PhD position: Biodiversity of Southeastern Freshwater Mussels The Atkinson (http://atkinsonlab.ua.edu/) and Lozier labs (http://lozierlab.ua.edu/) in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama are seeking a PhD student with an interest in the biodiversity of Southeastern Freshwater Mussels as part of a recently funded NSF Dimensions of Biodiversity project (http://mussels.ua.edu/). We are looking to recruit highly motivated PhD students to examine the functional biodiversity of a diverse group of animals, the unionid mussels, in several streams in the Mobile and Tennessee River basins, the diversity hotspot for freshwater mussels and several other freshwater taxa. The student would focus on scaling of functional diversity in mussel communities and their freshwater environments, including biodiversity surveys, trait diversity analyses (ecological stoichiometry and other organismal traits), or population genetics.
Applicants must have a strong academic record (GPA > 3.0), strong written and verbal communication skills, possess prior experience working in streams, a desire to build strong quantitative skills, be SCUBA certified (or willing to get certified), and have an interest in working as part of a large collaborative team. In addition, preference will be given to applicants with some prior experience in relevant skills such as identification of mussels or other stream invertebrates, water chemistry analyses, familiarity with R, using ArcGIS software, or laboratory genetics skills. The student will work closely with a postdoc and other PhD students in the Dept. of Biological Sciences at UA as well as with collaborators at the University of Mississippi. Interested applicants should send a (1) cover letter describing research experience and goals, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) unofficial transcripts and GRE scores, (4) a writing example, and (5) contact information of 2-3 individuals familiar with research/academic performance to Carla Atkinson (clatkin...@ua.edu) or Jeff Lozier (jloz...@ua.edu) depending on research interest. Start date is negotiable, with the position available starting in Spring or Summer 2019. Review of materials will start immediately.
