Graduate Research Assistantship Announcement
"Vegetation change in northern Alaska"
A graduate research assistantship at the Masters level is available with
Dr. Robert Hollister in the Department of Biology, Grand Valley State
University (GVSU)
(<http://faculty.gvsu.edu/hollistr/Projects.html>http://faculty.gvsu.edu/hollistr/Projects.html)
The project is working to document and understand vegetation change
in northern Alaska associated with climate change. The current
funding for the research is from NSF as part of the Arctic
Observatory Network and the GVSU component contributes to a larger
project that links findings from automated sensor platforms that
measure a suite of vegetation surface properties at the sub-meter
scale (led by Steve Oberbauer at Florida International University)
with medium-scale aerial imagery, using Kite Aerial Photography
acquired throughout the growing season and satellite imagery (led by
Craig Tweedie at the University of Texas in El Paso) to scale
observed changes to the regional level. The research incorporates a
warming experiment to forecast vegetation change due to climate
change at study sites established in the mid 90's as part of the
International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) network (ITEX is a network or
collaborating researchers that use a common protocol so that
observations from across the tundra can be analyzed together and
result in high impact synthesis papers). The project now includes
over 20 years of observations and there are a wide array of options
for study.
The duties of this position will include field sampling of tundra
vegetation in Barrow and Atqasuk, Alaska, leading the field crew in
Alaska, coordinating logistics, organization and analyses of data
collected previously and by the candidate, and the completion of a
thesis and peer-reviewed publications, as well as the successful
completion of the requirements of the degree. Competitive candidates
for this position will have a strong work ethic, proficiency in
written and oral communication, strong GRE scores, and evidence of
scholastic success. Preference will be given to applicants who are
self-motivated and enthusiastic about conducting field-based
research. The position will be based in Grand Rapids, MI, with field
work in Alaska. The position is available to begin in May or August 2016.
The successful candidate will receive tuition support and a
competitive stipend.
To apply, please submit the following as an attached pdf to Robert
Hollister <mailto:holli...@gvsu.edu>holli...@gvsu.edu
1) personal statement of career goals
2) resume or curriculum vitae
3) transcripts
4) GRE scores
5) contact information for three references
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a
candidate is selected.