PhD position in Evolutionary Biology: Using use microbial experimental
evolution to explore drivers of parallel evolution and adaptation in
heterogeneous environments.

The Bailey Lab at Clarkson University, Potsdam NY is looking to fill a
PhD position in the Bioscience and Biotechnology (B&B) PhD Program
starting summer or fall 2018. The successful candidate would use
microbial experimental evolution to explore processes driving parallel
evolution, and/ or local adaptation and dispersal evolution in
heterogeneous environments. Some practical experience in microbiology
is desired but training will be provided. Along with experimental
evolution, the Bailey lab also uses a range of quantitative approaches
including statistical modelling of genome data and computer
simulations, and so these other approaches can also be incorporated
into the PhD project depending on student interest and prior
experience.

For more information on research in the Bailey lab, see
susanfbailey.wixsite.com/home.
For more information on the Clarkson University B&B program, see
www.clarkson.edu/graduate/bioscience-and-biotechnology.

The successful candidate will have a BSc or MSc degree in biology or a
related field, preferably one that included a research component
(e.g., a dissertation or a thesis). The position will be funded by a
Graduate Teaching Assistantship, which involves about 20 hours of TA
work each week during the fall and spring semesters. Qualifications
for this assistantship include good interpersonal skills and good to
excellent command of the English language.

Interested students can contact Dr. Susan Bailey
(sbailey@clarkson.edu) for more details, or apply directly at
www.clarkson.edu/graduate/bioscience-and-biotechnology. Please
indicate in your application that you are responding to this ad and
are specifically interested to work with Dr. Bailey.

Submitted application materials must include an official transcript,
statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, and score
results of the GRE aptitude test (may be waived for some applicants).
International students for whom English is not a first language must
also submit a TOEFL score unless their BSc or MSc degree was in
English language.

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Wildlife/Habitat Technician
(Temp Bio Science Research Worker)
Northern Great Basin Experimental Range, Riley, OR This temporary (3 month) position is with Oregon State University and is located at the Northern Great Basin Experimental Range (NGBER)
approximately 35 miles west of Burns, OR in Riley, OR.   The successful
candidates will assist the principal investigator with treatment application, vegetation sampling, plant species identification, songbird point count and nest surveys, sample processing, and data entry and summarization on several wildlife habitat research projects in the northern Great Basin.  3 technicians will be hired to work on wildlife and wildlife habitat projects. On-site housing is provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Desired Qualifications
1.      Experience/training in songbird point counts, nest transects,
handling and measuring avian species or experience using nest bowl or other wildlife camera technology
2.      Courses/experience in natural resources, wildlife, botany, plant
science, or related field.
3.      Experience/training in field identification of plant species,
preferably Great Basin
4.      Experience/training in vegetation sampling techniques, such as line-
point intercept, biomass sampling, visual obscurity estimation with Robel pole, and transect and ground photo monitoring.
5.      Experience living or working in rural/remote locations
6.      General knowledge of computers and skills for use of word
processing and data entry.
7.      Demonstrated commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity.
8.      Ability to carry out tasks independently and part of a team.
9.      Experience with driving 4WD vehicles and GPS units.
10.     Must possess a current, valid driver’s license. Driver’s license
required to commute to remote research/demonstration project locations.
Finalists for this position will be required to obtain their driving history for the past 3 years from the issuing state’s Dept. of Motor Vehicles.  Offers of employment are contingent upon a satisfactory driving history and possession of a valid driver’s license.
11.     Must be able to pass a criminal history check.

