A Ph.D. assistantship in wildlife ecology is anticipated for Summer-Fall 2013 in the Swihart lab at Purdue University (http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~rswihart/). The successful candidate will engage in both field research and synthesis of existing data to test hypotheses about effects of agriculture on wild vertebrates. Field research may explore the role of species attributes, landscape composition/configuration, and/or land management on behavioral, population, or community-level responses to agriculture. Data synthesis will include meta-analysis of recently compiled results from a large, systematic literature review. Numerous opportunities exist for collaborative work in areas related to these two primary objectives.
The successful candidate will have demonstrated interest and proficiency in vertebrate ecology and statistics. Familiarity with landscape ecology, agricultural crop production systems, and with R, ArcView and ArcGIS is helpful. Candidates should have a GPA of at least 3.2 and a cumulative V+Q GRE score of at least 1200 (308 revised). Purdue University is Indiana's land-grant institution, with an enrollment of over 40,000 students. Its Department of Forestry and Natural Resources is a broad environmental unit with nationally ranked programs in Ecology/Evolutionary Biology and Forest Science (www.ag.purdue.edu/fnr). The successful candidate will have the opportunity to participate in the department's interdisciplinary Quantitative Ecology group and university-wide interdisciplinary initiatives such as the Center for the Environment, Center for Ecological Sustainability, and Purdue Climate Change Research Center. Please email a CV and short (1-page) letter of interest, including cumulative GPA, GRE scores, and contact telephone numbers and email addresses for three references to [email protected]. Graduate stipends currently are $20,915 per year and include tuition waivers. All inquiries must be received by 5 January 2013 to be considered for admission. Purdue University is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative Action Employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce. Rob Swihart Professor and Head Department of Forestry and Natural Resources Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47907-2061 PH: 765-494-3590
