PhD/MS opportunities N.Ariz.U.: Evolutionary ecology/Forestry/Global Change Impacts
We anticipate making two offers of graduate positions (PhD and MS) working on a NSF Macrosystems Biology project at Northern Arizona University, “Collaborative research: Blending ecology and evolution using emerging technologies to determine species distributions with a non-native pathogen in a rapidly changing climate”. This project will be a multi-university collaboration examining the interacting evolutionary and ecological responses of Southwestern White Pine (SWWP; Pinus strobiformis) to climate change and an invasive pathogen from local to regional scales. The project will be led by Dr. Kristen Waring in the School of Forestry at NAU. The PhD will be based in the Biology department (http://nau.edu/CEFNS/NatSci/Biology/Degrees-Programs/Graduate/) with Dr. Amy Whipple and will work on aspects of epigenetic adaptation to climate variation with the opportunity to further develop thesis foci along the lines of the student’s interests. The MS will be based in the School of Forestry (http://nau.edu/cefns/forestry/) with Dr Kristen Waring and will be closely involved with establishment and early measurement of seedling common garden trials of trees from across the SWWP range planted in three different temperatures. Funding may be comprised of a mix of RA, fellowship and TA support and applicants are encouraged to also consider the Genes-to-Environment Program at NAU (http://nau.edu/Merriam-Powell/Genes-to-Environment/ ). Anticipated start date for both positions is June 2015. A brief description of current and previous research projects in SWWP can be found at http://nau.edu/silviculture. Please contact us any time for more information amy.whip...@nau.edu (928)714-0409 and kristen.war...@nau.edu (928) 523-4920. Applications received by January 15th, 2015 will receive first consideration and faster evaluation.
