Postdoctoral position in macroecology, quantitative ecology, and ecoinformatics

July 30, 2010

We have a postdoc position available for someone interested in the general areas of macroecology, quantitative ecology, and ecoinformatics. Here’s the short ad with links to the full job description:

Ethan White’s lab at Utah State University is looking for a postdoc to collaborate on research studying approaches for unifying macroecological patterns (e.g., species abundance distributions and species-area relationships) and predicting variation in these patterns using ecological and environmental variables. The project aims to 1) evaluate the performance of models that link ecological patterns by using broad scale data on at least three major taxonomic groups (birds, plants, and mammals); and 2) combine models with ecological and environmental factors to explain continental scale variation in community structure. Models to be explored include maximum entropy models, neutral models, fractal based models, and statistical models. The postdoc will also be involved in an ecoinformatics initiative developing tools to facilitate the use of existing ecological data. There will be ample opportunity for independent and collaborative research in related areas of macroecology, community ecology, theoretical ecology, and ecoinformatics. The postdoc will benefit from interactions with researchers in Dr. White’s lab, the Weecology Interdisciplinary Research Group, and with Dr. John Harte’s lab at the University of California Berkeley. Applicants from a variety of backgrounds including ecology, mathematics, statistics, physics and computer science are encouraged to apply. The position is available for 1 year with the possibility for renewal depending on performance, and could begin as early as September 2010 and no later than May 2011. Applications will begin to be considered starting on September 1, 2010. Go to the USU job page to see the full advertisement and to apply.

If you’re interested in the position and are planning to be at ESA please leave a comment or drop me an email (ethan.white@usu.edu) and we can try to set up a time to talk while we’re in Pittsburgh. Questions about the position and expressions of interest are also welcome.

1 Comment | computers, data, ecology, jobs, math, programming, science, statistics | Permalink
Posted by Ethan

Post-doctoral fellowship in ecology and/or natural resource management

March 9, 2010

It’s probably not really to our benefit to be advertising competing positions when we’re currently looking for a post-doc ourselves, but this is a great opportunity so I thought I’d pass it along. The Department of Wildland Resources at Utah State has a post-doctoral fellowship available to work with one (or more) of it’s faculty. It is available to work with anyone in the department, but I would recommend checking out the labs of Peter Adler (plant community ecology) and David Koons (population ecology). I’ve worked with Peter and interact regularly with both Peter and Dave. They are both smart, young, enthusiastic faculty and you couldn’t go wrong working with either of them. Here’s the full ad:

The Department of Wildland Resources at Utah State University is offering a post-doctoral fellowship in ecology and/or natural resource management. Applicants must contact a sponsoring scientist from within the department’s faculty (http://www.cnr.usu.edu/wild/htm/faculty-staff) and then jointly develop a one-page research proposal. Applications are due April 1, 2010. Duration of funding is one year, renewable to two years subject to satisfactory performance and continued availability of funds. The salary is $40,000 in addition to the standard benefits package for USU employees. Contact Johan duToit (johan.dutoit@usu.edu) for more details on the application process.

Leave a Comment » | ecology, jobs, science | Permalink
Posted by Ethan

Faculty position in experimental conservation ecology

January 14, 2010

The Community and Conservation Ecology group at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, has a job opening for a tenure track assistant professor in Experimental Conservation Ecology (details below). This is a very impressive group that is headed by Han Olff and includes Rampal Etienne and David Alonso. I’ve worked with all three of these folks and I have no doubts that working in this group would make for a very intellectually stimulating environment. So, if you’re interested in moving to the Netherlands, check out the ad below and put in an application.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted by Ethan

PhD opportunities in Theoretical Ecosystem Ecology with Ford Ballantyne [PhD Position]

December 2, 2009

I went to graduate school with Ford and would strongly recommend that those looking for PhD opportunities on the quantitative side of ecosystem ecology consider the opportunity below. Ford is a smart guy, doing cool work, and he knows an awful lot about math, so it’s probably pretty hard to go wrong (and yes, we’re still friends so I’m totally biased).

The Ballantyne Lab at the University of Kansas is looking to recruit up to two graduate students for the fall of 2010. Current research is focused on modeling ecosystem stoichiometry, nutrient dynamics, microbial decomposition of soil carbon, systems-level regulation of metabolism, spatially explicit populations and the trophic structure of communities. Although most of our experiments are performed with phytoplankton and bacteria in the lab, the KU field station, 20 minutes from campus, is a great resource that is home to long-term studies of community assembly. Please direct inquiries to Ford Ballantyne (fb4 [at] ku [dot] edu). For more information about graduate study in the lab and EEB at KU please look at http://www.people.ku.edu/~fb4 and http://www2.ku.edu/%7Eeeb/graduate/ and http://www.kuerg.ku.edu/.

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Posted by Ethan

[Ph.D. position] Graduate student opening in Ethan’s lab

October 21, 2009

The White Lab at Utah State University has an opening for a graduate student with interests in Macroecology, Community Ecology, or Ecological Theory/Modeling.  Active areas of research in the White lab include broad scale patterns of biodiversity and body size, dynamics of ecological communities, and the use of sensor networks for studying ecological systems. We use computational, mathematical, and advanced statistical methods in much of our work, so students with an interest in these kinds of methods are encouraged to apply. Background in these quantitative techniques is not necessary, only an interest in learning and applying them. While students interested in one of the general areas listed above are preferred, students are encouraged to develop their own research projects depending upon their interests. Graduate students in the White lab are funded through a combination of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. Students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. are preferred, though exceptional students interested in a M.S. will be considered. Utah State University has an excellent graduate program in ecology with over 50 faculty and 80+ graduate students across campus affiliated with the USU Ecology Center (http://www.usu.edu/ecology/).

