Ph.D. student position in behavioral ecology, spatial ecology, and evolution at the University of Florida starting Fall 2014.
Applicants must have a M.S. in ecology, evolutionary biology, behavior, or a related field. If you are interested in the position, please email Dr. Rob Fletcher at robert.fletc...@ufl.edu before April 5th. With your email, please include your resume, unofficial transcrips, GRE scores, and a cover letter. The successful applicant will be awarded a fellowship through the UF Entomology program that includes four years of guaranteed funding at $22,000/year plus tuition and benefits. This position would be co-advised by Christine Miller (Entomology & Nematology Department; http://millerlab.net) and Rob Fletcher (Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department; http://plaza.ufl.edu/robert.fletcher/) at the University of Florida, with field research at the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station, near Melrose, FL. Work will focus on animal behavior, population dynamics, and spatial networks using the unique research system of a cactus-feeding insect, the cactus bug (Chelinidea vittiger), and its Opuntia host plants. We have an ongoing field experiments funded through the National Science Foundation to test for the resiliency of population networks of cactus bugs to environmental change (habitat loss). The student would work in the context of these broad experiments to understand how behavior (foraging, habitat selection, dispersal, or mating strategies) drive ecological and evolutionary processes under rapid environmental change. Cactus bugs are excellent species to investigate these questions because they have short generation times, individuals can be easily tracked through mark-recapture techniques, and their habitat can be readily manipulated in the field. This system is truly unique for experimentally addressing questions regarding animal dispersal (e.g., Fletcher et al. in press; Ecology), population dynamics (Fletcher et al. 2013, Nature Communications), landscape ecology (Fletcher et al. 2011, PNAS), foraging behaviors (Miller et al. 2012, Animal Behavior), and reproduction (Miller et al. 2013, PLoS One). This position could include field and modeling components to address questions of fundamental importance that lie at the interface of ecology, animal behavior, and environmental change. Information about Gainesville, Florida: Situated in the rolling countryside of north central Florida, Gainesville is much more than a stereotypical college town. Home of the University of Florida, seat of Alachua County's government and the region's commercial hub, it is progressive, environmentally conscious and culturally diverse. The presence of many students and faculty from abroad among its 99,000-plus population adds a strong cross-cultural flavor to its historic small-town Southern roots. Its natural environment, temperate climate and civic amenities make Gainesville a beautiful, pleasant and interesting place in which to learn and to live. Gainesville has been ranked as one of the best cities to live in the United States.
