Graduate positions are available in the Beckman Lab in the Department of Biology and Ecology Center at Utah State University. The Beckman Lab investigates interactions between plants and their environment occurring over multiple scales and examines the role of these interactions in limiting plant populations and maintaining biodiversity. Many of these interactions are disrupted by global change, and we examine the consequences of these disruptions for plant communities and ecosystem functions. The research group uses a combination of empirical and quantitative approaches to address our research questions. Examples of ongoing projects include: 1) synthesizing data with mathematical models to predict extinction risk of plant species to climate change, 2) understanding the importance of seed dispersal under global change, and 3) examining the influence of dispersal and plant consumers on plant spatial patterns. Before applying, interested candidates should contact Dr. Beckman (noelle.beckman AT usu.edu) with a letter of interest, CV, and contact information for two references. More details about the research group and applying: https://seedscape.github.io/BeckmanLab/GraduatePosition.html

A PhD position is available in the Beckman Lab in the Biology Department =

& Ecology Center to investigate macroevolutionary patterns of trait variation in le=

aves, fruit, and seeds of trees and shrubs in Panama using a metabolomics approach. Plants=

experience simultaneous and often conflicting selective pressures from a diversity o=

f antagonists and mutualists that feed on different plant parts at different stages of deve=

lopment. Yet, the large body of theory developed to understand plant defense has focused al=

most exclusively on leaves and leaf herbivores, with little integration of the=

important interactions in other parts, such as fruits. This project aims to extend =

leaf defense theory to better understand patterns of trait variation and interactions that oc=

cur across leaves, fruits, and seeds. An ideal candidate would have prior experience working=

with tropical plants or conducting chemical analyses; experience working with UPLC is a=

plus. Interested candidates should contact Dr. Beckman (noelle.beckman AT usu.e=

du) with a letter of interest, CV, and contact information for two references. In yo=

ur letter, include a description of your research interests and why you are interested in join=

ing the research group as well as a summary of your prior research experience and your aca=

demic background (e.g., relevant coursework). More details about the research g=

roup and applying: https://seedscape.github.io/BeckmanLab/GraduatePosition.html

M.S. ASSISTANTSHIP, AQUATIC ECOLOGY, BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

The Wyatt Lab in the Department of Biology at Ball State University has

an opening for a NSF funded MS Graduate Research Assistantship to study

aquatic ecology in Alaskan wetlands. Ideally, the successful applicant

will have a background in aquatic ecology and a willingness to work in

both field and laboratory settings. The multidisciplinary nature of this

project provides research opportunities for students with a broad range

of interests (algal ecology, microbial ecology, food webs, and

biogeochemistry). The field portion of the research will be conducted in

partnership with the Long-term Ecological Research Program at the

University of Alaska-Fairbanks and the position will require travel to

Alaska for summer research. Please see the lab website for more details:

www.wyattlab.org <http://www.wyattlab.org>.

If you are interested in this position please send your CV and a short

statement summarizing your qualifications and research interests to Dr.

Kevin Wyatt at _khwyatt@bsu.edu <mailto:khwyatt@bsu.edu>_. Application

requirements can be found at http://www.bsu.edu/biology/. Preferred

start date is January (spring semester) or May (summer semester) 2018.

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Inc., Millbrook, NY, is accepting

applications for the following, Seasonal Project Assistant position:

Research the effects of weather and climate on the survival and behavior of

blacklegged ticks and risk of tick-borne disease.  Location is the Cary

Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York=92s Hudson River Valley, with

travel to sites between northern New York and North Carolina. This position

reports to Dr. Richard S. Ostfeld.

Duties include maintaining lab colonies of mice and ticks, establishing and

maintaining field plots with ticks, assessing and recording tick survival,

and downloading data from dataloggers.

Meticulous attention to detail and experience in field ecology is

mandatory.=A0 Prior experience handling small mammals is highly desirable.

Employment to begin mid to late September 2017, with an end date of

approximately May 30, 2018.  Position is full time, 35 hours/week.  This is

an hourly, non-benefitted position. Wage is commensurate with education and

experience.  The final candidate will be required to complete a post-offer,

pre-employment driving background check successfully.

All candidates must be authorized to work in the U.S. On-site or nearby

housing may be available.

Posting is open until August 18th, 2017 or until filled.

Please submit job application via http http://www.caryinstitute.org/who-we-

are/jobs. Include a single PDF file consisting of a letter of application,

a resume, and the names, phone numbers,and email addresses of three

professional references. Please include 17026-I in your correspondence.

The Cary Institute is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and

Affirmative  Action (AA) employer. It is the policy of the Company to

provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without

regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,

national origin, age, familial status, protected veteran or disabled

status, or genetic information.

