*PhD position available* *Fire and climate change in the Boreal Forests of Alaska*
The Global Environmental Change Laboratory at Portland State University ( https://sites.google.com/a/pdx.edu/gec_lab/) seeks a PhD student to work on a NSF-funded project examining how increased fire frequency in Alaskan boreal forests affects vegetation dynamics and carbon cycling. The researcher will join a multidisciplinary team (remote sensing, modeling of ecosystem processes and field vegetation and soil/permafrost dynamics), with collaborators at multiple institutions, including University of Alaska, U. Florida, U. Idaho and NC State. The PhD student will lead the effort to understand how climate change will affect post-fire recovery of species composition, carbon cycling, and depth to permafrost using LANDIS-II, a widely-used forest simulation model (www.landis-ii.org). The student will be mentored by Dr. Melissa Lucash ( https://sites.google.com/a/pdx.edu/lucash/) but he/she will also work closely with students, staff and faculty at the collaborating universities, including Dr. Vladimir Romanovsky, Dr. Jason Vogel, Dr. Brian Buma, Dr. Tim Link and Dr. Robert Scheller. Applicants should have a BS or MS in forestry, biology, environmental science or geography. Ideal applicants will have field experience and be comfortable in remote locations with a large field crew (7-9 people) for up to two weeks at a time. This paid position will begin with fieldwork in the summer of 2018, before progressing to graduate classes at PSU. This position is fully funded for at least three years with tuition remission. Portland, Oregon is a wonderful, inclusive community with close proximity to many beautiful outdoor opportunities. Our lab group is large, diverse, productive and supportive of one another ( https://sites.google.com/a/pdx.edu/gec_lab/people). Please contact Dr. Melissa S. Lucash ([email protected]) for more information. Please include your resume/CV, along with “PhD opening at PSU” in your subject line. Our project website is here: https://sites.google.com/a/pdx.edu/alaska-reburns/ -- *Dr. Melissa S. Lucash* *Research Assistant Professor* *Department of Geography* *Portland State University* *Portland, OR* *lucash[a] pdx.edu <[email protected]>* *503-725-3894 (office)* *https://sites.google.com/a/pdx.edu/lucash/ <https://sites.google.com/a/pdx.edu/lucash/>*