Position Duties
May include any of the following:
70% – Data/sample collection and processing:
Collect songbird density and nest success data by conducting point count and nest transect surveys, monitoring success of located nests, and installing and maintaining automated audio recorders.
Collect vegetation foliar cover and density by functional group and ground cover measurements for rangeland research projects.
Locate individually marked bunchgrasses using a handheld GPS unit and apply various utilization regimes to marked plants.
Collect visual obscurity and vertical vegetation density measurements.
Collect transect and ground photos using repeat photo-monitoring protocols.
Collect vegetation biomass samples within small plot frames (1.0 m2) for grazing monitoring and research.  Dry and weigh biomass samples to determine cattle utilization in various pastures.
Participate in creation of utilization curves for various native bunchgrass species.
Monitor cattle utilization in experimentally manipulated pastures.
Possibility of handling and measuring nestling songbirds, and installing nest bowl cameras or iButtons.
15% – Research/monitoring study design implementation and plot layout:
Establish and maintain designed research/monitoring projects including:
1.      Assigning and applying vegetation treatments as prescribed in a
study’s protocols.
2.      Maintain treatment application and sampling schedules described
within research and monitoring project protocols.
3.      Readying datasheets, sampling equipment, other field equipment and
vehicles for fieldwork associated with research/monitoring projects.
4.      Maintaining exclosure fencing to protect study integrity from
grazing where needed.
15% – Data entry and summarization:
Use portable tablets to collect data directly into Excel and import datasheets into an established Access database and/or enter collected vegetation cover, ground cover, visual obscurity, and vegetation biomass data into Excel spreadsheets.  Organize data into a structure that facilitates data graphing, summarization, and analysis.
Summarize collected data in preparation for statistical analysis and for displaying the information in research reports and scientific manuscripts.
Organize spreadsheet, photo, mapping, and other project files into a project-specific structure that facilitates efficient location and access of needed files.
Please submit a cover letter and resume to Vanessa.schroeder@oregonstate.edu with Wildlife/Habitat Technician in the subject line by January 20, 2018 for full consideration. Applications accepted through February 20, 2018. Start dates will vary by technician:
technician one will start the week of April 9-11, technician two April 23rd, and technician three the week of May 1st – 4th, 2018.

MS Graduate Opportunity in Ecological Restoration

A funded MS graduate assistantship is available in the lab of Dr. Kristina Hufford at the University of Wyoming.  The project will characterize plant community outcomes of native species seeded along roadsides in southern Wyoming.  Specifically, we’ll look at the effectiveness of revegetation for limiting invasive species along road right-of-way strips and also in adjacent wildlands.  The graduate research assistant will study the site conditions and species combinations that lead to successful establishment of native plants.  In addition the student will work with Wyoming Department of Transportation personnel to review wildlife palatability and associated risk of targeted plant species.

Applicants must possess a valid US driver’s license, and should be capable of working in sometimes challenging (but beautiful) field conditions both independently and as part of a team.  There will be opportunities to develop independent lines of inquiry and we welcome applications from enthusiastic and highly motivated candidates with interests in field ecology, plant community diversity, and data analysis.

Please send a letter of interest and resume, undergraduate transcripts (informal copies are acceptable), GRE scores and contact information for 3 references to: Kristina Hufford (khufford@uwyo.edu).  This position is available immediately and we hope to fill it by summer 2018. Funding includes graduate stipend, tuition and fees.

For more information about the Ecosystem Science and Management Department and the Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management graduate degree, please visit http://www.uwyo.edu/esm/

Learn more about Laramie, Wyoming at http://visitlaramie.org/

Please contact Kristina Hufford (khufford@uwyo.edu) with questions.  Lab
website: http://www.khuffordlab.com/

MS Position, Comparative Plant Population Genetics

Graduate Research Assistantship, Austin Peay State University
(Clarskville, TN, U.S.A.)

Annual stipend of $15,750 and a tuition waiver for two years

Start Date: summer 2018 (preferably June)

Contact Person:  Carol Baskauf (baskaufc@apsu.edu)

Highly motivated students wishing to earn an MS in Biology and
interested in plant population genetics research are invited to apply
for a Graduate Research Assistantship in Dr. Carol Baskauf’s lab at
Austin Peay State University (APSU) in Clarksville, TN.  The
assistantship includes a tuition waiver and stipend for two years
($15,750 annually), and the successful candidate will begin lab/field
work in the summer of 2018 before beginning graduate classes in the
fall.

Generally, research in the Baskauf lab includes plant population
genetics, ecology, and ecophysiology, with a particular interest in
rare plant species and comparative studies.  Specifically, this NSF
funded Graduate Research Assistantship will involve genetic analysis of
several rare and widespread congeners as part of a larger collaborative
research project examining correlations between genetic diversity and
phenotypic plasticity as well as potential adaptive and/or acclimatory
responses to future environmental change by rare and widespread
species.

