mercredi 27 octobre 2010

PhD and Master positions

1) SEEKING GRADUATE (PHD AND MS) STUDENTS in Behavioral Ecology and Avian Population Ecology - I am recruiting graduate students into my lab at Texas Tech University to work on songbird populations in the scenic Hudson Valley of New York. Work is funded by the National Science Foundation through at least 2013. Our current focus is on how birds use public, private, past and/or current information of predator abundance and reproductive success to select breeding territories and avoid predators. Opportunities exist to build on this research theme or initiate new studies in the fields of behavioral and/or population ecology, including avian communication. Funding for research and teaching assistantships are available to help support students. Students are expected to develop their research thesis (empirical and/or theoretical) around the larger theme of my lab, which is based on Ecology of Information – how organisms acquire and use information to manage their daily lives of finding food, avoiding predators, selecting mates, etc. For more information or to apply, please attach a letter of interest and resume (including contact information for 3 references) to DR. KEN SCHMIDT (EM: kenneth.schmidt@ttu.edu)

2) Ph.D. GRADUATE RESEARCH POSITION IN LANCE-TAILED MANAKIN BEHAVIOR – Two graduate positions are currently available in the DuVal Lab in the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University. Graduate students will develop their own research questions within the scope of an existing NSF-funded project investigating the mechanisms of female mate choice in this lekking species. This study system offers strong potential for projects investigating fine-scale population genetics, social learning, and cooperative display behavior, among other topics. Successful applicants will have a strong academic record, be self-motivated, work well independently and in groups, and have substantial experience demonstrating an aptitude for research and fieldwork. Preference will be given to applicants who qualify for the associated field job advertised in this edition of OrnJobs. Information about the DuVal Lab can be found at: (URL: http://www.bio.fsu.edu/faculty-duval.php). FSU offers an interactive, collaborative, and intellectually challenging academic environment, with strengths in evolutionary theory, community ecology, and computational biology (URL: http://www.bio.fsu.edu/). The university is in Tallahassee, FL, which balances a small-town feel with abundant access to performances and cultural events associated with two universities and the state’s legislature. The university is a short drive from the Gulf of Mexico, and the aquifer-fed springs and pitcher plant bogs of the Apalachicola National Forest. Ph.D. students will be supported through teaching fall assistantships and spring research assistantships which include a tuition wavier and a 12-month salary of $21,000. Anticipated start date: Fall 2011.

To apply, applicants should send a letter of interest, a current resume/CV, transcript, copy of GRE scores, and the names and contact information for 3 references to DR. EMILY DUVAL, Florida State University Department of Biological Science, (EM: ehduval@gmail.com). Please use the subject line “Prospective PhD Student.”

Applications for both the field assistant and PhD positions are particularly welcomed.