Six doctoral fellowships are available in the Department of Biology at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA to start in the Fall 2009. In addition to US citizens/permanent residents, these fellowships are open to international students that have obtained a degree in the US. Support is for 3-4 years, depending on the fellowship.
In particular, I am currently looking to accept a bright and motivated graduate student into my laboratory. My primary research interests are linked by a common question: Why do populations fluctuate in time and space? Understanding population dynamics on a spatial scale is critical to conservation efforts and other applied goals (e.g. pest management). My lab uses a combination of empirical data analysis and quantitative approaches, working at the interface of empirical data and theory, to address questions that would be impossible to answer via only one of these approaches alone. Current research in my lab is focused on outbreak dynamics of forest insects and invasion dynamics of the grass Phragmites australis; however, I am open to students interested in studying a broad range of systems. The University of Louisiana has built a strong program in Ecology with a diverse group of faculty and graduate students. See http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~pll6743/biogradstudies.htm for more information on the graduate program, and http://biology.louisiana.edu/ for more information on the department and summations of my and the other faculty's research interests. Lafayette has a population of around 100,000 located in the heart of Cajun culture, known for live music, countless festivals, and tasty cuisine. Lafayette has a small town feel with many amenities of a larger city (visit http://www.lafayettetravel.com/ for information on the cultural climate of Lafayette). Lafayette is located near a number of very interesting natural systems (e.g. forests, bayous, coastal habitats) and within a day's drive of more arid habitat in Texas and more mountainous regions in Arkansas and Tennessee). New Orleans is approximately a two hour drives away. Please contact me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for inquiries. Cheers, Dr. Derek Johnson Derek Marley Johnson Assistant Professor Department of Biology University of Louisiana Lafayette, LA 70504 337-482-6987 office 337-281-3541 cell
