The Department of Biology at Baylor University seeks an outstanding PhD student to study the effects of climate change, roads, and land use on habitat quality and population connectivity for several carnivore species in the Northern Rocky Mountains region of the United States.
The project is a component of a long-term, multi-state, multi-agency study of carnivore habitat relationships, movement ecology, gene flow, and landscape genetics. Study species include the grizzly bear, black bear, wolf, wolverine, fisher, lynx, and American marten. Field methods will include large grids of non-invasive hair snares to collect genetic material from multiple species. Analytical methods will likely include occupancy modeling, multi-scale habitat modeling using logistic regression, individual-based landscape genetic analysis using distance-based regression and causal modeling, and computer simulation of gene flow. The position provides up to five years of teaching assistantship funding at $15-21K per academic year (depending on qualifications) plus up to five years of summer salary at approximately $3-4K per summer. Tuition for 20 semester hours per year will be waived, and health insurance at a discounted price will be available. Housing at the field site will be provided during the summer field season.
Extensive experience with statistical analyses of ecological data, and proficiency in ArcGIS and the R statistical language, are required. The student must have a M.S. degree in a relevant field, and preference will be given to students who have published quantitative ecological research.
Applicants with experience working in remote landscapes, and who have backcountry skills such as navigation with map and compass, use of a GPS, wilderness survival, and wilderness first aid, are preferred. To be competitive, applicants must have undergraduate and graduate GPAs 3.4 and a general GRE score 1200. The student must have or acquire a valid US drivers license.
Applicants should create a single pdf that includes a letter of interest that specifically addresses the position‚s qualifications and preferences, a resume, unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts, unofficial general GRE scores, and a list of three references and their contact information (institution, email address, phone number). This pdf should be sent to both Dr. Kevin Gutzwiller (kevin_gutzwiller@baylor.edu; http://bearspace.baylor.edu/Kevin_Gutzwiller /www/) and Dr. Sam Cushman (scushman@fs.fed.us; http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/wildlife/genetics/cushman.htm) via an email with CarnivoreˆLandscape Ecology in the subject line. Screening of applicants will begin immediately and continue through the deadline of 8 December 2011. Applications that do not include all of the requested information will not be reviewed. By mid January, Dr. Gutzwiller will invite the most qualified applicant to apply formally to the Ph.D. Program in Biology for the teaching assistantship. Admission and an offer of an assistantship are decided by the Baylor Graduate School and the Baylor Biology Graduate Committee. Information about the Department of Biology and Baylor University can be found at http://www.baylor.edu/biology/ and associated links.