A Ph.D. research assistantship is available in larval amphibian ecology at the University of Hong Kong. This project will examine how diversity in larval amphibian communities regulates ecosystem responses and determine at what levels of complexity increasing densities and water temperature destabilize these communities. The project consists of experiments that: (1) Evaluate ecosystem responses to manipulation of diversity in larval amphibian communities; (2) Quantify organism-level contributions and define functional roles; (3) Characterize the role that larval amphibian densities play in mediating ecosystem responses; and (4) Examine ecosystem-level responses when larval amphibian assemblages are exposed to increases in water temperature.
Selected student must be able to start by January 2013. Applicants should be hard-working, self-motivated field biologists with a strong interest in larval ecology and ecosystem functioning. Field experience with amphibians is required and experience setting up and maintaining mesocosm experiments is preferred. Applicants must have successfully completed a research master’s degree in ecology or related field, have at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA, and must have taken the GRE. International students for whom English is not their first language will need to have taken the TOEFL. Strong writing, oral communication, and statistical skills are important. Research assistantship provides a stipend of approximately $20,000/yr, health insurance, and a tuition waiver. Prof. David Dudgeon of the University of Hong Kong will assume primary supervision; student would be co-supervised by Dr. Nancy Karraker. Prof. Dudgeon and Dr. Karraker maintain an active lab that focuses on stream ecology and conservation and currently includes five graduate students studying reptiles and amphibians. The medium of instruction at the University of Hong Kong is English. If a master’s degree has been completed, a PhD is obtained in three years with a relatively minor coursework load. To apply submit the following by email: a letter stating your qualifications and research interests, CV, copies of college transcripts and GRE scores, and contact information for three references (not letters) by no later than 5 September 2012 (early application is encouraged!) to Dr. Nancy E. Karraker, Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881 (401-874-2916; [email protected]). Note: I will be attending the 2012 World Congress of Herpetology in Vancouver in August. If you will attend the conference and would like to meet to discuss the position, please email me as soon as possible at [email protected]. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nancy E. Karraker Assistant Professor of Wetland Ecology Department of Natural Resources Science University of Rhode Island 105 Coastal Institute at Kingston Kingston, Rhode Island 02881 USA Email: [email protected] Phone: 401-874-2916 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
