(Apologies for cross-posting) M.S. student needed for Small Mammal population study.
I am seeking an M.S. student in the area of small mammal population ecology, beginning Fall 2009, in the Department of Biological Sciences, St. Cloud State University, Minnesota. The successful applicant's thesis will build upon long-term research based at the Kansas Field Station and Ecological Reserves on the effects of experimental habitat fragmentation on populations and communities undergoing old-field succession. This landscape-scale experiment began in 1984 and has resulted in a long series of publications on small mammal, plant and insect communities over the last 25 years. Small mammal work has focused on variation in population demographics and densities among habitat fragments of different size, and movements of individuals among fragments and within the heterogeneous landscape. Research for the thesis is anticipated to have two directions. 1) A substantial amount of data on small mammal populations has been collected over the years and not yet fully analyzed, particularly between from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. There are several interesting questions which can be answered with skillful data-mining. I would like to know if small mammal population densities continued to show the same spatial patterns after the mid-1990s (and a substantial change in vegetation), and there are several hypotheses related to movement frequency and distance to test. This facet of the project would take place in my lab at SCSU in Minnesota. 2) New field work is planned between late summer 2009 and early summer 2010, testing the effects of matrix composition on small mammal movements between habitat fragments. This field work would take place during periodic trips from Minnesota to Lawrence, Kansas (1-2 week duration, 2-3 times per year), and data analysis woul! d take place in Minnesota. Depending on interest, some additional field work may be possible in central Minnesota on sites owned by the State of Minnesota or private organizations. The ideal candidate for this position would have hold a B.S. or B.A. in ecology or related area, strong quantitative skills (especially in statistics), be experienced in manipulating data in spreadsheets, and have done coursework in population ecology and conservation biology. Field experience with small mammals is desirable but not imperative. Funding for this student will be available through a combination of teaching assistantships ($10,300 for the fall and spring semesters) and summer research support. Teaching assistantships also cover 8 credit-hours of classes per semester at no additional charge. Additional internal funding is usually available for research expenses. St. Cloud State University is a regional comprehensive university in Central Minnesota, and the St. Cloud area supports a population of approximately 100,000 people some 70 miles northwest of Minneapolis. To be considered for this position, please contact me (Dr. William Cook) at [email protected]. To pursue this after a first contact, you will need to complete the SCSU Graduate School application and Teaching Assistant application. See the Department of Biological Sciences (http://www.stcloudstate.edu/biology/), and SCSU Graduate School website (http://www.stcloudstate.edu/gradadmissions/) and the TA application form (http://www.stcloudstate.edu/graduatestudies/current/ga.asp). PLEASE NOTE that while the University application deadline is June 1, to be eligible for teaching assistantships you must have all application materials here by no later than APRIL 20, 2009. William M. Cook Assistant Professor Department of Biological Sciences St. Cloud State University 720 4th Avenue South St. Cloud, MN 56301 USA Phone: (320) 308-2019 E-mail: [email protected]
