Masters Research Opportunity in Biological Indices of Water Quality at Arkansas State University
Vascular Plant Index (Marsico Lab) Description: The Marsico Lab (http://myweb.astate.edu/tmarsico) seeks one masters level graduate student to conduct research associated with a US Environmental Protection Agency funded project. Research responsibilities will include the development of thesis research focused on using vascular plant (emergent macrophyte) assemblages in the determination of wetland quality metrics. This is an interdisciplinary project and will involve collaboration with ASU faculty members Dr. Jennifer Bouldin (Ecotoxicology, http://www2.astate.edu/scimath/ecotox/) and Dr. Richard Warby (Environmental Chemistry) and another graduate student who will research water-quality chemistry. Involvement from the student in periphyton (predominately algae on surfaces) and aquatic macroinvertebrate indices also will be likely. Finally, the student will interact with scientists at the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Geological Survey. Qualifications: A bachelors degree by May 2011 is mandatory for all applicants. Applicants must have taken a general botany, a general ecology, and an advanced plant identification course (plant systematics or plant taxonomy) as part of their undergraduate curriculum. Knowledge of and/or a desire to learn the wetland flora of the Arkansas Delta region is required. Proficiency in using a dichotomous key for vascular plant identification is a must. Preference will be given to students who have field experience collecting vascular plant vouchers. Excellent written and oral communication skills are absolutely necessary. Given the collaborative nature of this project, interest in teamwork and the ability to seamlessly integrate research across various aspects of this multifaceted project will be looked on very favorably. The successful applicant may start beginning 1 June 2011, and can expect a stipend of $16,000 per year for two years. In-state tuition waivers ($6,000 per year) are offered on a competitive basis, and highly qualified candidates will have at least a 3.7 cumulative undergraduate GPA and a 1200 or higher on the GRE. If qualified for and interested in this position, please contact Dr. Travis Marsico at tmars...@astate.edu by 15 March 2011, and please provide 1) a letter of interest, 2) a CV (resume), 3) an unofficial transcript, and 4) GRE scores. Also, do not hesitate to email to ask questions regarding the position.
