The Wildlife Ecology and Restoration Lab at Clemson University is currently looking to fill a PhD position that will focus on the impact of emerging infectious disease on animal community dynamics. While the student will be allowed some flexibility to develop questions of interest, it is expected that a major component of the identified student’s research will investigate the community-level response of bat communities across eastern North America in response to white-nose syndrome. Specifically, this project will build from recently completed research in New York which revealed altered spatial and temporal niche partitioning in sympatric bat species following the arrival of white- nose syndrome, and will evaluate the extent to which similar or divergent patterns exist across other assemblages and habitats in the eastern US. To address these questions, the student will both conduct field surveys and collaborate with managers and scientists (US FWS, USGS, Virginia Tech, and others) to compile and analyze existing datasets.
The student will be based at Clemson University, and jointly advised by Dr. David Jachowski and Dr. Susan Loeb. Field research costs are covered through existing grant support, and funding for the salary of the PhD student is secured for 4 years through a combination of research and teaching assistantships. Applicants must possess (or are expected to possess by start date) an MS degree in ecology, wildlife biology, or related field. Applicants should also have an interest in working with relatively large datasets to address questions in disease and community ecology, and conducting field work involving acoustical detection of bats. Priority will be given to applicants with advanced writing and quantitative skill sets that are evidenced by past peer-reviewed publications. To apply, please send a single PDF file with the subject line “Disease PhD Assistantship” containing (1) a cover letter outlining your interests, experience, and contact information, (2) a resume or CV, (3) GRE scores, (4) undergraduate/graduate transcripts, and (5) contact information for 3 references to Dr. David Jachowski at djac...@clemson.edu. Deadline for applications is October 5, 2016.
