GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT POSITION IN CARBON STORAGE IN FOREST SOILS SUMMARY: A graduate assistant position at the M.S. level is available within the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources at West Virginia University. The graduate student will investigate the effects of tree species shifts and other environmental factors on soil aggregation and organic matter dynamics in forest soils. The project will employ greenhouse experiments and plot-level field studies of soil processes and properties related to aggregate distribution and stability at the Fernow Experimental Forest and other locations. The goal of the project is to understand and quantify the role that specific tree species and associated soil microbes play in soil organic matter protection and provide insight into changes that may occur following large-scale vegetation conversions or shifts in dominant tree species.
TUITION WAIVER AND STIPEND: The successful applicant will be awarded a tuition waiver, an annual stipend ($16,536, with possible additional summer funding), and health insurance benefits for the duration of the two-year project, to begin May 2018. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: A B.S. in soil science, ecology, or natural resource-related field, demonstrated field research experience through undergraduate education or employment, strong data management and analytical skills for laboratory and statistical analyses, strong written and oral communication skills, and a GPA of at least 3.2 during the last two years of school. TO APPLY: In a single pdf document, please send: 1) a current CV; 2) a 1-page statement of your research interests; 3) a short statement of your career goals; 4) unofficial transcripts of all previous education; and 5) current GRE scores to Dr. Charley Kelly ([email protected]). If GRE scores are pending, please state when you plan to take the test. UNIVERSITY and COMMUNITY: WVU is located in Morgantown, WV (pop. 31,073) and is routinely recognized as one of the best small college towns in the country (www.wvu.edu). The Division’s faculty and active graduate student population conduct research in a wide range of natural resource disciplines, and have ready access to West Virginia’s forests and working lands for natural laboratories and recreational activities, and a local WVU-owned 8,000 acre research forest. -- Charley Kelly, Ph.D West Virginia University Division of Forestry and Natural Resources Visiting Assistant Professor 337 Percival Hall Phone: 304-293-6465
