M.S. and Ph.D. STUDENT POSITIONS
Marine Invertebrate Behavior, Ecophysiology, and Fisheries
Division of Coastal Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi
Ocean Springs, MS

We seek highly motivated students to fill two graduate student positions in the 
laboratory of Dr. Zachary Darnell at The University of Southern Mississippi’s 
Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, MS. Both positions will begin 
in August 2018. Students selected for these positions will pursue graduate 
degrees in the Division of Coastal Sciences and will be supported on research 
assistantships (details below). Both the M.S. and Ph.D. assistantship will 
include substantial flexibility in research topic, within the general realms of 
marine invertebrate behavior, ecophysiology, and fisheries. For more 
information 
on current research areas, visit http://sites.usm.edu/zdarnell/. Details on 
each assistantship are below:

M.S. ASSISTANTSHIP: The M.S. assistantship includes a stipend of $22,800 per 
year, increasing to $23,400 per year following comprehensive exams. A 
tuition waiver is also included. Required qualifications include a minimum GPA 
of 3.5 on all undergraduate coursework and GRE scores exceeding the 50th 
percentile. Prior research experience is preferred.

Ph.D. ASSISTANTSHIP: The Ph.D. assistantship includes a stipend of $23,400 per 
year, increasing to $24,000 per year following comprehensive exams. A 
tuition waiver is also included. Required qualifications include a minimum GPA 
of 3.5 on all undergraduate or graduate (if entering with a M.S.) coursework 
and GRE scores exceeding the 50th percentile. Prior research experience is 
preferred. Priority will be given to applicants with an M.S. degree, but 
exceptional applicants at the B.S. level will also be considered. 

The Division of Coastal Sciences is a research and graduate education unit 
within the School of Ocean Science and Technology, offering programs leading 
to the Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science degrees. The Division is 
located at Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (Ocean Springs, MS), a marine 
laboratory featuring comprehensive basic and applied research programs in 
coastal and marine biological sciences (http://gcrl.usm.edu). Research program 
support includes state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and instrumentation; a 
fleet of small and large research vessels, including the R/V Point Sur; the 
GCRL 
Museum collection; the Center for Fisheries Research and Development; NSF 
I/UCRC Science Center for Marine Fisheries, and aquaculture facilities 
including the Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center. Additional information on 
graduate programs in the Division of Coastal Sciences can be found here: 
http://gcrl.usm.edu/coastal_sciences/index.php.

Interested students should contact Dr. Zachary Darnell 
([email protected]). Please include a copy of your CV (including GRE 
scores), unofficial 
undergraduate and graduate transcripts, and contact information for three 
professional references. Review of applicants will begin immediately. For full 
consideration, submit all materials prior to January 2, 2018. 

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