Position opening: Master of Science project to evaluate adaptive behavioral responses of a large herbivore to environmental stress.
The student will join Dr. Brandon Bartons lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at Mississippi State University and be co-advised by Dr. Steve Demarais (Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture; www.msudeerlab.com). Research will be conducted at the MSU Deer Unit, which contains captive deer in large outdoor arenas. The facility provides a unique opportunity to conduct manipulative experiments on how temperature and other abiotic factors affect a large herbivores foraging behavior, habitat selection, and costs of reproduction. Ideal candidates will have strong written and quantitative skills, experience in ecological or wildlife research, and the ability to spend long days in the field collecting data in potentially extreme weather (eg, heat, rain). Students will be supported for 9 months on a Teaching Assistantship in the Biology Department and work at the MSU Deer Unit for the 3 summer months, when most research data will be collected. Teaching Assistantships are $13,755 for nine months and include 71% tuition waivers. There is a 100% waiver of all additional out-of-state and international fees and tuition while on TA. Summer work will pay $1,200 per month and there should not be any tuition or fees during summer. The project is expected to last 2 years. To apply, please email the following documents to Dr. Brandon Barton (barton (at) biology (dot) msstate (dot) edu): a brief cover letter describing research interests and career goals, CV/resume, transcript (or a list of courses completed), GPA and GRE scores, and contact information of at least two references (preferably 3). Review of applicants will begin IMMEDIATELY and continue until a suitable applicant is found. If interested, please do not hesitate to email me (even if your application materials are not complete).
