The University of Montana; PhD position linking sub-lethal stressors to vital rates and population abundance.

School: The University of Montana

Location: Missoula, MT

Job Category: Graduate Assistantships

Salary: DOE

Start Date: 08/15/2017

Last Date to Apply: 01/15/2017

 

Description:

    The Breuner lab at the University of Montana in Missoula is looking to recruit a Ph.D. student in a collaborative project with Dr. Blake Hossack at USGS. Dr. Breuner and Dr. Hossack have funding to support a PhD project examining the effects of brine contamination in wetlands from energy development in the northern Great Plains. The student’s research will complement existing USGS research projects on the effects of brine contamination on amphibian communities, but the student will have latitude to design their own questions focused around amphibian stress physiology and toxicology, habitat use, and survival or reproductive success. Applicants with experience in physiological ecology and/or population modeling techniques are encouraged to apply. The PhD position is set up as half-time RA and half-time TA, and has funding for summer support and lab expenses.

 

Qualifications:

    Applicants with experience in physiological ecology and/or population modeling techniques are encouraged to apply. Interested students are encouraged to email Dr. Breuner (creagh.breuner@umontana.edu) and Dr. Hossack (Blake_Hossack@usgs.gov). Please include a brief description of your research interests and a CV in your email. Note that applications for Fall 2017 admission to the Wildlife Biology program must be submitted by January 15th at the latest.

MS Graduate Student: Sagebrush Insect Ecology, Sage-grouse Food Arthropods, and Rangeland Management in Sage-brush Steppe Ecosystems.: Montana State University

School: Montana State University/Department of Animal and Range Sciences

Location: Bozeman, MT

Job Category: Graduate Assistantships

Website: http://animalrange.montana.edu/

Salary: $22,000 per year plus health

Last Date to Apply: 10/31/2016

 

Description:

     Available is one M.S. graduate research assistantship at Montana State University (MSU) in the lab of Dr. Hayes Goosey (Department of Animal and Range Sciences) with co-advising and collaboration from Dr. Craig Carr (Department of Animal and Range Sciences). This position will focus on Arthropod conservation in Montana sagebrush steppe ecosystems in relation to greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) conservation efforts. The selected student will complete coursework on the MSU campus with field work located in central Montana, approximately 3-5 hrs. from campus.
      Arthropods are a significant driving force of rangeland plant diversity and health and dominant land uses, such as livestock grazing, can greatly alter arthropod locations, abundance, and diversity. As a result, the interactions between arthropods and land use regimes of sagebrush steppe habitats are reflected in rangeland ecosystems. Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (MTFWP) has identified a portion of central Montana as a sage-grouse core area and efforts are in place to utilize a science based approach to conserve sage-grouse habitats through eliminating sod-busting activities and implement conservation oriented livestock grazing strategies of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI). The selected student will work to complete the following objectives: 

1) Quantify the influence of SGI grazing systems on arthropod populations by comparing lands enrolled in the SGI program, traditionally grazed lands and idled Lake Mason National Wildlife Refuge (LMWR) lands.

2) Quantify relationships between arthropod populations and vegetation structure (i.e. bare ground, plant litter, live herbaceous cover, etc.) with permanent plots established on SGI, traditionally-grazed, and LMWR lands.

3) Use these data to train predictive models of vegetation structure and arthropod abundance based on Landsat 8 imagery to build a continuous spatial coverage of food arthropod abundance for the SGI study area. 

4) Transfer knowledge gained and tools from objectives 1 and 2 to livestock producers, public/private landowners and managers, and wildlife management agencies.
      The position will start January, 2017 and continue for up to 2.5 years ($22,000/yr. plus health insurance). We are seeking an independent student who is entomological, native habitat, and conservation minded. The student must be capable of weekly trips to remote and often ‘Out-of-Cellular Service’ places in central Montana. This cannot be emphasized enough as weather conditions can often make roads impassable during field season. 

Required qualifications: 

     Applicants must possess a B.S. degree in Entomology, Range Science, Wildlife Biology, or a related natural resources field; be an independent and self-staring person; possess a strong interest in applied ecology. Applicants must also possess a driver’s license valid in the US.

Preferred qualifications: 

     Those applicants who have documented and extensive experience leading field research projects in remote locations, conducting vegetation inventories, and using GPS and GIS technology will be competitive during the selection process.

To Apply: 

     Submit an application packet consisting of:

1) A cover letter addressing the required and preferred qualifications.

2) A CV. 

3) Unofficial transcripts.

4) GRE scores.

5) Contact information of three professional references to Dr. Hayes Goosey (hgoosey@montana.edu) 

     For information about either Dr. Goosey or Dr. Carr, see: http://animalrange.montana.edu/faculty/entomology/ ; http://animalrange.montana.edu/faculty/rangescience/index.html.

