Ph.D. opportunities in the Karubian Lab

The Karubian Lab (http://karubian.tulane.edu) is seeking applications to begin Ph.D. studies in Fall 2018.

The Karubian lab is based at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University, in New Orleans LA. We have an accomplished group of students, and take pride in the supportive and diverse environment our lab and department provide. Students receive TA-ships that cover stipend and tuition costs during their time at Tulane, and several students have received competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships and other sources of external support.

The Karubian lab has a strong commitment to linking research to real world conservation outcomes via meaningful engagement with local communities in the areas where we work. Both these projects have important links to contemporary social issues, and incoming students are encouraged to participate in and contribute to these efforts. Please see http://karubian.tulane.edu/engagement/overview/ for more information.

The Karubian lab is committed to increasing diversity in STEM. Students from Latin America and other groups that are traditionally under-represented in ecology and evolution are particularly encouraged to apply.

Prospective applicants should contact Dr. Jordan Karubian (jk@tulane.edu) with a statement of interest and CV.

We are currently recruiting up to 3 students, for the following projects; please state which of the
project(s) you are applying to in your contact email:

(1) Evolutionary ecology and conservation of South American palms.

The over-arching goal of this project is to better understand the forces that regulate distributions and diversity of palms. This student will develop independent research that combines fieldwork on ecological processes in tropical rainforest (e.g., dispersal, competition, survival) with laboratory-based genetic approaches (e.g., population genetics / genomics, transcriptomics). Students will build upon previous and ongoing NSF-funded work that links behavior of dispersal agents to seed and pollen movement; characterizes ecological and genetic drivers of non-random seedling survival; and documents how naturally occurring environmental variation interacts with human activities to shape patterns of diversity. Please see http://karubian.tulane.edu/research/plant-animal-interactions/ for more information.

(2) Behavioral ecology and effects of lead exposure on Mockingbirds

This student will develop independent research in New Orleans to investigate how exposure to lead, a common contaminant in urban environments, impacts health and behavior of the northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos. Our pilot work suggests that lead levels in mockingbird adults may be associated with increases in aggressive behavior. The student working on this project will characterize pathways of lead uptake; relate exposure to physiological condition, cognition, aggressive behavior and reproductive success; and explore the mechanistic (genomic and endocrine) underpinnings of these effects. Please see http://karubian.tulane.edu/research/gulf-coast-ecology/ for more information.

(3) Effects of habitat conversion on avian diversity and behavior.

This student will continue over a decade of work in a fragmented landscape in northwest Ecuador that examines the impacts of habitat change on avian diversity. The project will involve some combination of mist netting, analysis of satellite imagery, telemetry/tracking, and molecular analysis. Please seehttp://karubian.tulane.edu/research/conservation-biology/ for more information

Description
I am seeking a graduate student to develop a research project focused on Madagascar carnivores. The successful applicant will pursue an M.S.
degree in the Department of Natural Resources Science at the University of Rhode Island. The aim of the project will be to extend current knowledge of rainforest carnivores covering one or more of the following
topics: life-history, population dynamics, predator-prey dynamics, species-habitat relationships, species coexistence relationships, ecosystem services, and anthropogenic impacts. There will be a strong focus on how this knowledge can be applied to local and landscape conservation planning. The specific objectives will be rooted in ecological theory and developed in coordination with the graduate advisor. Field methods will primarily be non-invasive photographic- sampling using camera traps, but could include additional sampling types (e.g., GPS collaring, local interviews, small-mammal trapping, primate distance sampling) depending on the specific objectives. The study system will be the eastern rainforests of Madagascar within the Andasibe-Mantadia protected area. The student will be advised by Dr.
Brian Geber at the University of Rhode Island. Research activities will be synthetic with ongoing projects, necessitating direct coordination with Dr. Zach Farris at Appalachian State University.

Requirements
Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree in animal/wildlife biology or ecology, earned at least a 3.2 GPA (4.0 scale), must have taken the GRE, and must have excellent oral and written communication skills. Field experience in difficult and remote terrain is a necessity, as is the ability to work collaboratively and to supervise research assistants and undergraduates working in the field and the lab. The applicant must have a strong interest in developing hypotheses that are evaluated using ecological statistical models. The strongest applicants will have demonstrated experience with international field work and quantitative analyses.

Assistantship Details
Assistantship stipends are approximately $20,000/academic year (includes a mix of Research and Teaching Assistantship) and tuition is paid.
Summer stipend of a minimum of 20 hours per week will also be available.
Graduate students will choose to be trained in the Ecology & Ecosystem Science graduate program (http://web.uri.edu/cels-gradprograms/ees/) or the Integrative & Evolutionary Biology graduate program
(http://web.uri.edu/cels-gradprograms/ieb/) at URI. These are interdepartmental graduate groups within our College of the Environment and Life Sciences (http://web.uri.edu/cels/) that are designed to provide students with a strong, interdisciplinary and integrative learning environment.

Application Instructions
Please email a cover letter (not just an email) that summarizes the applicants interest and prior experience with an explicit statement regarding international work and analytical experience, current CV, unofficial transcripts, copy of GRE scores, scientific writing sample and contact info for ≥3 references as a single attachment to Dr. Brian Gerber at bgerber@uri.edu. Please use ‘Madagascar Carnivore MS Application’ as the email subject line. The successful applicant is expected to begin in September, 2018. The application deadline is February 1, 2018 but review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a suitable candidate is found.

