PhD Assistantship: Response of avian biodiversity to environmental change

PhD Assistantship: Response of avian biodiversity to environmental change

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD student to spearhead a project focused on understanding the synergistic effects of climate, broad scale land use change, and local land management on distributions of breeding birds on protected lands in the Southeast. This is a fully funded position in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment at Auburn University and the student will be co-advised by Dr. Jonathon Valente (https://www.JonathonValente.com/) and Dr. Christopher Lepczyk (http://cfwe.auburn.edu/profile/christopher-lepczyk/). Candidates should have a strong interest in population ecology, species distribution modeling, and remote sensing. The project will also involve a substantial field component, and the successful candidate would ideally have experience conducting avian point counts, supervising personnel, interacting with landowners, and be comfortable working in remote settings. The overall goal of the research project will revolve around understanding how distributions of breeding birds have responded to historical changes in environmental factors and predicting future responses in coming decades. However, selected students will be encouraged to develop their own research questions within the scope of this project, which could revolve around source-sink dynamics, habitat selection, predictive modeling, species distribution modeling, fragmentation, management, integrated population modeling, and methodological development.

This research is being conducted as part of a larger multi-taxa effort to understand how management activities impact biodiversity. Selected students will have the opportunity to collaborate with a large team of AU faculty and graduate students, and biologists from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The project will involve field-based sampling in 6 ecoregions (Interior Low Plateau, Southwestern Appalachians, Ridge and Valey, Piedmont, Southeastern Plains, and Southern Coastal Plain) throughout Alabama, the most biodiverse U.S. state east of the Mississippi River.

The position start dates are flexible but will ideally begin either the Fall semester of 2024 (August 19th) or the Spring semester of 2025 (January 13th). Prospective candidates should be highly motivated, interested in developing field- and computer-based skills, and have a strong background in one or more of the following areas: ecology, biology, zoology, wildlife, population modeling, species distribution modeling, or a related field.

The lab groups of Drs. Valente and Lepczyk are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse, positive, and inclusive environment. We listen to, learn from, and support all voices in our labs and expect other members of our lab groups to do the same.

Required Qualifications

·         Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife, Biology, Ecology, Zoology, or other closely related field

·         Strong communication skills in oral and written English

·         Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team

·         Self-motivation, a positive attitude, and strong interpersonal skills

·         A commitment to building a safe, inclusive, and respectful working space for people of all backgrounds, perspectives, and abilities

Desired Qualifications:

·         MS degree in Wildlife, Biology, Ecology, Zoology, or other closely related field is preferred, but strong candidates without a MS will be considered

·         Experience presenting and publishing peer-reviewed research

·         Experience working with government agencies

·         Experience with logistical coordination of field work and personnel, avian point counts, population modeling, species distribution modeling, Bayesian data analysis, GIS software, and the R statistical programming language

Salary: $30,000 per year plus tuition remission and benefits

How to Apply:

Interested individuals should contact Dr. Jonathon Valente (jjv0016@auburn.edu) and Dr. Christopher Lepczyk (lepczyk@auburn.edu) with any questions. To apply, please state “Avian PhD Assistantship Position” in the email subject line to both addresses and include (1) a cover letter that states why you are interested in and qualified for the position, (2) a CV, (3) unofficial transcripts, (4) contact information for 3 references, and (5) TOFEL scores if applicable. Applications are due by May 31st, but we encourage you to apply as soon as possible because applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis. More information about our graduate program can be found here: https://cfwe.auburn.edu/graduate-study/graduate-degrees/

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