The Mitchell lab in the Department of Entomology at Pennsylvania State University is recruiting a doctoral student to study the chemical ecology of forest insects. The project will extend ongoing laboratory research on beetles associated with dead and degrading wood, including longhorned beetles, click beetles, and scarabs. The student will learn analytical methods to characterize the pheromones of wood-boring beetles and develop field bioassays to document the communities of beetles that respond to pheromones, with a goal of establishing indicators for forest health in eastern North America. Students wishing to develop skills in genomics and molecular techniques will also have opportunities to lead projects investigating the evolution of the pheromone receptors in the study species.
The course of study is funded for four years and includes full coverage of tuition, as well as an academic year stipend with summer salary (https://ento.psu.edu/graduate/prospective/apply/faqs). Coursework will be completed through the university’s PhD program in Entomology (https://ento.psu.edu/graduate/degrees). Applicants must have completed at least a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent by the start date of the position and should have a strong interest in entomology. Preference will be given to students with prior research experience and/or a background in entomology and chemical ecology. The Department of Entomology and the Graduate School at Penn State specify further requirements for GPA and standardized testing. Interested students should contact Dr. Mitchell regarding their intention to apply (please include a CV) and submit an application to the Graduate School at Penn State by December 1st, 2024. Students who apply to our department and are highly ranked may be invited to our Graduate Student Recruitment Event, which will occur in early 2025. Application requirements and further details may be found here: https://ento.psu.edu/graduate/prospective/apply/applying-needs -- Robert F. Mitchell, PhD Associate Professor Department of Entomology The Pennsylvania State University Ph. (814) 863-6141 web: https://sites.psu.edu/rfmitchell To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://community.esa.org/confirm/?u=RhPWqPxFwODKvbkiT32nkIqRrsiSgulp
