Categories
Assistantships

Environmental Graduate Funding Update – 37 Assistantships

Below find the latest graduate assistantships and other funding opportunities posted across the web in the last week in ecology, conservation and related environmental fields.

Master’s  Opportunities

MS Student Position: Community Ecology, Landscape Ecology, and/or Ecosystem Ecology
Simon Fraser University | Burnaby, Canada
Program: Resource Management – MS
Study watersheds using geostatistical modeling of ecosystem function, data synthesis, and simulation-based modeling of landscapes and animal movement.

MS Student: Whip-poor-will Ecology and Behavior
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, Il
Program: Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology – MS
Research the behavior and demography of Whip-poor-wills in Illinois, relying on a combination of nocturnal surveys, radio telemetry, and nest monitoring.

MS Research Assistantship: Fisheries Biology
Iowa State University | Ames, IA
Program: Fisheries Biology – MS
Conduct research evaluating Invasive Carp reproductive success in the Upper Mississippi River.

MS Assistantship: Beaver Dams and Water Quality
Iowa State University | Ames, IA
Program: Forestry – MS
Quantify impacts of beaver dams on nutrient and sediment loading, hydrology, and stream channel morphology within agriculturally-dominated Iowa watersheds.

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Graduate Research Assistants (3): Silver Carp
Murray State University | Murray, KT
Program: Biology – MS
Three assistantships are available to conduct research on Silver Carp in Kentucky Lake. Fieldwork will occur year-round in challenging conditions.

MS Position:  Tree Anatomy and Ecophysiology
University of Maine | Orono, ME
Program: Forest Resources – MS
Study xylem anatomy and tree ecophysiology to better understand how climate-change will impact northeastern forest trees.

UMass Graduate Student
University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA
Program: Organismic & Evolutionary Biology – MS
Study the effects of soil amendments and pollinator plantings on native bees in log-landings on National Forests in the lower Midwest.

MS Assistantships: Multiple, Ecology and Toxicology
Missouri University of Science and Technology | Rolla, MO
Program: Applied and Environmental Biology – MS
MS Graduate assistants for Spring 2021 in toxicology, aquatic ecology, microbial ecology, microbiology and/or evolutionary ecology.

MS Student: Studying Beaver Mimicry
University of Montana | Missoula, MT
Program: Wildlife Biology – MS
Examine the influence of beaver mimicry on the structure and function of headwater streams and riparian food webs in western Montana.

MS Position: River Ecosystem Responses to Restoring Fish Migrations
Cornell University | Ithaca, NY
Program: Ecology & Evolutionary Biology – MS
Study the ecosystem consequences of restoring fish migrations into tributaries of the Great Lakes.

Graduate Student Assistantships(4): Environmental Education
Southern Oregon University | Ashland, OR
Program: Environmental Education – MS
Responsibilities may include managing the EE Office, developing activities and curricula, managing our Natural Science Kits, or working with area educators and environmental education providers.

MS Assistantship: Ecology of Migratory Ducks
Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR
Program: Wildlife Science – MS
Study the behavior of radio-tagged ducks during spring migration through the Southern Oregon Northeast California (SONEC) region in the Pacific Flyway.

MS Graduate Research Assistantship: Aquatic Turtle Ecology
University of Houston-Clear Lake | Houston, TX
Program: Biological Sciences – MS
Gain valuable field experience collecting environmental DNA (eDNA) and genetic samples, conducting herpetological field surveys and analyzing data directly related to species conservation and wildlife management, particularly related to Western Chicken Turtles and Alligator Snapping Turtles.

MS Assistantship: Urban Avian Ecology and Community Science
University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio, TX
Program: Biology – MS
1.Lead efforts to evaluate the effects of backyard bird feeding on the movements of birds in urban areas as part of a community science approach.
2. Assist with the recruitment of community scientists, especially through local schools.
3. Assist in the development and implementation of research instruments to evaluate the integrated model.

MSc Position: Research in the Ecology and Evolution of Carnivorous Plants
Texas Christian University | Fort Worth, TX
Program: Biology – MS
Work on projects related to the ecology and evolution of the pitcher plant, Sarracenia alata.

MS Position: Behavioral Ecology and Conservation
William & Mary University | Williamsburg, VA
Program: Biology – MS
Recruiting new research Masters students in areas of behavioral ecology and applied conservation science, to start in Fall 2021.

