 Oct 2025 17:38 EDT)
Reply to list

I (Eric Lonsdorf) am recruiting a PhD student to join a collaborative team working to integrate the contributions of nature to people into decisions aimed at supporting more sustainable cities and agricultural systems. The student would be supported by a graduate fellowship and join a cohort of other students as part of Emory University’s Environmental Sciences and Society (ESS) graduate program.

I study how ecosystems contribute to people’s well-being and how decisions shape those contributions over time. The collaborative projects I’m a part of blend ecological modeling, climate change science, and decision analysis to tackle applied problems—from pollinator services and conservation and sustainable agriculture to urban resilience and natural capital accounting – my published work can be found here.

I am looking for a student with strong quantitative skills and a passion for connecting science to sustainability challenges. Ideal candidates will have experience in one or more areas such as geospatial analysis, statistical or ecological modeling, environmental or ecological economics, or decision analysis, and some programming experience with tools like R, Python, or MATLAB. Evidence of clear writing or communication is important, as is an interest in collaborative, transdisciplinary research that bridges ecology, data science, and societal decision-making. This student will gain experience in integrative modeling (e.g., InVEST, custom Python/R/matlab workflows), work directly with decision-makers, and develop projects that connect fundamental ecology with applied solutions for sustainability. The student will also have the opportunity to work with the Natural Capital Project, where I am a senior fellow, and contribute to applied projects with Natural Capital Insights, a company I co-founded.

Rather than e-mailing me, please let me know of your interest by filling out this brief questionnaire.

Apply here by December 1st! Frequently asked questions are found here.