*M.Sc. in Behavioral Ecology of Tropical Birds.* A small number of Biology Graduate Teaching Assistantships and NSF-sponsored Research Assistantships are available to study avian behavioral ecology in the lab of Dr. Karl Berg in the Department of Biology, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Successful candidates will be engaged in ongoing research into vocal communication in Green-rumped Parrotlets in Venezuela. Preference will be given to applicants that harbor a genuine interest to carry out field research in a foreign, Spanish-speaking culture and are willing and capable to be productive in a challenging, hot, humid, buggy, isolated, lowland tropical field site. Field work entails, but may not be limited to checking contents of nest boxes, video-recording nestling behavioral development and adults, mist-netting, banding and re-sighting color-banded adults, blood sampling and vegetation sampling. Lab and course work will take place on the historic, scenic and subtropical Brownsville campus, near the mouth of Rio Grande and Gulf of Mexico and includes: audio-video archival and analysis; sound spectrographic and statistical analysis. Expected outcomes include co-authorship in peer-reviewed scientific papers, presentations and preparation of grant proposals. NSF-sponsored research is a collaborative effort between UTRGV, the University of California at Berkeley, University of California at Davis and the Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, offering the successful candidate(s) the opportunity to develop professional experience at the national and international level. Applicants should have a Bachelor’s degree in Biology or related field with a minimum GPA of 3.0; minimum GRE scores of 153 (verbal) and 144 (quantitative); experience or demonstrated interest in studying animal communication and excellent written and oral communication skills. Qualified individuals who are interested should send an updated CV, unofficial GREs and transcripts, a writing sample and letter of interest to [email protected]. Applicants will be reviewed as they are received and preference for Teaching/Research Assistantships will be given to those applicants that can meet admission requirements for Fall 2017 (April 15th). More information can be found at http://www.utrgv.edu/graduate/for-future-students/graduate-programs/program-requirements/biology-ms/index.htm#item3
-- -- Karl S. Berg Assistant Professor Biological Sciences University of Texas Rio Grande Valley One West University Blvd Brownsville, TX 78520 956-882-5049 <(956)%20882-5049> [email protected]
