GRADUATE POSITION IN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY The Aquatic Ecology and Global Change Lab in the Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University is seeking Ph.D or Master's applicants to undertake research on understanding the effects of trophic cascades on carbon cycling in freshwater or marine ecosystems.
The successful candidate will have access to a well-equipped laboratory and Utah State University’s nearby outdoor Aquatic Research Facility that houses mesocosms and experimental ponds. In addition, the research group has strong ties to research stations in Costa Rica, Brazil, Canada and Australia that can be available for field projects. Students with a background in ecology, biogeochemistry or paleoecology and knowledge of the statistical programming package R and/or ArcGIS are particular encourage to apply. Students must meet the minimum qualifications for acceptance into the graduate program: GPA of at least 3.2, 40th percentile in both verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE’s, three letters of recommendation. Utah State University (http://www.usu.edu) is a Research I (Extensive Doctoral) land-grant institution with a student body of over 24,000, 42 departments, 8 academic colleges, a school of Graduate Studies, and diverse research programs. The main campus is located in Logan, a community of 100,000 people. Logan is 85 miles north of Salt Lake City in scenic Cache Valley, a semi-rural mountain basin with nearby ski resorts, lakes, rivers, and mountains providing many recreational opportunities. The area has a low cost of living and provides a high quality of life. For more information on Logan see http://www.tourcachevalley.com. Initial funding for tuition and salary has been secured. However, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for external fellowships through the NSF and other sources, and internal fellowships at Utah State (http://rgs.usu.edu/graduateschool/htm/finances/fellowships, and http://rgs.usu.edu/graduateschool/finances/funding-available-to- graduate-students). Candidates will be provided extensive support with the application process. Starting salaries are $18,000 for a Masters student and $20,000 for a PhD. Please contact Trisha Atwood ([email protected], 435 797 5729) for more information or to submit application materials (CV, cover letter, any publications, details of their research interests, names of three people willing to provide a letter of reference). Initial review of applications will begin Dec 5th 2015. Lab website: http://trishaatwood.weebly.com/
