PhD and Postdoc opportunities in paleoecology, biogeography and global change
We are recruiting a PhD student (1) and a postdoctoral researcher (1) to work on an NSF-funded project to examine the role of biotic interactions in determining species responses to climate change. Working at macroscales and using observed changes in biotic communities as recorded in fossil pollen and mammal assemblages spanning the past 21,000 years in eastern North America, we seek to develop and test new methods for incorporating biotic interactions into macroecological models. The qualified candidates will work closely with a multidisciplinary team comprised of Jessica Blois (University of California-Merced), Matt Fitzpatrick (Appalachian Lab, University of Maryland), and Jack Williams (University of Wisconsin). ***The PhD student will reside in Blois’ lab in Merced, CA and the postdoctoral research will reside in Fitzpatrick’s lab in Frostburg, MD.*** PhD Student Details One position is available to work in the lab of Jessica Blois at UC Merced (www.jessicablois.com). Candidates for the PhD position should have experience with paleoecology and/or biogeography. Experience working with R and with species distribution modeling is desired but not essential. Anticipated start date is Fall semester, 2013 (August 2013). Graduate Student Researcher funding is available for five semesters; the remainder of the PhD will be funded through Teaching Assistant positions. The student will be funded to develop paleo-species distribution models of plant and mammals across eastern North America as part of a broader PhD thesis focused on understanding the biogeographic responses of species and communities to Quaternary environmental change. To apply, please email a short cover letter describing your background, expertise, and interests to jbl...@ucmerced.edu. Please include your GPA and GRE scores, along with contact information for three references, in your letter. The final candidate will be required to submit a complete application to the UC Merced ES graduate group and will need to meet the requirements for admission to the Environmental Systems graduate group at UC Merced (https://es.ucmerced.edu/prospective-students). Position will remain open until filled. Review of applications will begin on 5/17/2013. Postdoctoral Job Details One postdoctoral position is available to work in the lab of Matt Fitzpatrick (http://mfitzpatrick.al.umces.edu) at the Appalachian Lab, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Candidates for the postdoctoral position must have obtained a Ph.D. in biogeography, macroecology, modeling, or related fields at the time of employment. Expertise in species distribution modeling and R programming required. Experience with Bayesian methods desired, but not essential. The applicant’s CV should indicate evidence of excellent quantitative skills and strong scholarship, including peer-reviewed publications in high-ranked journals. Anticipated start date is no later than January 2014, Fall of 2013 preferred. Funding will be for work that develops and tests methods to investigate multispecies interactions across large climate gradients and thousands of years of climate change. Ongoing work in the lab focuses on the development and application of statistical methods to model and map patterns of biodiversity from genes to species assemblages. Current projects include combining genomics and remote sensing to model and map intraspecific variation in forest trees, modeling patterns of biodiversity in freshwater streams, and developing dynamic models of range expansion. To apply, please email as a single pdf document a CV, short cover letter (with a very brief description of research interests, experience, etc), a separate project proposal (<600 words), and contact information for three references to mfitzpatr...@umces.edu. The letter should emphasize the candidate’s ability to finish projects and the unique skills the candidate might bring to the lab. Position will remain open until filled. Review of applications will begin on 5/24/2013.