A PhD position is available in the lab of Dr. Edward Brzostek
(http://biology.wvu.edu/faculty/faculty-pages/edward-brzostek) in the Department of Biology at West Virginia University starting in the summer/fall of 2018.  This PhD opportunity will focus on developing predictive models of the extent to which plant-microbial interactions impact the production and sustainability of bioenergy crops.  The PhD student will work in conjunction with a multidisciplinary team of scientists as part of the Sustainability Theme in the new U.S. Department of Energy-funded Bioenergy Research Center (BRC), the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI; https://cabbi.bio).  Prospective applicants with backgrounds and interests in agricultural ecology, microbial ecology and biogeochemistry are encouraged to apply.  As part of the CABBI award to WVU, there is competitive fellowship support for qualified applicants to this position.  More detailed information about the WVU Biology graduate student program is available at https://biology.wvu.edu/students/graduate-students.  The deadline for applications is January 1st, 2018. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Edward Brzostek (erbrzostek@mail.wvu.edu) prior to submitting an application to WVU.

M.S. and Ph.D. STUDENT POSITIONS
Marine Invertebrate Behavior, Ecophysiology, and Fisheries Division of Coastal Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi Ocean Springs, MS

We seek highly motivated students to fill two graduate student positions in the laboratory of Dr. Zachary Darnell at The University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, MS. Both positions will begin in August 2018. Students selected for these positions will pursue graduate degrees in the Division of Coastal Sciences and will be supported on research assistantships (details below). Both the M.S. and Ph.D. assistantship will include substantial flexibility in research topic, within the general realms of marine invertebrate behavior, ecophysiology, and fisheries. For more information on current research areas, visit http://sites.usm.edu/zdarnell/. Details on each assistantship are below:

M.S. ASSISTANTSHIP: The M.S. assistantship includes a stipend of $22,800 per year, increasing to $23,400 per year following comprehensive exams. A tuition waiver is also included. Required qualifications include a minimum GPA of 3.5 on all undergraduate coursework and GRE scores exceeding the 50th percentile. Prior research experience is preferred.

Ph.D. ASSISTANTSHIP: The Ph.D. assistantship includes a stipend of $23,400 per year, increasing to $24,000 per year following comprehensive exams. A tuition waiver is also included. Required qualifications include a minimum GPA of 3.5 on all undergraduate or graduate (if entering with a M.S.) coursework and GRE scores exceeding the 50th percentile. Prior research experience is preferred. Priority will be given to applicants with an M.S. degree, but exceptional applicants at the B.S. level will also be considered.

The Division of Coastal Sciences is a research and graduate education unit within the School of Ocean Science and Technology, offering programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science degrees. The Division is located at Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (Ocean Springs, MS), a marine laboratory featuring comprehensive basic and applied research programs in coastal and marine biological sciences (http://gcrl.usm.edu). Research program support includes state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and instrumentation; a fleet of small and large research vessels, including the R/V Point Sur; the GCRL Museum collection; the Center for Fisheries Research and Development; NSF I/UCRC Science Center for Marine Fisheries, and aquaculture facilities including the Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center. Additional information on graduate programs in the Division of Coastal Sciences can be found here:
http://gcrl.usm.edu/coastal_sciences/index.php.

Interested students should contact Dr. Zachary Darnell (zachary.darnell@usm.edu). Please include a copy of your CV (including GRE scores), unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts, and contact information for three professional references. Review of applicants will begin immediately. For full consideration, submit all materials prior to January 2, 2018.

JOB OPENING
Research Technician
Gulf Coast Research Lab
The University of Southern Mississippi
Ocean Springs, MS

We seek a Research Technician to begin employment February 1, 2018 at The University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (http://gcrl.usm.edu) in Ocean Springs. MS. The selected applicant will be co-supervised by Dr. Kelly M. Darnell and Dr. Zachary Darnell.

The primary duties of the Research Technician will be associated with a recently funded project “Gulf- Wide Assessment of Habitat Use and Habitat-Specific Production Estimates of Nekton in Turtlegrass.” The overarching goal of this project is to conduct a management-driven, Gulf of Mexico-wide assessment of the use of turtlegrass as habitat by nekton and to evaluate the support provided to blue crabs, a commercially valuable species, using habitat-specific production estimates. This is a collaborative project with researchers at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the University of Florida, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The technician will work closely with personnel from these institutions.

Job duties include (but are not limited to): conducting epibenthic sled and trawl sampling of nekton in seagrass beds; preparation and setup of field experiments to assess blue crab growth and mortality; fish and macroinvertebrate identification; laboratory processing of vegetation, nekton, and benthic core samples; data entry and QA/QC; assisting with data analyses, assisting with manuscript preparation and outreach efforts; and operating small boats in support of field research efforts.

Required qualifications:
-B.S. or M.S. degree in marine biology, ecology, biology, or a related field -Previous research experience -Valid driver’s license

Preferred qualifications:
-Experience working in seagrass beds
-Experience with juvenile and adult fish identification -Experience with GIS -Ability to operate small, outboard-powered boats

This position includes a salary of $30,000 per year and full benefits. The term of the position is 28 months (February 1, 2018-May 31, 2020), with the possibility for extension beyond this term if additional funding is available.

To apply, please send a cover letter, CV, and list of three references to kelly.darnell@usm.edu. Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2017 and continue until the position is filled.