Dr. Sánchez Meador (http://nau.edu/CEFNS/Forestry/Faculty-and-Staff/Directory/SánchezMeador), Assistant Professor, School of Forestry at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ (http://nau.edu/CEFNS/Forestry) seeks applications from highly-motivated students interested in pursuing graduate studies in restoration ecology and modeling coarse woody debris decomposition (M.S.:$17,680/yr for two years; also includes tuition remission and student health coverage). The selected student will investigate and model short- and long-term snag fall and downed log decay rates for southwestern ponderosa pine forests and will receive a high degree of exposure to techniques such as dendrochronology, sampling, and statistical modeling. This information will then be used to validate associated functions within the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) and a locally developed forest reconstruction model used to quantify reference conditions.
The position starts the Fall of 2013. To apply, send (as a PDF or Word Document): 1) a CV (including GPA, GRE scores and complete contact information); 2) a letter of interest (stating clearly research interests); and 3) the names and contact information of three references to: [email protected]. After an initial screening, selected finalists will be asked to submit a formal application to the School of Forestry (http://nau.edu/CEFNS/Forestry/Degrees/MS). Women and applicants from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply. Students who do not have a previous degree in forestry are eligible for admission to the NAU School of Forestry graduate program. However, upon admission, students who are admitted without a previous degree in forestry must take 15 hours of remedial coursework in forestry. Flagstaff is located at an elevation of 2,280 m on the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau and offers exceptional recreational opportunities. The School of Forestry at Northern Arizona University is one of the top Forestry Schools in the nation, and is an extremely productive research environment, with faculty members specializing in a variety of ecological topics such as landscape ecology, ecological restoration, plant ecophysiology, entomology, hydrology, and soil ecology among other topics. The candidate will also have opportunities to interact with staff form the US Forest Service Forest Management Service Center (http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/) who will also be involved in the project.
