MS Assistantship – Trout Management / Spatial Modeling: University of Georgia

School: University of Georgia

Location: Athens, GA USA

Job Category: Graduate Assistantships

Website: https://www.warnell.uga.edu/

Salary: Competitive stipend, tuition waiver, health insurance options

Start Date: 01/05/2017

Last Date to Apply: 10/15/2016

 

Description: We are seeking a highly motivated graduate student to work on a GIS-based model estimating trout supply in fishable waters of Georgia. Project description: This is a collaborative assessment to help the Georgia Department of Natural Resources formulate a trout management strategy that will satisfy a plurality of GA’s trout anglers and be robust to uncertainties in fishing pressure and population status. To do this we have proposed a coordinated evaluation that will examine socioecological dynamics relevant to trout management and synthesize information and uncertainties that inform decision-making for Georgia trout fisheries. Simply put, we will evaluate both the “supply” and “demand” in a geographically-explicit manner that will help inform trout management goals. This announcement is for a student who will focus on trout “supply” by using available data to inform predictive models of trout population characteristics throughout Georgia’s fishable waterways. This will complement work by another MS student currently focusing on trout “demand” and we expect excellent collaborative opportunities. The selected student will be co-advised by Cecil Jennings (fish ecology/management) and Nate Nibbelink (spatial ecology/GIS).

 

Qualification: Minimum entry requirements are 3.0 GPA and combined verbal + quantitative GRE score > 1000 (old scale), or roughly 300 (new scale). Post-baccalaureate work experience is preferred. The successful applicant will be motivated, have well-developed writing and communication skills, strong work ethic, and ability to work cooperatively in team setting. Coursework and experience in aquatic ecology and/or fisheries are preferred. Proficiency using ArcGIS for spatial analysis, strong quantitative skills, and most of all… creative energy, are required! To apply: Send a cover letter, CV, and an example of your writing, via email, to: Dr. Cecil Jennings 

(jennings@uga.edu). 

Contact Person: Cecil Jennings

Contact Email: jennings@uga.edu

Graduate Research Assistant (M.S.): University of Wisconsin – Green Bay

School: Aquatic Ecology and Fisheries Laboratory, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay

Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin

Job Category: Graduate Assistantships

Website: http://www.uwgb.edu/

Salary: Based on experience

Start Date: 01/15/2017

Last Date to Apply: 10/31/2016

 

Description: The Aquatic Ecology and Fisheries Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay (PIs Dr. Patrick Forsythe and Dr. Chris Houghton) is seeking to hire 4 graduate research assistants at the M.S. level across three project areas listed below. In addition to the application materials requested, prospective students are encouraged in their cover letter to specify a position of interest and indicate how previous experiences have prepared them to achieve the project goals. Note that all students hired will have the opportunity (and will be encouraged) to develop other research aspects related to each project.

Position 1: We are seeking a graduate student to address important knowledge gaps regarding many of the small tributaries directly connected to Green Bay. Responsibilities will include but are not limited to: 1) quantifying intra and inter-annual variation in water temperature, discharge, nutrient (P, N) concentrations, suspended solids, and others, and 2) determining the underlying biological and ecological mechanisms controlling the community of fishes that inhabit these small streams and 3) estimating temporal and spatial use of food resources by individual fish species and determining how diet is impacted by anthropogenic use in the watershed.

Position 2: We are seeking a graduate student to evaluate the lower Fox River Area of Concern and west shore tributaries of Green Bay for the timing, production and drift of lake whitefish larvae. Lake whitefish adults have resumed spawning in all major tributaries after being extirpated for nearly 100 years. A secondary objective of this project will be to determine the spatial resolution in which trace elements in otoliths (i.e., micro-chemical fingerprints) can be used to appropriately delineate the natal origin of whitefish larvae produced from the major tributaries of Green Bay vs. offshore reefs in Green Bay and Lake Michigan proper.