MS Position: Walleye-Salmonid Interactions in Wyoming Reservoirs
University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY
Program: Zoology & Physiology – MS
Evaluate the walleye consumption of stocked salmonids through diet and stable isotope analyses and bioenergetic modeling.

Master’s & Doctorate  Opportunities

MS or PhD Graduate Research Assistant
Auburn University | Auburn, AL
Program: Fisheries – MS
Examine the interactions and spread of native and non-native crayfishes. The position requires rigorous field sampling and developing relationships between the distribution of native and non-native species.

Graduate Assistantships: Metabolic Ecology, Biodiversity or Macroecology
University of Kentucky | Lexington, KT
Program: Biology – MS
Potential themes include
1. Metabolic theory of life history including field and comparative
studies
2. Biogeography and conservation of island and montane biodiversity
3. Urban biodiversity and the importance of scale
4. Human macroecology and sustainability.

Interdisciplinary MS or PhD: Conservation Science
University of Maine | Orono, ME
Program: Wildlife Ecology – MS
Integrate biophysical and social sciences in collaborative, engaged, and solutions-driven research, professional development, and coursework on resilient conservation of natural resources.

MS or PhD Position: Study Habitat Management in Michigan Prairie Fens
Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant, MI
Program: Biology – MS
Design, implement, and assess habitat management in prairie fens with the goal of maintaining and growing populations of Poweshiek skipperling.

Doctorate  Opportunities

PhD Position: Modeling Extrinsic Factors in Shaping Forest Dynamics
University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL
Program: Biological Sciences – PhD
Use process models to evaluate the importance of various extrinsic factors in shaping forest dynamics and quantify linkages among possible drivers (climate, edaphic conditions, management, and disturbance) and outputs (forest composition and structure, biomass pools, C, water, nutrient, and energy fluxes).

PhD Assistantship: White-Tailed Deer Movement and Social Structure
Trent University | Ontario, Canada
Program: Environmental and Life Sciences – PhD
Work on a large, multi-faceted field project with the primary focus on quantifying potential spread of chronic wasting disease in Ontario’s landscapes.

PhD Position: Marine Movement, Diet and Nutritional State of Nunatsiavut Arctic Char in a Changing Climate
Memorial University of Newfoundland | St. John’s, Canada
Program: Physics and Physical Oceanography – PhD
Study char marine movement patterns as determined by biotelemetry, and the linkages with seasonal changes in diet and nutritional status as determined by amino acid stable isotope and fatty acid analyses.

PhD Student: Entomology and Wildlife Ecology
University of Florida | Gainesville, FL
Program: Zoology – PhD
Investigate the efficacy of spatial repellents (and other interventions) to protect white-tailed deer fawns from flies that transmit pathogenic Orbiviruses (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus and Bluetongue Virus).

PhD Position: Evolutionary Biology
University of Florida | Gainesville, FL
Program: Zoology – PhD
Study the evolutionary interplay of behavior and morphology, often focusing on sexual selection.

PhD Position: Grassland Ecosystem Services and Climate Resilience
University of Florida | Gainesville, FL
Program: Interdisciplinary Ecology – PhD
Focus on managed grasslands in Florida where prior research has revealed long-term enrichment of phosphorus in soils, which, especially when interacting with extreme precipitations, could compromise downstream water quality and associated ecosystem services.

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PhD Research Assistantship: Fisheries Biology
Iowa State University | Ames, IA
Program: Fisheries Biology – PhD
Research will evaluate the ability of physical barriers to mitigate the escapement of Walleye and Muskellunge from reservoirs.

PhD Positions (2): Harmful Algal Blooms Effects on Fisheries and People in Lake Victoria
Cornell University | Ithaca, NY
Program: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology – PhD
Study of how harmful algal blooms affect fisheries from human, fish, and ecosystem perspectives.

PhD Assistantship: Wildlife Genomics 
North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC
Program: Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology – PhD
Study urban and disease adaptation in raccoons and eastern woodrat genomics.

PhD Position: Quantitative Human Dimensions of Wildlife – Valuation of Wildlife Management Areas in the Southeast
North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC
Program: Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology – PhD
Estimate the market and non-market value of wildlife management areas by studying how they impact tourism, real-estate values, and ecosystem services in the southeastern United States.

PhD Assistantship: Rangeland Wildlife Ecology
North Dakota State University | Fargo, ND
Program: Range Science – PhD
Investigate the influence of four different grazing management practices that vary in the spatial and temporal use of fire and grazing on the habitat quality of breeding songbirds.