An undergraduate degree in a biology-related field is required.
Competitive applicants will have excellent written and oral
communication skills and the ability to work independently and
carefully, with attention to detail.  They should also be able to work
collaboratively and to supervise undergraduates carrying out related
research.  In addition to an unofficial copy of college transcripts,
prospective students should send Dr. Carol Baskauf (baskaufc@apsu.edu )
a single pdf file consisting of a brief letter of interest and
background, a CV or resume (including GPA, GRE scores, and, if
applicable, TOEFL scores), and the names and contact information for 3
academic or profession references.  Review of applicants will begin
Jan. 2 and continue until a suitable candidate is found.  For full
consideration, submit all materials prior to Feb. 1, 2018.

The successful applicant will enroll in the Masters program prior to
APSU’s March 15, 2018 application deadline in order to be eligible to
complete coursework and a thesis leading to an M.S. degree in Biology.
Information about the graduate program is at the Biology Department’s
web page
(http://www.apsu.edu/grad-studies/graduateprograms/biology.php).
General questions can be directed to Graduate Admissions
(1-800-859-4723, gradadmissions@apsu.edu).  APSU is an equal
opportunity employer, and underrepresented and minority groups are
encouraged to apply.

“Baskauf, Carol” <BaskaufC@apsu.edu>

Bridging the Americas Marine Conservation Fellowship Program

Five-year graduate student (PhD level) fellowship position is available to start in Fall 2018 to join an international collaboration between the University of Florida and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). The graduate fellow will conduct interdisciplinary, collaborative research in Panama, Florida, and the greater Caribbean region with a focus on mangrove ecosystems. The fellow will be based in Florida in the University of Florida’s Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment in the new Coastal Ecosystem Dynamics group. Fellowship includes stipend, tuition, benefits, travel, and research allowance. Ideal applicants will have a strong background in ecology and/or marine science (bachelors or masters degree), excellent written and oral communication skills, and a demonstrated potential to conduct intensive field-based research both independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team. Experience in science communication is a plus.

In an era when international collaborative research is key to major scientific advances, this graduate fellowship program has been created to provide students with the opportunity to develop skills, perspective, experience, and academic networks necessary to meet the challenges facing society and our environment. This program focuses on tropical and sub-tropical coastal habitats where biodiversity is highest, human impacts are accelerating fastest, and the need to build research capacity is greatest.

Those interested in applying for a fellowship position should email Andrew Altieri with a copy of their CV (including contact information for at least two references) and a brief statement (<500 words) outlining their interests and suitability for the fellowship program prior to a formal application to the ESSIE graduate program. Review of CVs and statements will begin on January 8th 2018.

Contact information:
Andrew Altieri
andrew.altieri@essie.ufl.edu
www.altierilab.org

Graduate Positions in Behavioral Ecology in the Tinghitella lab at the University of Denver.

The Tinghitella lab at the University of Denver (https://tinghitellalab.weebly.com) is recruiting motivated new graduate students to begin in the fall of 2018. Work in the lab centers on the roles of ecology and behavior in (rapid) evolutionary change. We mix field and laboratory work to understand the forces that shape diversity in animal communication and mating systems.
Recently we’ve been thinking a lot about how human impacts alter the mating environment and the evolutionary implications of those perturbations. Graduate students will be supported through teaching assistantships (2 years MS and 5 years PhD). I am specifically recruiting students interested in working on Pacific field crickets. Students will be expected to develop their own projects within the scope of the lab, but topics are open. Recent work in the field cricket system has addressed rapid evolution of sexual signals, plasticity in mate choice, and effects of anthropogenic noise on acoustically communicating invertebrates, for instance.

Please contact Robin Tinghitella, robin.tinghitella@du.edu, for more information. Additional information about our graduate program and our vibrant group of Organismal Biologists can be found athttps://www.du.edu/nsm/departments/biologicalsciences/degreeprograms/phd.html
and https://sites.google.com/site/duecoevo/home. Deadline for applications for the graduate program in Biological Sciences is January 1, 2018.