Ph.D. Assistantship, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Spatial Capture-Recapture of Moose Populations in New York
A Ph.D. position is available with the New York Cooperative Fish and
Wildlife Research and the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell
University. The candidate will design and implement a spatial capture-
recapture (SCR) study of moose in New York to estimate population
density. This method will employ scat detection dogs to survey moose
scat, which will then be used to genetically identify individuals. The
SCR models that are developed will be used to study processes such as
resource selection, movement, space usage, and landscape connectivity,
contributing to moose management by providing inference on the impacts
of land-use patterns, climate, disease, and interspecific interactions
on population processes. The student will make recommendations
regarding efficient survey designs that incorporate both occupancy-level
survey data (possibly including remotely-operated trail cameras,
observations from hunter surveys, etc.) and non-invasive genetic
sampling so that rigorous range-wide surveys can be conducted to
estimate abundance and density. The project, in collaboration with the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and The Wildlife
Conservation Society, will also focus on developing broader management
and population goals for moose in New York, including the
characterization of stakeholder concerns for population-level
thresholds.
Graduate stipend provided is approximately $32,000/year. The
assistantship also provides tuition and health insurance.
Qualifications: Successful applicants will have a thesis-based M.S.
degree and an outstanding academic background in Ecology, Wildlife
Biology, Natural Resources, Statistics or a closely related field. The
student should be independent and motivated to work with a broad range
of external collaborators. Successful applicants will possess strong
writing and personal communication skills, as well as a desire to
conduct quantitative science for applied resource management needs.
Preference will be given to applicants with previous modeling and
computational skills as well as previous experience leading field crews
and conducting fieldwork. Proficiency with program R, ArcGIS, and
knowledge of statistical modeling used to describe population dynamics
from mark-recapture is desired. Minimum GPA of 3.4, competitive GRE
scores, and a valid U.S. driver’s license is required.
Potential candidates should send 1) a letter detailing your research
interests and experience, an explanation of your academic interests and
reasons for undertaking graduate work, including the relation to your
professional goals 2) a CV 3) transcripts (unofficial is fine) 4) GRE
scores, and 5) contact information for 3 references to Dr. Angela Fuller
(angela.ful...@cornell.edu) by March 10, 2015.
Angela Fuller
Unit Leader and Assistant Professor
New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Department of Natural Resources, 211 Fernow Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3001
