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 jblois@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/
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.
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 references to mfitzpatrick@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.
