PhD Opportunity in structured decision making and hierarchical modeling of declining amphibians in National Parks
A collaborative PhD position in the Zoology Department at Michigan State University is available to work on the optimal management of amphibians in a network of National Parks. Along with the principle investigators and park managers, the student will participate in a structured decision making process to classify priority threats and identify potential management activities to mitigate declines of amphibian populations at both park and network levels. The student will develop hierarchical statistical models using available monitoring data (e.g., on amphibians, forest characteristics, water resources) to characterize the relationships between identified threats and amphibian population dynamics. The student will then use these models to link possible park-level management actions to amphibian population responses to predict optimal management strategies and identify uncertainties in the system, which will help lead to improvements in both future management as well as existing monitoring programs. The student will work with a team including researchers from Michigan State University, where the position will be based (in the lab of Elise Zipkin), the USGS (Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD - James Nichols; Turners Falls, MA - Evan Grant) and the NPS (Washington, DC – Patrick Campbell). The student is expected to spend some time in each location, collaborating with the lead PIs. The successful candidate will start in fall (or summer) 2015 and will receive three years of a research assistantship (tuition, health care, and stipend including summer salary). There is also funding available for conference travel and to meet with collaborators. Funding for subsequent years will be in the form of fellowships and/or teaching assistantships. Qualifications: The successful candidate should have excellent verbal and written communication skills and a strong mathematical and/or statistical background. Knowledge of amphibian ecology, spatial modeling, and population estimation are also desirable as is experience conducting fieldwork. Candidates with a M.S. degree will be ranked highly as will those with scientific publications. Application: Send a brief letter of interest, CV (including GPA and GRE scores), and writing sample (if available) with names and contact information for three references to Elise Zipkin (ezip...@msu.edu) and Evan Grant ( ehgr...@usgs.gov). Please include the subject line: “Amphibian decision PhD”. We encourage applicants to make contact by November 15. A formal application to MSU and the Department of Zoology ( http://www.zoology.msu.edu/graduate-studies.html) is due by December 1, 2014.