*Position description: *A graduate assistantship for a MS or PhD candidate

is available starting Fall 2018 at The Ohio State University in Columbus,

Ohio with Dr. Megan Meuti. The successful applicant will conduct research

on seasonal aspects of mosquito physiology including gene expression

studies, measuring seasonal phenotypes, bioinformatics analyses and

performing germline transformations of mosquito embryos. Candidates will be

encouraged to develop their own experiments, particularly those with an

ecological focus, within the context of the overall project. This

competitive assistantship will cover tuition, stipend, and health insurance=

.

*Deadline for applications:* Although this position is open until a

suitable candidate is found, for full consideration applicants should have

all of their materials submitted to The Ohio State University Graduate

School no later than December 1, 2017.

*Qualifications:* The successful candidate will have a bachelor=E2=80=99s d=

egree in

Biological Sciences or a related discipline. A Master=E2=80=99s Degree or p=

revious

research experience in molecular biology and/or ecophysiology is preferred.

*Application materials:* Interested candidates are encouraged to email Dr.

Megan Meuti (meuti.1@osu.edu) to discuss the position in detail. Please

include a concise, current CV (degrees and courses taken, GPA, GRE scores

and percentiles, publications, research presentations, awards, and other

information) and a short letter of introduction. Also be sure to visit the

laboratory website (u.osu.edu/meutilab) to learn more about us and our

research.

[image: The Ohio State University]

Megan E. Meuti

Assistant Professor

College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

Department of Entomology

Room 400A Aronoff Lab

318 W. 12th Ave

Columbus, OH 43210

Office: 614-688-2829

E-mail: meuti.1@osu.edu

Website: u.osu.edu/meutilab

The Rowe Lab at the University of New Hampshire is seeking a highly-motivated M.S. student interested in the population and community dynamics of small mammals. The student will be contributing to an ongoing field study on resource use and density dynamics at the Bartlett Experimental Forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, but will also be encouraged to develop a unique project that interests the student and coincides with the theme of the Rowe Lab. The student will develop leadership skills by overseeing a team of undergraduate researchers during the summer field season and may have the opportunity to mentor undergraduates during the school year. The student will be expected to present results at scientific conferences and to agency personnel, and will lead publications that emerge from this research.

This is an intensive field project and will require long hours outside being physically active and mentally alert.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in a pertinent discipline and can begin field work in late May 2018. Previous experience conducting field work is required and familiarity with live-trapping small mammals is preferred. Applicants should be able to work both independently and cooperatively with other members of the lab. Strong communication and writing skills are desired.

Stipend, health insurance, and a tuition waiver will be provided for two years through a Teaching Assistantship.

Interested individuals should email Rebecca Rowe at rebecca.rowe@unh.edu<mailto:rebecca.rowe@unh.edu> in advance of applying to the program. Please attach a single pdf file that includes a brief description of your background and research interests, a CV (including GPA, and GRE scores), and the names and contact information for three professional references. Additional information about the Rowe Lab can be found at: http://www.unh.edu/rowe_lab/.

Formal application review will begin January 15th. Application materials can be found at: http://www.gradschool.unh.edu/apply.php. Visit https://colsa.unh.edu/nren for information on the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, and https://colsa.unh.edu/nren/natural-resources/natural-resources-ms for information about the Natural Resources MS program with a specialization in Wildlife and Conservation Biology.

Interested in Invasion Ecology? The Prior lab (http://www.priorecologylab.com) at Binghamton University (SUNY) is seeking a Ph.D. student to work on projects related the role of tri-trophic interactions (host plants and parasitoids) in facilitating the success of an invasive insect. We ask questions about invasion success in an excellent, tractable study system in which we can make comparisons of species interactions between the invader=92s native and introduced ranges. We work out in the beautiful Pacific Northwest (PNW), spending time on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and in Washington State.

I am seeking a highly-motivated Ph.D. student who is interested in global change ecology, species interactions, plant-insect interactions, experimental ecology, and importantly who is excited about asking ecological questions and conducting research in the field. Students with field experience, who are proficient in statistics, have proven writing and communication skills, and who are self-motivated and independent will be the most competitive. Also, I am particularly interested in students who can start in the field this up-coming field season (summer 2018).=20=20

The student will be based at Binghamton University (State University of New York), in Vestal, NY and will travel to the PNW for fieldwork. The student will be in the Biological Sciences Department and be a part of the EEB (Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior) group (https://www.binghamton.edu/biology/). BU is located in the Southern Tier of NY and is one of the four major University Centers in the SUNY system.

**I will be at ESA in Portland, email me if you would like to meet to chat about the opportunity (kprior@binghamton.edu). Otherwise, please email me a cover letter stating your interests, your CV, and GPA and GRE scores. Please put =93Graduate Assistantship=94 in the subject line of the email.

