We are seeking a PhD student to conduct a study testing how changes in animal physiology and foraging behavior feedback to affect plant community assembly and diversity. The research will focus on kangaroo rats and their grassland communities in New Mexico, and will include the use of digital telemetry, stable isotopes, and endocrine stress physiology. The student will work with both Dr. Robin Warne and Dr. Justin Boyles in the Zoology Department at Southern Illinois University.
An M.S. degree or comparable experience in either physiological, behavioral, or community ecology research of small rodents is highly preferred. Technical skills with either coding (for analysis of telemetry data) or lab analyses (for endocrine assays and stable isotope analysis) are useful, but not required. Our labs are highly research active, and we collectively maintain a strong and diverse cohort of undergraduate and graduate researchers. More information can be found at http://warnelab.weebly.com/ and mypage.siu.edu/jgboyles. For inquiries or to apply, please send a cover letter and CV to Dr. Robin Warne (rwa...@siu.edu). About SIU, Carbondale, and the Region: Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a high research activity university. The Department of Zoology has 20 full-time faculty members and includes the Wildlife and Fisheries labs, as well as the Center for Ecology. Carbondale is a mid-sized, affordable, diverse, and culturally rich university town. Southern Illinois is a beautiful landscape that includes the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, and hardwood forests of the Shawnee National Forest, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, as well as numerous state parks, natural areas, and many lakes that are all accessible to the public.
