Graduate teaching and research fellowships in Biology-Ecology (M.S. and Ph.D.) and Geology (M.S.) are available for fall of 2010 in the Department of Environmental Sciences (DES) at the University of Toledo. Typical annual (12 month) assistantship stipends are $15,000 (M.S.) and $20,000 (Ph.D.) plus a tuition waiver. In addition, DES has an active NSF GK-12 program that provides a $30,000 annual stipend to several senior graduate students each year for research at the land- lake ecological interface involving local schoolteachers. Inaugurated in July 2000, our department provides students with exciting opportunities in interdisciplinary research directed by internationally recognized faculty in ecology and geology in collaboration with colleagues in geography, environmental law, engineering and other fields of study. Information about our entrance requirements, degree programs, course offerings, faculty members, and departmental resources can be found at: http://www.eeescience.utoledo.edu and http://gradschool.utoledo.edu/. DES is an interdisciplinary department with 22 faculty specializing in ecosystems, earth surface processes, and human impacts on the environment. The detailed descriptions for each research lab can be found at: http://research.eeescience.utoledo.edu/lees/eees/des_Labs.pdf.
Biology research interests include terrestrial/aquatic ecosystem and landscape ecology, ecosystem sustainability, wetlands, fish ecology, invasive species, agroecology, bioremediation, global change, bioenergy and environmental microbiology. Geology research interests include glacial geology, near surface geophysics, remote sensing/GIS, coastal systems, hydrogeology, and environmental geochemistry and soil sciences. The University of Toledo is an urban university with rapid access to major transportation hubs such as the Detroit Airport, and is a Carnegie Foundation Doctoral/Research University and a member of Ohio's State University System. The beautiful main campus is located in an outlying residential area of the city. After its merger in 2006 with the Medical University of Ohio, the university is now the third largest public university in the state. The university is recognized as a prominent academic center for environmental education and research in Ohio and the Great Lakes region, and was recently named a statewide Center of Excellence in Advanced Renewable Energy and the Environment. The nearby glacial terrains and agricultural/urban ecosystems, interacting with local rivers and Lake Eries productive fisheries and wetlands, combined with the remarkable diversity of Oak Openings savannas and woodlands make the Greater Toledo area an ideal natural laboratory for studies in ecology, geology, and environmental sciences. We have access to a wide array of field sites and modern research facilities, including the Lake Erie Center on Maumee Bay, the Stranahan Arboretum in Toledo, and the Plant Science Research Center on the main campus. When applying for admission to the graduate program in DES, international students must take one of two exams with a spoken English component, provided they are available in their area: either (1) the iBT (internet-Based Test) version of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), or (2) the IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) exam. Of the two exams, the TOEFL-iBT is preferred. For the TOEFL, the university considers accepting students with a minimum score of 80 on the internet-based exam, 230 on the computer based exam and 550 on the paper exam. For the IELTS, the minimum score acceptable is 6 (out of a possible 9). For more information concerning the admission process, please contact Dr. Von Sigler ([email protected]), and for information concerning graduate curriculum and advising, please contact Dr. Scott Heckathorn ([email protected]). The University of Toledo is an Equal Access, Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer & Educator. Applications received by March 30 will be given full consideration, but if financial assistance is also requested then applications should be received by February 1 for admission during the next academic year.