PhD fellowships/assistantships are available for outstanding students to conduct innovative and high-impact research at the Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability (CSIS) at Michigan State University (http://csis.msu.edu).

Research topics may include telecoupling (socioeconomic-environmental interactions over distances, through means such as flows of ecosystem services, trade of goods and products, globalization, migration, species invasion, and tourism, telecoupling<http://www.csis.msu.edu/telecoupling>.org),  sustainability science, coupled human and natural systems, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, human well-being, forest and landscape ecology, global change, systems integration (e.g., integration of ecology with social sciences and policy; food-energy-water nexus), wildlife ecology and conservation (e.g., giant pandas in China and polar bears in Alaska), land change science, and systems modeling and simulation (e.g., agent-based modeling). Studies on these topics by faculty and students at CSIS have been published in journals such as Science, Nature, and PNAS. With flexible start dates (e.g., summer or fall of 2018), successful candidates can build on previous studies and explore new frontiers.

Application materials include: (1) letter of application, (2) statement of professional goals, (3) CV or resume, (4) transcripts, (5) GRE scores, (6) TOEFL scores (for non-native English speakers only), (7) list of 3-4 references (names and contact information), and (8) up to three representative publications if any. Unofficial copies of GRE, TOEFL and transcripts are OK initially.  Applicants are encouraged to submit their application materials as soon as possible, or until the positions are filled.  Applications and questions about these opportunities should be emailed to:

Professor Jianguo (Jack) Liu

Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 48823-5243, USA

liuji@msu.edu<mailto:liuji@msu.edu> (email)

http://csis.msu.edu/people/jianguo-liu

** Professor Liu is at the ESA meeting (August 7-10) and would be happy to talk with potentially interested individuals. **

SEEKING GRAD STUDENT IN COASTAL PLANT ECOLOGY

DOCTORAL (and/or MS) GRADUATE STUDENT position open in the Department of Biology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. This program is seeking a graduate student to conduct research on the effects of climate warming on salt marsh belowground and community dynamics in areas where mangroves are currently expanding.  The research is a combination of large-scale controlled mesocosm experiments coupled with field experiments along the Florida Atlantic Coast from St. Augustine to the Keys.  Although a doctoral student is preferred, exceptional, well-qualified students interested in pursuing a Masters degree in Biology are also encouraged to apply.  The successful applicant must be enthusiastic and self-motivated, have a strong interest in climate change and plant ecology, be a team player able to work well both independently and interdependently, display strong oral and written communication skills, and possess both the physical and mental attributes required to work under strenuous and often adverse conditions in the field.  Additional desirable skills include boat operation and a background in environmental effects on plant population and community dynamics, plant/soil sciences, plant physiological ecology and statistical ecology.  Competitive graduate research assistantship funding and tuition waivers are available.  Truly exceptional doctoral student applicants will also be considered for a University Doctoral Fellowship in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology.  For further information, please contact Dr. Mark W. Hester, Director of Research, Institute for Coastal and Water Research, Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA  70504mhester@louisiana.edu  (https://coastalresearch.louisiana.edu/).  Please attach resume/CV, as well as GPA and GRE percentile score information with all inquiries by September 1.  All application materials need to arrive no later than September 8, 2017 to receive full consideration for spring 2018 admission and funding opportunities.

SEEKING GRAD STUDENT IN COASTAL PLANT ECOLOGY

DOCTORAL (and/or MS) GRADUATE STUDENT position open in the Department of Biology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. This program is seeking a graduate student to conduct research on the effects of climate warming on salt marsh belowground and community dynamics in areas where mangroves are currently expanding.  The research is a combination of large-scale controlled mesocosm experiments coupled with field experiments along the Florida Atlantic Coast from St. Augustine to the Keys.  Although a doctoral student is preferred, exceptional, well-qualified students interested in pursuing a Masters degree in Biology are also encouraged to apply.  The successful applicant must be enthusiastic and self-motivated, have a strong interest in climate change and plant ecology, be a team player able to work well both independently and interdependently, display strong oral and written communication skills, and possess both the physical and mental attributes required to work under strenuous and often adverse conditions in the field.  Additional desirable skills include boat operation and a background in environmental effects on plant population and community dynamics, plant/soil sciences, plant physiological ecology and statistical ecology.  Competitive graduate research assistantship funding and tuition waivers are available.  Truly exceptional doctoral student applicants will also be considered for a University Doctoral Fellowship in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology.  For further information, please contact Dr. Mark W. Hester, Director of Research, Institute for Coastal and Water Research, Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA  70504mhester@louisiana.edu  (https://coastalresearch.louisiana.edu/).  Please attach resume/CV, as well as GPA and GRE percentile score information with all inquiries by September 1.  All application materials need to arrive no later than September 8, 2017 to receive full consideration for spring 2018 admission and funding opportunities.