I am currently seeking applications for one or two PhD positions in my lab in the Department of Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in the Fall 2015. Our research questions center around understanding why populations fluctuate in space and time. In particular, we take multi- and cross-scale approaches to understanding how local ecological effects scale up to create large scale patterns such as periodic insect outbreaks, synchronous dynamics, and range expansion. We use a conceptually-driven approach, often at the interface of empirical data analysis and theoretical modeling. Most research in the Johnson Lab is on forest insect pests, such as the gypsy moth, but students with interests in other taxa will be considered as long as research interests are a good fit to the lab. Applicants should have strong quantitative skills (or, more importantly, are not intimidated by math). Experience working in the R platform is a plus. VCU provides competitive stipends for Ph.D. students.
Interested students can visit my lab webpage for more information ( www.vcuderekjohnson.com). Below is more information on ecological, evolutionary, and conservation graduate studies at VCU, including research interests of other Biology faculty. Also included are links to the VCU Integrative Life Sciences Ph.D. program and the Department of Biology. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] for more information. Sincerely, Derek M. Johnson 1000 W. Cary St. Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA 23284 *GRADUATE STUDIES IN ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION & CONSERVATION BIOLOGY @ VCU* The Department of Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University ( http://biology.vcu.edu/) invites applications from prospective graduate students for Fall 2015. We have a diverse Ecology and Evolution faculty engaged in research in Virginia and around the world. Emerging research clusters include population and community ecology, evolutionary ecology and genetics, computational biology, biogeochemistry and global change, and river & estuarine ecology. Graduate students may apply through our Biology Masters in Science (http://biology.vcu.edu/graduate/ms) or Integrative Life Sciences Ph.D. (http://www.vcu.edu/lifesci/phd/admissions/index.html) programs. Competitive funding and tuition waivers are available to qualified students in both programs. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact potential mentors before applying. VCU is the largest public university in Virginia. We are located in Richmond, VA on the James River, within easy reach of the Virginia coastal plain, Chesapeake Bay, Virginia barrier islands and Blue Ridge Mountains, providing excellent opportunities for research in diverse natural systems. VCU’s Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences, located 30 minutes from campus, encompasses 342 acres of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems along the James River and provides an outstanding resource for field-based research by both faculty and graduate students. Facilities include new office and lab space, conference center, and boat house. For more information, see www.vcu.edu/rice/. On campus research facilities include the Trani Center greenhouse, aquatics facility, and IACUC approved animal facility. A satellite lab of the Nucleic Acids Core Facility provides a broad range of support for molecular approaches. Access to several next-generation DNA sequencing platforms is also available. The Environmental Analyses Laboratory provides state-of-the-art analytical services to support research in the environmental sciences. The Bioinformatics Computational Core Laboratory supports several supercomputing clusters and a research laboratory with access to state-of-the-art genomics and proteomics software and databases for research applications. Faculty at VCU working in Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology include: Bonnie L. Brown, Ecological and conservation genetics Lesley Bulluck, Population ecology, ornithology, conservation Paul Bukaveckas, River and ecosystems ecology Rodney J. Dyer, Population & landscape genetics, phylogeography Andrew J. Eckert, Evolutionary genetics and genomics Michael L. Fine, Acoustic communication and ecology of fishes Rima B. Franklin, Microbial ecology and environmental microbiology Gregory C. Garman, Fish ecology and conservation Christopher M. Gough, Forest ecophysiology and ecosystem ecology Derek M. Johnson, Spatial population ecology, plant–insect interactions Karen Kester, Insect behavioral and evolutionary ecology, tritrophic interactions Dan McGarvey, Fish Ecology (Center for Environmental Studies, CES) Leigh McCallister. Aquatic ecology and oceanography Stephen McIninch, Fish ecology (CES) Scott Neubauer, Wetland ecosystem ecology Maria C. Rivera, Computational evolutionary biology and phylogenetics Leonard A. Smock, Stream ecology and aquatic entomology James M. “Clint” Turbeville, Animal systematics and evolution Brian C. Verrelli, Population genetics and molecular evolution Peter Uetz, Biodiversity informatics & herpetology (Center for Study of Biological Complexity, CSBC) James R. Vonesh, Population and community ecology Donald R. Young, Coastal plant ecology Wenheng Zhang, Plant evolutionary developmental biology Julie C. Zinnert, Plant physiological ecology, cross-scale interactions, remote sensing Contact information for these scientists can be found here: http://biology.vcu.edu/people/faculty Competitive students typically have a 3.3 GPA and GRE scores in the 60th percentile of better. Experience, reference letters, and rationale for applying to the program are important elements of the application. Prospective students must apply through VCU's graduate school ( http://www.vcu.edu/graduate/ps/admission.html) or through the Office of International Education (http://www.vcu.edu/oie/). For full financial consideration, applications must be received by January 15. Applicants that have identified faculty sponsors are more likely to be accepted and to receive financial support. Interested students are strongly encouraged to contact prospective mentors directly for more information, or graduate studies directors Dr. Jennifer K. Stewart (Biology MSc; www.has.vcu.edu/bio/graduate/) or Dr. Bill Eggleston (Integrative LS PhD; www.vcu.edu/lifesci/phd/).
