Graduate student opportunities (climate change effects on plants) – University of British Columbia Williams Lab, Department of Geography & Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia, Vancouver
The Williams Lab at UBC is looking for a M.Sc. and/or Ph.D. student to join our growing group in 2019 to work in an experiment examining the responses of an oak savanna plant community to changes in rainfall on Vancouver Island. The student will have the opportunity to develop their own research goals related to the broader project objectives. Research could include experiments to detect how precipitation influences flowering strategies or building population models for target species to disentangle the underlying demographic drivers of species responses. Other ongoing research in the group includes projects on (1) contemporary evolution and the speed at which populations move across landscapes, (2) plant life history strategies in changing climates, and (3) variation in plant-herbivore and plant-pollinator interactions across space and time. We take a variety of approaches including experiments in the field and greenhouse and quantitative modeling. Competitive applicants will have independent research experience; be motivated to develop or expand on their quantitative skills (statistical or modeling); and will bring curiosity and independence to their research. Ph.D. applicants should have or be working toward an M.Sc. (or have completed independent research that is moving toward publication) and all applicants should have a valid drivers license. A start date of May 1, 2019 is preferred to enable the student(s) to begin fieldwork next summer. Students in the group benefit from interacting both with a diverse group of geographers interested in the environment, and with ecologists and evolutionary biologists from across UBC, who are brought together by the Biodiversity Research Centre for classes, seminars and discussion groups. We have ties with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, and land managers at native prairie sites across the Pacific Northwest that can facilitate locating field sites and developing applied angles of research projects. Applications are for M.Sc. students are due in mid-December 2018 and for Ph.D. students in mid January 2019, but I encourage interested students to contact me well before these dates. Please send an email (jennifer.willi...@geog.ubc.ca) including a brief statement that describes your research interests, past research experience, and why you are interested in this position, and attach your CV and an unofficial transcript. Please see the lab website for more information: http://williamslabubc.weebly.com/ and find information about applying to UBC Geography here: http://www.geog.ubc.ca/graduate/. All students admitted to Geography are guaranteed a stable minimum income that comes from a combination of teaching assistantships and UBC fellowships. Outstanding students will be competitive for a UBC Four Year Fellowship or UBC International Doctoral Fellowship and I would be happy to assist Canadian students with their NSERC applications.
