POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: March 15, 2010 POSITION: Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Summer Internship
LOCATION: Center for Applied GIS (CAGIS), Department of Geography & Earth Sciences, University of North Carolina-Charlotte (http://gis.uncc.edu/); fieldwork conducted in Sonoma County, California OVERVIEW OF NSF-REU PROGRAM: The National Science Foundation seeks to increase research training for undergraduate students through mentored research experiences. These opportunities seek to involve students in the process of scientific investigation and further their research skills. RESEARCH DESCRIPTION: We seek one undergraduate to participate in a landscape-scale field study to better understand scale-dependent effects of host density and species diversity on the severity of sudden oak death, a forest disease caused by the invasive plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. Epidemiological theory predicts that host density and species diversity affect disease dynamics of infectious diseases, yet few studies have tested these predictions in plant communities and/or examined scale-dependent effects of these processes in heterogeneous, natural ecosystems. Thus, this research project will provide the student the opportunity to gain experience working on a frontier of ecological knowledge, and acquire valuable interdisciplinary experience by interacting with landscape ecologists, plant pathologists, and natural resource managers. Under the supervision of Dr. Ross Meentemeyer and Ph.D. student Sarah Haas, the undergraduate will learn to: 1) collect ecological data on plant pathogens using advanced GPS survey technologies, 2) integrate field and spatial data in a GIS framework, and 3) use multivariate spatial statistical procedures for analysis. LOCATION AND TIMING: The position is full time for 3 months over summer 2010; start and end dates are approximately May 15 August 15, subject to the students academic schedule. The first three weeks will consist of field work in forests in Sonoma County, California. The remaining time will be spent conducting laboratory processing and data analysis at the Center for Applied GIS (CAGIS) at the UNC-Charlotte Meentemeyer Lab in Charlotte, NC (http://gis.uncc.edu/). EXPECTATIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and be currently enrolled as undergraduates; students who graduate in spring 2010 are eligible. Qualified students should have a strong academic background in ecology, biology, geography, forestry, plant pathology, or a related discipline. Preference will be given to students interested in pursuing a career in the sciences. For the field component of this research, students must be in good physical shape, be willing to work in remote field settings, and carry a heavy pack over rough/steep terrain for up to 8 hours a day (in potentially rainy weather). At the end of the summer, the student will make a poster presentation of their research that will be displayed within the Department of Geography & Earth Sciences at UNC-Charlotte. The stipend is $1800/month. Lodging and airfare will be provided for field work in CA. TO APPLY: Please send the following to Sarah Haas electronically or by mail: (1) a 1-2 page letter describing your qualifications, research interests, and career goals; (2) a copy of (unofficial) transcripts; and (3) the names and contact information of two references. Submission of a resume is encouraged. Students from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Please write for clarifications or more information. Review of applications will begin on April 12, 2010. Sarah Haas Center for Applied Geographic Information Science 9201 University City Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28223 [email protected]
