M.S. ASSISTANTSHIP (Forestry or Geography): A graduate research assistant position (M.S. level) is available beginning January, 2008 with Dr. Andrew Finley in the Departments of Forestry and Geography at Michigan State University. The goal of the project supporting this assistantship is to develop multi-source forest inventory methods for producing nationwide data products that provide spatially explicit and statistically valid estimates of key forest attributes measured by the USDA Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program and similar inventories. The successful candidate will assist in meeting some or all of the project objectives, which include: refining nearest neighbor algorithms for use in multi-source mapping; developing point and areal variance estimators; developing automated routines for optimal nearest neighbor model parameter estimation, and; documenting image and FIA data processing techniques for large-scale mapping.
Applicants should have a B.S. in forestry, geography, statistics, ecology, or a related field. The successful candidate must have a strong commitment to graduate studies, demonstrate an interest in learning new computer-based tools and statistical methods, and desire to pursue a career in a quantitative field. Applicants must be self-motivated. Experience in database SQL, GIS, computer programming, and image processing is desirable. Graduate stipend is competitive with equivalent programs. Health benefits and tuition are also included. Please email a letter of interest, CV/resume, transcripts, GRE scores, and contact information for three references to Dr. Andrew Finley, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Application review will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
