PhD in population dynamics, ecology, and behavior of amphibians (USA)

Ph.D. graduate assistantship available in population dynamics, ecology, and behavior of amphibians in a fire-dependent system.  The candidate will have access to data including dipnetting, call surveys, and fire history, as well as a five-year data set from a winter drift fence study of reticulated flatwoods salamanders (Ambystoma bishopi) on the Florida Panhandle.  This position is suitable only for a student who is also interested in gaining experience in teaching and museum collection management.  Incumbent would be responsible for teaching lab sections in a vertebrate identification and natural history course and for helping to maintain the teaching collection (preserved birds, mammals, fish, and herps).  Because the assistantship would require work on the Virginia Tech campus, and the field site is in Florida, there will be limited opportunity for winter field research.  However, the candidate will have be able to make short field visits during the drift fence season or add a full-time summer field component (which could focus on gopher tortoise, Florida bog frogs, or other species) to collect additional data as the field work is ongoing.  The focus would be on flatwoods salamander demography but there may be opportunities to work on hydrology and habitat data sets as well.  The assistantship covers a stipend, tuition waiver, and some health insurance coverage.

Qualifications: Candidates should have M.S. degree in Fisheries & Wildlife, Ecology, or a related field, have published in a peer-reviewed journal, have relevant field experience, and preferably experience with mark-recapture data sets and demographic analyses.  Successful applicants usually have an undergraduate GPA above 3.3 and GREs above 50th percentile. Experience with natural history museum collections a plus.   Student must be comfortable working as part of a team with diverse goals and responsibilities.  Well-qualified students (published) without the MS may be considered.

Anticipated Starting Date: Position would preferably start in August 2015 but postponing until January 2016 is possible.

To apply: Applicants should submit a letter of interest and a c.v. (including undergraduate and M.S. grade point average and GRE scores and percentiles) as well as contact information for three references to Professor Haas. Promising candidates will be asked to submit an official application to the graduate school at Virginia Tech (http://www.grads.vt.edu/).  Applications will be considered as they are received, so inquiries made sooner are more likely to receive serious consideration.  Contact information:  Dr. Carola A. Haas, Department of Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences, Mail Code 0321, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, cahaas@vt.edu, 1-540-231-9269.  Please put “flatwoods salamander grad position” in subject line of emails.

Carola A. Haas
Professor, Wildlife Ecology
Associate Editor, J. Wildlife Mgmt.
Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Conservation
112 Cheatham Hall (MC 0321)
310 West Campus Drive, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061
cahaas@vt.edu
540-231-9269
http://www.fishwild.vt.edu/faculty/haas.htm