Description
A Ph.D. assistantship is available in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri working under the direction of Dr. Michael Byrne (Univ. of Missouri) and Dr. Susannah Lerman (US. Forest Service). The project is in collaboration between the University of Missouri and the U.S. Forest Service, and the student’s project will focus on quantifying avian reproduction and community composition, and bison movements and foraging behavior in response to experimental tallgrass prairie restoration treatments. The student will be based in Columbia, MO, with fieldwork taking place April – July at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (IL). Primary research activities will include deploying game cameras to monitor bison distribution and foraging activity, avian point counts, nest searching and monitoring, passerine banding, telemetry to determine habitat use and home range size of nesting birds, and vegetation surveys. The student will work as part of a team including U.S. Forest Service biologists, a graduate student from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri, and seasonal field technicians. Seasonal field housing will be provided. The successful candidate will be expected to work as a field team leader during the 2021 field season (April – August), then matriculate as a student in Fall 2021.
Qualifications
An M.S. degree in Biology, Ecology, Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries Science or a related field is required, with a minimum GPA of 3.2. The student must be highly motivated, have strong quantitative skills and have the personal skills to communicate with a diversity of collaborators and stakeholders, and manage a team of field technicians. Given the nature of the fieldwork required for the study, students with good bird identification skills and prior bird banding experience will be given preference, although all interested students are encouraged to apply. To apply please email a single PDF file including: 1. A cover letter 2. Curriculum Vitae 3. Undergraduate and graduate transcripts (unofficial is acceptable) 4. Contact information for 3 references
Contact Person
Dr. Michael Byrne: byrneme@missouri.edu
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