Applicants are invited for a highly motivated student (Ph.D. or M.S.) (start date January 2014) to join the Yee Lab of Aquatic Insect Ecology. The position can focus on any aspect of the ecology of insects in temporary water, although our current focus is on mosquitoes and predaceous diving beetles. Students in the lab are currently supported on research assistantships from a grant from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious disease. The main goal of the project is to understand how ecological filters affect container mosquito communities via effects on larval and adult traits. Other research topics include larval competition, invasion ecology, nutrient stoichiometry, predation, species diversity, and life-history trade-offs. The Yee lab uses a combination of field sampling, field and laboratory experiments, and statistical modeling to answer ecological questions and to test ecological theory. Additional research topics may be considered, especially at the Ph.D. level, although aquatic insect communities or populations should be a focus. Prior field experience and coursework in ecology, entomology, and statistics is preferred but not essential.
More information about the Yee lab can be found at: http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w777157/ Full tuition scholarships for successful applicants are provided. Basic and major medical health coverage is provided to fulltime graduate students in good standing academically. Support is provided by teaching and research assistantships. Although the Department of Biological Sciences does not have a minimum set of scores to be eligible for entrance into the graduate program, potential applicants should expect to have a minimum GPA of 3.00 and have taken the GRE before applying. For more information on admission follow this link: http://www.usm.edu/biological-sciences/graduate-program Deadline for Spring 2014 applications is 15 October 2013. The University of Southern Mississippi, a Carnegie Research High Activity institution with 15,000 students, is located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, near the Gulf Coast and has abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation. Hattiesburg is the medical, commercial and cultural center of southern Mississippi and is ranked in the top five small metropolitan areas in the United States. The Department of Biological Sciences is comprised of about thirty faculty and offers baccalaureate, Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees. Over 60 graduate students currently pursue masters and doctoral degrees. Further information about the department may be found at: http://www.usm.edu/biology/. To inquire, submit (via e-mail) a cover letter with a brief (~ one page) review of your research experience + interests and goals, CV, and contact for two academic references to: donald....@usm.edu Donald A. Yee, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Biological Sciences University of Southern Mississippi
