M.S. position - Comparing bird communities across wetland types in South Alabama

Description

Troy University is seeking an M.S. student to join a multi-taxa group effort to identify reference ecological conditions of blackwater wetlands and associated streams in south Alabama through a comparative approach. The position advertised here focuses specifically on avian diversity and will likely include two main components:

(1) After conducting a systematic review of the literature, develop and validate a field protocol allowing to rapidly characterize the different dimensions of habitat structure.

(2) Use this protocol to characterize reference (well-preserved) alluvial, spring-run and blackwater streams and their associated wetlands in southern Alabama. In parallel, conduct avian point counts to characterize and compare the associated breeding avian communities.

In addition to these core elements, the selected candidate will be strongly encouraged to develop at least one side project matching her/his interests; a few possibilities are listed below, but note that some of these may require the successful acquisition of additional funding: (i) compare well-preserved habitats (protocol above) to low-quality (degraded) versions of the same habitats; (ii) compare bottomland (protocol above) to upland communities; (iii) compare breeding period (protocol above) to the fall migratory season (stopover ecology of migrant passerines); (iv) be involved in the statistical comparison of these wetlands (beyond birds) in terms of water chemistry, flora and fauna (including aquatic invertebrates, fishes, and herps); (v) be involved in other ongoing knowledge synthesis and/or conservation projects relevant to habitat selection in birds.

The position will require travel and field work in south Alabama to survey blackwater, alluvial, and spring-run systems of south Alabama. This field work will occur in potentially remote locations in hot/humid conditions. Associated laboratory work will focus on literature review and statistical data analyses. This work is funded through US EPA in an effort to supplement existing surface water monitoring benchmarks of the AL Department of Environmental Management. The ability to work as part of a team is essential.

The position includes 3-year support through a combination of graduate research assistantships, graduate teaching assistantships, and tuition assistance. Teaching duties will vary by semester, but typically involve assisting or teaching a variety of biological courses and labs.  The successful candidate will be a thesis-track student in the Master of Science in Environmental and Biological Sciences Program.

Salary

$19400 per year, including stipend ($1200/month) and tuition assistance ($2500/semester).

Qualifications

Required:

·       BS in wildlife, environmental sciences, or related field with GPA 3.5 or above.

·       The ability to identify birds of the Eastern US by sight and sound (ID skills will be tested during the interview).

Preferred:

·       A passion for birds and ornithological science

·       A strong interest in statistical data analysis, experience with ArcGIS, computer programming and the software R, or the desire to become proficient with it.

·       Botanical skills, including the capacity to identify plants of Eastern North America in the field.

·       Experience with habitat surveys and avian point counts in remote and challenging conditions.

Admission requirements

Admission requirements to the Troy University Graduate School include:

·       A completed online application form with fee

·       BA/BS degree from a regionally accredited institution

·       Official transcripts from all universities attended

·       Appropriate standardized admission exam

·       A letter of recommendation

Admission requirements to the Environmental and Biological Sciences Program include:

·       A BS degree from a regionally accredited university with a minimum GPA of 2.5 or a 3.0 on the last 30 semester hours

·       Completed course work equivalent to Chemistry I, Chemistry II, Ecology, Statistics, and a Jr/Sr level Biology course

·       GRE score of 290

Additional requirements for this position include:

·       Valid driver’s license and ability to travel

·       Ability to work for extended periods of time in rugged hot/humid conditions

·       Ability to work effectively and efficiently in team scenarios 

·       Strong analytical and writing skills

Application

To begin the application procedure, please send a single PDF including a letter of interest explaining how your experience and profile match the requirements for the position, CV or resume, 2 letters of support, unofficial transcripts, and GRE scores if available to Dr. Alban Guillaumet (aguillaumet@troy.edu). Please title your document “Last Name_First Name_ MS Birds Alabama” and include “MS Birds Alabama” in the email subject to aguillaumet@troy.edu.

Please direct any general inquiries regarding the position to Dr. Alban Guillaumet (aguillaumet@troy.edu).

Start Date

August 2024