The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia is seeking candidates for a PhD-level graduate assistantship to provide modeling-based research related to American alligator harvest management. The student, working with cooperators in three southeastern state wildlife management agencies, will lead an investigation into techniques to base harvest management on principles of biological regulation and resource sustainability. The work is almost exclusively quantitative and laboratory-based, including analysis of historic population and harvest data in hierarchical state-space models, construction and simulation of dynamic population models, and optimization of models. However, the student will also participate in structured decision-making workshops and consultations to identify policy objectives and constraints of the participating state agencies. The student will be encouraged to develop one or more research objectives that complement this work, and he/she will have opportunities to present results of this work at professional conferences. As a condition of this support, teaching assistantship duties may be assigned to the student once per year, as well as other related duties. The outcome of this work will help states evaluate their alligator harvest management policies and consider strategies that may better serve the needs of the resource and the public. The position is available beginning in the spring of 2013 (note: application deadline 15 Nov 2012) and will remain open until filled. The stipend is approximately $18,425 per year, which includes a full tuition waiver and benefits. A contribution ($2,000/yr) toward required fees is also provided.
Applicants should have an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology, Statistics, Operations Research/Decision Sciences, or related fields. The most competitive applicants will have a strong background in one or more quantitative areas, including statistics, population modeling, or decision analysis. As the student will play prominent roles in stakeholder workshops, comfort and good communication skills in group settings are essential. For admission requirements, including relevant deadlines and minimum GPA and GRE scores, see www.warnell.uga.edu/grad/prospective-applicants.php. Prior to applying, qualified applicants should send a single email to Dr. Clinton Moore containing: 1) a cover letter that summarizes their interests, experiences, and qualifications for the project, 2) a CV, 3) a copy of all university transcripts, 4) a copy of recent (within 5 years) GRE scores, and 5) contact information for at least 3 references. Dr. Clinton Moore Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E. Green St. Athens, GA 30602 [email protected] websites: warnell.uga.edu | coopunits.org/Georgia | profile.usgs.gov/cmoore
