SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry: PhD Assistantship in Forest Ecology starting in Fall 2009. I am seeking a PhD student to join a multidisciplinary research team investigating the simultaneous impacts of climate and land use change on biodiversity in the northeastern United States. The position will focus on the development and validation of a forest successional model based on high-resolution remotely-sensed altimetry data (LIDAR) and field measurements, and will also involve analysis of spatially explicit climatic trends using interpolated weather records. The forest succession model will be coupled with downscaled climate and species distribution models to understand the drivers of observed and future shifts in breeding bird distributions across New York State. Basic qualifications include a Master's degree in forest ecology, quantitative ecology, ecological modelling or a similar area of study, the ability to work effectively without direct supervision, and experience with collection and analysis of vegetation data. Desired qualifications include experience with statistical software (SAS or R), GIS applications and/or programming, and the management of large datasets. The assistantship provides a stipend of $18-20K/yr (depending on qualifications), tuition, and health benefits, and will be renewable for up to two additional years. To apply, please send a CV, cover letter, contact information for three references, and abstracts of published research (including MS thesis) to Dr. Colin Beier at [email protected]. Questions regarding the position are also welcome. Please be sure to include the text "NASA 09 PHD" in the subject line of the email message. Closing date for applications is April 1.
