PhD Student Opportunities Physiological Ecology of Western US Mountain Forests University of Utah, School of Biological Sciences, Salt Lake City, Utah
We are looking for PhD students interested in studying forest physiology and forest carbon and water cycling in mountains of the western U.S. Current projects are focused on biological and physical factors influencing photosynthesis and transpiration of mountain forests in the context of climate change. You will have the opportunity to learn and use a wide variety of techniques, including measurement of leaf traits and gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, plant water transport, forest environmental and flux measurement methods, and isotope ratio mass spectrometry, and to work collaboratively with scientists using satellite-based remote sensing observations and Earth system models. We'll train you in analytical field and laboratory instrumentation and research techniques, experimental design, data analysis, computer programming, ecological modeling and scientific writing. There is plenty of room to develop your own project in the context of the overall scientific focus of our group. We offer up to 5 years of financial support in the form of teaching and research assistantships. Requirements: 1) a bachelor’s or master’s degree and research experience in a field of Earth system science (ecology, hydrology, geology, physics, chemistry, geography, etc.), 2) innate curiosity about the natural world and how it works, 3) interest in learning and applying cutting-edge analytical techniques to study nature, and 4) strong motivation and ability to work both independently and collaboratively. Experience with plant physiological ecology or environmental instrumentation is highly desired. More information about our Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology is available at http://www.biology.utah.edu/graduate/index.php. The University of Utah is ranked among the top research institutions in the nation and is home to more than 32,000 students and 18,000 employees. Salt Lake City is a sunny Western city with outstanding cultural and outdoor recreational opportunities, including “the greatest snow on earth!” More information about our research group is available at http://biologylabs.utah.edu/bowling. If you're interested, please contact Dr. Dave Bowling, david.bowl...@utah.edu
