The School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, seeks a motivated Ph.D. student to conduct field and greenhouse experiments in Flagstaff, Arizona and field sites in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana starting in Fall 2020. The student will be co-advised by Matthew Bowker and Anita Antoninka and will collaborate with partners at MPG Ranch in Montana. The student will: 1. explore the fundamental ecological role of biological soil crusts (biocrusts) in intermontane grasslands and shrublands, 2. continue our efforts at developing ecological restoration materials using biocrusts in Montana, and 3. Examine the relationship between biodiversity in moss and biocrust communities and their resistance to climate change stressors. Specifically, the project includes: a. Creating a biocrust trait database and elucidating the role of trait diversity in ecosystem function of biocrusts, b. Refining greenhouse and outdoor based methods of production of biocrust materials, c. Exploring new cutting edge ideas for preparing biocrust materials for field use, and d. Field tests of biocrust materials in restoration sites. We anticipate annually renewable funding to be available to the student for at least 4 years of study. Funding would provide a research assistantship consisting of an annual stipend of $26,660, tuition remission, and student health coverage, in addition to travel and project costs.
Research Environment: The School of Forestry is one of the top Forestry Schools in the nation, and a productive research environment, with faculty members specializing in a variety of ecological topics such as landscape ecology, ecological restoration, plant ecophysiology, entomology, hydrology, and soil ecology among other topics. Northern Arizona University is also a hotspot for soil ecology research.
Qualifications: Master of Science in Forestry, Biology, Environmental Science OR Bachelor of Science in Forestry, Biology, Environmental Science or related field plus research experience (undergraduate thesis, capstone or internship, or employment-related experience). Candidates with greenhouse or field research experience will be strongly favored. Candidates with previous experience in soil ecology and/or bryophyte/biocrust ecology will also be favored. The candidate must satisfy all requirements set by the School of Forestry, and Northern Arizona University.
Admissions requirements (Deadline Feb 15, 2020):
GPA of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale in all college and university work
GRE scores in the top 40th percentile
If English is not your native language:
a score of at least 80 on the internet-based TOEFL or
550 on the paper-based TOEFL or
213 on the computer-based TOEFL
Three letters of recommendation
How to apply: First contact us directly (matthew.bowker@nau.edu) to state your research interests, and motivations for attending graduate school, with “Montana biocrust graduate student inquiry” in the header. Please provide a resume or C.V. and provide your GRE scores (if taken) and GPA. If we agree that you are a good match for the position, we will encourage you to apply to the program. We will make our final selection from those applicants.
Useful Links:
Lab web page - http://bowkerlab@blogspot.com
School of Forestry - http://nau.edu/forestry/
SOF Ph.D Program - https://nau.edu/forestry/degrees-and-programs/phd-forest-science/
