Graduate Assistantships: Coupled natural-human systems: North Carolina State University

School: North Carolina State University

Location: Raleigh, NC

Job Category: Graduate Assistantships

Salary: TBD

Start Date: 01/01/2017

Last Date to Apply: 11/07/2016

 

Description:
    Graduate opportunities (1 MS and 1 PhD position) in Fish and Wildlife Conservation within the Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources for self-motivated and hardworking students interested in the social and ecological dimensions of avian stewardship on private lands. As part of the Cooper lab, the graduate students will conduct research via field work, broad-scale citizen science, and survey research with bluebird enthusiasts across the United States. Possible research directions include, but are not limited to, management of invasive house sparrows, mapping environmental contaminants based on their levels of bioaccumulation in house sparrow eggs, and the influence of soundscapes and lightscapes on avian and human well-being. Students will be expected to engage with the activities of the cluster on Leadership in Public Science which offers unique intellectual focus and professional development in the realm of citizen science, open science, and science communication. The students will spend time in the Biodiversity Research lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural sciences where they will have opportunities to develop their science communication skills. 

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications:
     BS (MS for PhD opening) degree in ecology, wildlife, natural resources, conservation or related discipline with coursework in social sciences, or in human dimensions with coursework in ecology and behavior, GPA of 3.4 or higher GRE scores at or above 160 in verbal and quantitative areas, demonstrated research experience (data collection, analysis, and writing), background in management, conservation, or urban ecology, interest in interdisciplinary (social and biological) research, commitment to public science, excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred qualifications:
     Experience in science communication, advanced geospatial and quantitative skills.

To apply:

     To apply,  submit a pre-application to Dr. Cooper at cbcoope3@ncsu.edu:
Submit pre-application as a single PDF file attached to an email introducing yourself with “Coupled Human Natural Systems graduate application” in the email subject line.:
1) Cover letter summarizing interest in the position, qualifications, and experience, as well as research and career goals
2) Curriculum Vitae
3) Academic transcripts (can be unofficial)
4) GRE scores (can be unofficial)
5) Names, contact information, and short description of relationship for three professional references
     Selected applicants will also need to apply to the Dept of Forestry & Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University before acceptance.

Graduate Research Assistant in Aquatic Ecology: Murray State University, Kentucky

School: Murray State University

Location: Murray, KY, and DeBeque, CO, USA

Job Category: Graduate Assistantships

Website: http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/hwhiteman/index.shtml

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Start Date: 01/15/2017

Last Date to Apply: 11/15/2016

 

Description:

     Graduate Research Assistant in Aquatic Ecology, Watershed Studies Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University. One full-time position to begin January 2017. Qualifications: B.S. in biology, ecology, or related discipline. Previous experience with field and/or lab experiments, pond ecosystems, and amphibian and invertebrate ecology highly desirable. 

 

Responsibilities: 

     To conduct experimental research on the predatory effects of size-structured salamander populations on population, community and ecosystem interactions while completing a M.S. degree in Watershed Science. 

 

Salary: 

     Commensurate with experience; potential for competitive tuition waivers. Other benefits include housing at the Hancock Biological Station (Murray, KY) during the academic year. 

 

To Apply: 

     Email a letter of application, curriculum vitae including undergraduate GPA and GRE scores, and the names and email addresses of three references to Dr. Howard Whiteman (hwhiteman@murraystate.edu). 

 

Deadline: 

    November 15, 2016 or until the position is filled. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. Murray State University is an equal education and employment opportunity, M/F/D, AA employer. 

Qualifications:

    B.S. in biology, ecology, or related discipline. Previous experience with field and/or lab experiments, pond ecosystems, and amphibian and invertebrate ecology highly desirable.

 

M.S. Assistantship in Wildlife Spatial Ecology at the University of Florida

School: University of Florida

Location: Gainesville, FL

Job Category: Graduate Assistantships

Website: http://plaza.ufl.edu/robert.fletcher/

Salary: 17,000-20,000

Start Date: 08/15/2017

Last Date to Apply: 11/18/2016

 

Description:

     Graduate student opportunity in wildlife spatial ecology and conservation at the University of Florida. We are seeking a highly motivated M.S. student for the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC) at the University of Florida, starting Spring 2017 or Fall 2017 (Fall 2017 more likely). This student will work as part of a landscape-scale research project on the spatial ecology, population biology, and conservation of Southeastern American Kestrels (Falco sparverius paulus). In Florida, kestrels are listed as Threatened, but the current trend and status are largely unknown. The subspecies is closely tied to upland habitat (e.g., scrub, sand pine, sandhill, prairie, pasture), which have been declining in recent decades. The project offers a unique opportunity to work alongside state biologists and University faculty to conduct research that will directly inform development of habitat management guidelines (HMG) for a Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
      The project has three primary objectives. However, students with strong initiative and desire to carve out their own research questions within this theme are highly encouraged to apply.
Objective 1. Provide a current baseline population estimate and subsequent monitoring protocol for Ocala National Forest, one of the three largest breeding populations of southeastern American kestrels in Florida.
Objective 2. Develop HMG for southeastern American kestrels in scrub based on occupancy and productivity in different habitat conditions.
Objective 3. Identify common habitat needs as well as potential conflicts associated with managing Florida scrub-jays and other imperiled species in southeastern American kestrel habitat.  

Qualifications:

     The student will be co-advised by Robert Fletcher (University of Florida) and Karl Miller (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). Preferred applicants will be highly motivated, have field experience conducting avian point counts, have strong quantitative skills, and competitive GPA/GRE scores. If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree on this project, please send Dr. Fletcher a CV, GRE scores and GPA, contact information for three references, and a brief statement of your research interests, career goals, and why you would like to pursue a graduate degree prior to November 18, 2016 (email to: robert.fletcher@ufl.edu). Please see the WEC Graduate Program website for more details on application procedures. For more information, see: http://plaza.ufl.edu/robert.fletcher/.