Position 3: We are seeking a graduate student to obtain basic ecological and behavioral information on lake sturgeon reproductive ecology and early life history dynamics that can be used to direct specific restoration activities in the Fox, Oconto, Peshtigo and Menominee Rivers. The main objective is to quantify lake sturgeon larval production and drift dynamics of larval lake sturgeon in the Fox River. This graduate project will further seek to determine the location and diversity of benthic habitats that support adult spawning, as well as habitat selection of juvenile lake sturgeon and general river outmigration movement patterns using a combination of acoustic profiling and acoustic telemetry.

 

Qualifications: Prospective students should be highly motivated and display potential for working with various partners including the Department of Natural Resources and the Fish and Wildlife Service. A B.S. in fisheries/ecology/biology is required and experience with aquatic field work (including operating boats) and analytical/statistical techniques is desired. Applicants much have strong written and oral communication skills, and competitive GPA/GRE scores. Students must be willing to work as part of a dynamic research team and conduct extensive field and laboratory work in various conditions. Email cover letter, resume, transcripts, GRE scores, and contact information for 3 references to Dr. Chris Houghton mentioning this position in the subject line.

Contact Person: Dr. Chris Houghton

Contact Email: houghtoc@uwgb.edu

 

M.S. Research Assistantship – Invasive species management of bottomland forests: Auburn University

School: Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences

Location: Auburn, AL

Job Category: Graduate Assistantships

Website: http://wp.auburn.edu/sfws/

Salary: $16,540 including tuition waiver

Start Date: 01/09/2017

Last Date to Apply: 10/31/2016

 

Description: We are seeking an M.S.-level graduate student to focus on using fire to restore Alabama bottomland hardwood forests invaded by Chinese privet and other exotic species. Specifically, the student will examine privet and native species response to fire regimes and help evaluate the feasibility of using prescribed fires for controlling invasive species. Student will also have the opportunity to develop other research aspects related to the project.

 

Qualifications: Prospective students should be highly motivated, demonstrate good communication skills (written and oral), have some background in forest ecology, and be willing to conduct extensive field and laboratory work. A B.S. (GPA >3.0) in environmental science, ecology, or natural resources is desirable along with field experience in the southeast U.S. A valid U.S. driver’s license is also necessary. The ideal candidate would be available to start in January 2017.

The 2-yr research assistantship is through the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences (SFWS) and includes tuition waiver and annual stipend ($16,540). Further details regarding graduate education, application, and admission to Auburn University and the SFWS can be found at (http://www.grad.auburn.edu/) and (http://wp.auburn.edu/sfws/). Information about the Anderson wetland and riparian ecology lab can be found at (https://cws.auburn.edu/andercj/).

 

Contact Person: Chris Anderson

Contact Email: andercj@auburn.edu

 

IGERT Ph.D. Traineeship in Water Resources: University of Idaho

School: University of Idaho

Location: Moscow, ID

Job Category: Graduate Assistantships

Website: http://www.uidaho.edu/igert

Salary: $30,000 stipend per year plus tuition and fees for 2 years with funding opportunities available for following  years.

Start Date: 06/01/2017

Last Date to Apply: 11/01/2016

 

Description: We invite applications for the National Science Foundation’s Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) Program on “Adaptation to change in water resources: science to inform decision-making across disciplines, cultures and scales.” Doctoral trainees will work in interdisciplinary teams to research the drivers and consequences of changing water dynamics in the Pacific Northwest.

To Apply: Applicants should send a letter of interest and qualifications, a resume that includes contact information for three references, and copies of transcripts and GRE scores (unofficial is fine) to Mary Schierman (marys@uidaho.edu). Applications will be reviewed as they are received and will continue to be reviewed until a suitable cohort of students is selected. Deadline for applications is November 1, 2016. We anticipate selected students will officially apply to enroll at the University of Idaho for the Summer 2017 semester and will start the IGERT PhD Traineeship on June 1, 2017.

 

Qualifications: Trainees MUST be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., its territories or its possessions. Applicants should have a Master’s degree (exceptional candidates with an undergraduate degree will also be considered) and an interest in integrating science and application. We are seeking students from the following disciplines: hydrology and watershed management, environmental science, ecohydraulics, fisheries science, water resources engineering, climate science, ecology, sociology/rural and community economics, law, and public policy and management. 

Contact Person: Mary Schierman

Contact Email: marys@uidaho.edu