Research Graduate Assistantship in Forest Recreation: University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, College of Natural Resources

School: University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, College of Natural Resources

Location: Stevens Point, WI

Job Category: Graduate Assistantships

Website: http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/graduateProgram/Pages/default.aspx

Salary: One-year, half-time (20 hrs/week) graduate research assistantship, $16,000 for 12 months, is available through the project. Graduate teaching assistantships – approximately $13,000 for the academic year – are likely available to support the second year of graduate study and to provide additional experience. With a half-time assistantship, out-of-state residents pay Wisconsin tuition. Minnesota residents pay tuition costs determined by the Minnesota/Wisconsin reciprocity agreement: http://www.uwsp.edu/admissions/Pages/Affordability/minnesotaReciprocity.aspx Health insurance benefits may be available based on university policy for graduate students.

Start Date: 01/15/2017

Last Date to Apply: 11/01/2016

 

Description:

     A research project and assistantship is available for a student interested in pursuing a Master of Science in Natural Resources. The graduate assistant will help lead a study to better understand the extent to which personal technology enhances or detracts from forest visitor recreation experiences, and to identify associated implications for managing technology use on remote and urban-proximate forests.

 

Qualifications:

     The graduate assistant will contribute to all stages of the research project, including questionnaire development, preparation of paperwork for needed research approvals, collection of field data, data entry and analysis, and preparation and presentation of reports and papers. Successful completion of the project will require strong communication skills, comfort speaking with forest visitors from a variety of diverse backgrounds, a desire to work in urban and rural forests, willingness to travel for data collection, and an ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
      Requirements for graduate application to UW – Stevens Point and the College of Natural Resources may be found here: http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/graduateProgram/Pages/applicationProcedure.aspx. Students on a graduate assistantship must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher and enroll in at least 4 credits (part-time graduate student status) during the academic year. For more information please contact: Dr. Laura Anderson McIntyre (landerso@uwsp.edu)

MS Position: Conservation biogeography of regional endemic dragonflies – University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, AR

School: University of Arkansas

Location: University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, AR

Job Category: Graduate Assistantships

Website: https://asiepielski.wordpress.com

Salary: $13-19,000/Year, with tuition waver

Start Date: 01/01/2017

Last Date to Apply: 11/01/2016

Description:

     We are offering a fully-funded research assistantship focused on surveys, modeling, and prioritization of dragonfly species endemic to the lovely Ozark-Ouachita mountain region of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The purpose of the project is to improve knowledge of the distribution, requirements, and priority status of Gomphus ozarkensis, Ophiogomphus westfalli, Cordulegaster talaria, and Somatochlora ozarkensis. We anticipate doing this through a combination of habitat-directed surveys, ecological niche modeling to predict and map potential distributions (both current and projected under climate change), and ranking each species based on range-wide vulnerability and endemicity.

      The position is housed in the Siepielski lab (https://asiepielski.wordpress.com/) in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Arkansas. Additional partners include the Missouri Department of Conservation, New York Natural Heritage Program, Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, and University of Tennessee.
     The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR (UARK) is a Tier I research university located in the Ozark Mountains. The faculty and graduate students at UARK are highly interactive and include an internationally known group of evolutionary biologists and ecologists.  We are located in an ideal setting for field-based projects in aquatic systems (AR boosts more than 2,300 lakes and thousands of smaller ponds, and equally impressive numbers of rivers, streams and creeks). Fayetteville is located in beautiful northwest Arkansas and offers a high quality of living at a low cost, an excellent climate, and is a large enough city to offer diverse activities and amenities. Rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and mountain biking opportunities are in close proximity.

Qualifications:

    The strongest candidates will have the following skills, experience, and interests: Interest in conservation science; Interest in odonates and lotic habitats; Ability to conduct extended periods of field work in remote settings (lots of hiking); Strong organization skills and the ability to work independently and with a team; Quantitative skills or aptitude; Experience with R, GIS, and/or ecological niche modeling (or the aptitude to learn quickly).
      Anticipated Start date will be ~ January 2017, although this is flexible. 

To apply, please send the following: 

(1) A cover letter that highlights relevant skills, experience, and interests

(2) A CV. 

(3) Contact information for three references to amsiepie@uark.edu.

(4) GRE scores. 

     Review of applications will begin immediately. Applicants must also apply to the graduate program in the department of biological sciences and the graduate school. The deadline for all application materials for the Spring 2017 semester is Nov 1, 2016. More information can be found on the ‘JOIN US’ section of the lab webpage ( https://asiepielski.wordpress.com/). Please contact Adam Siepielski (amsiepie@uark.edu) or Jason Bried (bried@uark.edu) with any questions.