I am looking for a highly motivated student for September 2008 at the PhD or MSc level who is interested in studying phylogeography and/or phylogenetic community structure of predaceous diving beetles. Field work will take place in western Canada, with most of the anticipated sampling occurring from coastal BC to the western edge of the prairies, including montane sites. I am currently building up facilities for isolating and amplifying DNA in my laboratory, and anticipate using third party providers for the sequencing component. Therefore, the ideal candidate will be equally comfortable in the field waist deep in water, in the lab with a pipette in hand, or in front of a computer aligning sequences and running comparative analyses. The successful candidate will join a group of graduate students investigating the ecology of temporary ponds, the role of predation in community structure of diving beetles, and the influence of larval competition on female fitness in seed beetles. For more, see: <http://homepages.ucalgary.ca/~smvamosi/>. The Department has a strong EEB group <http://www.bio.ucalgary.ca/research/EEB.html>.
Guaranteed funding of at least $20,000 CAD/year for 4 years (PhD) or 2 years (MSc) is available through a combination of teaching and research assistantships. Candidates with strong GPAs will find themselves eligible to apply for several provincial funding sources, in addition to federal sources available to Canadian citizens. Requirements: Potential applicants must have a *minimum* GPA of 3.20 (on a four-point system), and preferably higher. For students entering an MSc, this is based on the last two years of the undergraduate degree consisting of a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents. For those entering a PhD with an MSc, the overall GPA from the MSc will be considered. Canadian citizens will be given first priority, but I am open to applications from qualified international candidates. Please note that proficiency in the English language is essential for the pursuit and successful completion of graduate programs at the University of Calgary. To enquire, submit (via email) a cover letter with a brief (~ one page) review of your research experience, interests and goals, resume, transcripts, and names of three academic references to: Dr. Steven M. Vamosi Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary 2500 University Dr NW Calgary AB T2N 1N4 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
