Available Fall 2007
Graduate Research Assistantship (MS or PhD) – 
Plant-Soil Interactions within the Roadside Landscape
 
Applications are being accepted for a Graduate Research Assistantship to 
support research on plant-soil interactions in the Department of Plant & 
Soil Science at University of Vermont.  This assistantship will be 
supported through funding from the University Transportation Center 
(http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/) to characterize the environmental impacts 
of our current transportation systems.  

The successful applicant will work with Dr. Sarah Taylor Lovell of the 
Multifunctional Landscape Research Lab (http://www.uvm.edu/~slovell) and 
Dr. Deborah Neher of the Soil Biological Indicators Lab 
(http://www.uvm.edu/~dneher/) to study the functions of the roadside 
landscape through plant-soil interactions.  This effort will not only 
contribute to our understanding of the impact of anthropogenic activities 
on the environment, but also to the development of sustainable 
alternatives for the design and management of rural landscapes. 

Specific responsibilities could include: soil sampling and analysis, plant 
collection and identification, characterization of plant composition, and 
spatial mapping. Graduate Research Assistants are also expected to 
participate in teaching, data entry, preparation of research papers, 
presentation of results at scientific meetings, statistical analysis, and 
graphical illustration of data.  Preference will be given to students with 
experience in soil ecology and plant science.  

The graduate research assistantship is comprised of a twelve-month, grant-
supported stipend in the amount of $28,000.  The student will be 
charged “in-state” tuition and fees. The workload is expected to average 
approximately 20 hours per week on research over a 12 month period. 

If you are interested, please send a cover letter explaining your interest 
and experience along with your curriculum vitae to Dr. Lovell or Dr. 
Neher. Admission will also require receipt of a completed application to 
our graduate program. You can find application materials on the web 
through the Graduate School of University of Vermont 
(http://www.uvm.edu/admissions/graduate/. Apply to the graduate program in 
Plant and Soil Science (http://www.uvm.edu/~pss/). 

Contact information:

 
Sarah Taylor Lovell, MLA, PhD                   
Assistant Professor
University of Vermont
Department of Plant & Soil Science
201 Hills Agricultural Building
105 Carrigan Drive
Burlington, VT 05405-0082
Email:  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Ph:     802-626-0466 
Fax:    802-656-4656

Deborah Neher, PhD
Associate Professor and Chairperson
University of Vermont
Department of Plant & Soil Science
Hills Agricultural Building
105 Carrigan Drive
Burlington, VT 05405-0082
Email:  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Ph:     802-656-0474
Fax:    802-656-4656

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