Additional information about the position and Utah State University is available here.

Interested students can find more information about the lab at our website.

If you are still interested after checking out the website you should contact me directly at epwhite@biology.usu.edu. Please send a CV, GPA, GRE scores (if available), and a brief description of your general research interests.

DEADLINE: For full consideration, formal applications should be submitted by January 1st, 2009.

GRADUATE STUDENT OPENING

The White Lab at Utah State University has an opening for a graduate student with interests in Macroecology, Community Ecology, or Ecological Theory/Modeling. Active areas of research in the White lab include broad scale patterns of biodiversity and body size, dynamics of ecological communities, and the use of sensor networks for studying ecological systems. We use computational, mathematical, and advanced statistical methods in much of our work, so students with an interest in these kinds of methods are encouraged to apply. Background in these quantitative techniques is not necessary, only an interest in learning and applying them. While students interested in one of the general areas listed above are preferred, students are encouraged to develop their own research projects depending upon their interests. Graduate students in the White lab are funded through a combination of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. Students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. are preferred, though exceptional students interested in a M.S. will be considered. Utah State University has an excellent graduate program in ecology with over 50 faculty and 80+ graduate students across campus affiliated with the USU Ecology Center (http://www.usu.edu/ecology/).

Additional information about the position and Utah State University is available at:

http://whitelab.weecology.org/grad-student-opening

Interested students can find more information about the lab at our website:

http://whitelab.weecology.org

If you are still interested after checking out the website you should contact me directly at epwhite@biology.usu.edu. Please send a CV, GPA, GRE scores (if available), and a brief description of your general research interests.

DEADLINE: For full consideration, formal applications should be submitted by January 1st, 2009.

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Posted by Ethan

[Postdoc and PhD positions] Danish Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate

October 3, 2009

Positions available to work within an integrated terrestrial and marine research program addressing fundamental questions on the origin, maintenance, conservation and future of life and biological diversity on Earth. Candidates should have a strong publication record, relevant analytical and data handling skills, and an ability to communicate within a research team. Competitive salaries are offered.

Themes where we seek postdoctoral and/or PhD applications:

THEME 1 – MACROECOLOGIST/BIOGEOGRAPHER. Postdoc applications.

THEME 2 – SPECIES DISTRIBUTION MODELER. Postdoc applications and PhD stipends.

THEME 3 – PHYSICAL OR PALEO OCEANOGRAPHER . Postdoc applications.

THEME 4 – PLANKTON ECOLOGIST/BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHER. PhD stipends.

THEME 5 – CLIMATE CHANGE BIOLOGIST. Postdoc applications.

THEME 6 – FISHERIES ECOLOGIST/FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHER . Postdoc applications and PhD stipends.

THEME 7 – FISHERIES/BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHER. Postdoc applications and PhD stipends.

THEME 8 – EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST. Postdoc applications.

THEME 9 – HISTORICAL BIOGEOGRAPHER. Postdoc applications.

THEME 10 – BIOSTATISTICIAN/STATISTICAL BIOLOGIST. Postdoc applications.

THEME 11 -MIGRATION BIOLOGIST / ORNITHOLOGY. PhD stipends

THEME 12 –MACROECOLOGY OF VECTORBORN DISEASES . Postdoc applications.

THEME 13 – ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIST). PhD stipends.

THEME 14 – CONSERVATION ECOLOGIST/COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGIST. Postdoc applications.

THEME 15 – NATURE RESERVE SCIENTIST. Postdoc applications.

THEME 16 – CONSERVATION SCIENTIST. PhD stipends.

Fuller descriptions of individual positions within 16 themes are at www.bio.ku.dk/om/jobs. Application must be based on the full description of the positions, and submitted before 31 of October 2009. For enquiries about the program, contact Professor Carsten Rahbek, crahbek@bio.ku.dk.

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Posted by Morgan

[Postdoc position] Effects of elevated carbon dioxide on ecosystem C and N dynamics in the Mojave Desert

September 25, 2009

If you’re looking for a quantitatively oriented postdoc in ecology this position with Kiona Ogle is a great opportunity.

Ecosystem C and N Dynamics and Synthesis: A two-year post-doctoral position is available to work on a multi investigator, DOE-funded project that examines the effects of elevated carbon dioxide on ecosystem C and N dynamics in the Mojave Desert. The post-doctoral research associate will be responsible for synthesizing and modeling existing data from the 10-year Nevada Desert FACE project in a collaborative project between Washington State University, the University of Wyoming, University of Nevada Las Vegas, and the University of Nevada Reno. A primary goal of the synthesis work is to explore the combined effects of elevated carbon dioxide and precipitation variability on the functioning of arid ecosystems. Data are to be synthesized within a hierarchical Bayesian framework that facilitates simultaneous coupling of diverse data sources and mechanistic models. To apply please email an application letter with professional interests, research experience and goals, CV, reprints, and names, addresses, and E-mail addresses of three references to Dr. R. Dave Evans (rdevans@wsu.edu) and Dr. Kiona Ogle (kogle@uwyo.edu). Review of applications will begin 1 October and will continue until the position is filled.

I can’t vouch for her collaborator, but I’ve worked with Kiona and she is smart, has a good scientific philosophy, and is a patient & hard working collaborator – all goods signs for a postdoctoral mentor.

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Posted by Ethan