PhD Position: Arctic Food Web Ecology
UiT The Arctic University of Norway | Tromsø, Norway
Program: Arctic and Marine Biology – PhD
Research focus of the 3-year post-doc position is on food web ecology of the seafloor ecosystem in the northern Barents Sea and adjacent Arctic Basin. The approach will include use of trophic markers such as stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes and fatty acids.

PhD Position: Marine Mammal Reproductive Biology- South Texas
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi | Corpus Christi, TX
Program: Marine Biology – PhD
use innovative techniques to explore the biomechanics of genital and sperm interactions in cetaceans.

PhD Research Assistant: Wildlife Ecology
Utah State University | Logan, UT
Program: Wildlife Biology – PhD
Develop a bioenergetic model for Great Salt Lake and its marshes that can compare energy needs of avian populations to energy production by GSL habitat.

PhD Assistantship: Amphibian Disease Ecology
University of Vermont | Burlington, VT
Program: Natural Resources – PhD
Research community disease ecology in an amphibian system. While the general theme of the project is defined, the successful candidate will co-develop research questions based on their interests.

PhD Position: Energy Flow through Great Lakes Food Webs
University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY
Program: Ecology – PhD
Design and conduct research to quantify the relative importance of multiple energy pathways to Great Lakes prey fish.

Categories
Assistantships

Environmental Graduate Funding Update – 24 Assistantships

Below find the latest graduate assistantships and other funding opportunities posted across the web in the last week in ecology, conservation and related environmental fields.

Master’s Opportunities

MSc Position: Work on Marine Habitat Mapping
Memorial University of Newfoundland | St. John’s, Canada
Program: Marine Biology – MS
Mapping the distribution and abundance of key marine benthic habitats in coastal Newfoundland and Labrador.

MS Position: Conservation Physiology of Invasive Fish
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL
Program: Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences – MS
Define the role of aquatic pollutants at deterring the upstream movement of invasive Bigheaded Carp in the Illinois River.

MS Student: Wetlands Restoration Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
Louisiana State University | Baton Rouge, LA
Program: Renewable Natural Resources – MS 
Evaluate factors affecting vegetation establishment on the lake and to test revegetation techniques. In addition, the student would participate on an interdisciplinary team addressing broader issues related to lake restoration.

Graduate Position: Aquatic Ecology
Ohio State University | Columbus, OH
Program: Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology – MS
Examines linkages among watershed land use, reservoir age, hypoxia, and sport fish recruitment in Ohio reservoirs.

MS Graduate Assistantship: Ecology and Management of Whitebrush (Aloysia gratissima)
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
| Kingsville, TX
Program: Range & Wildlife Management – MS
Conduct research on whitebrush management and control in experimental field settings throughout private rangelands of Texas.

MS Research Assistantship: Thornforest Restoration and Seedling Ecophysiology
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Edinburg, TX
Program: Ocean, Coastal, & Earth Science – MS
Participate in a seedling conditioning study aimed at enhancing thornforest seedling field performance and restoration success.

MS Graduate Position: Climate Change Resilience to Drought
University of Wyoming
| Laramie, WY
Program: Rangeland Ecology & Watershed Management – MS
Focus on understanding rancher perception of and response to drought.

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MS Position: Wind Facilities and Insects
University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY
Program: Zoology & Physiology – MS
Review literature about the state of knowledge on wind energy and insects.

Master’s & Doctorate

MS or PhD Research Assistantship(s)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL
Program: Biology – MS
1. Quantify the role of pollutants in preventing the upstream spread of Bigheaded carp in the Illinois River.
2. Improve fish care during fishing tournaments.

MS or PhD Student Position: Pollinator Molecular Ecology
University of Maryland | College Park, MD
Program: Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences – MS
Study pollinator health, specifically pollinator foraging, landscape ecology and floral resource competition between wild and managed bee species.

MS or PhD Position: Forest Ecology and Ecohydrology
Oklahoma State University | Stillwater, OK
Program: Natural Resource Ecology & Management – MS
Study the impact of different land use and vegetation change on ecosystem carbon dynamics and water use within the grassland and forest transition zone – the Cross-timbers of the south-central Great Plains.

Doctorate Opportunities

PhD Position: Scaling of Ecological Trade-Offs
Concordia University
| Montreal, Canada
Program: Biology – PhD
Work on the scaling of ecological trade-offs across traits and spatial scales. Biological trade-offs are omnipresent in nature and form the basis of understanding how species are distributed and co-exist across ecological communities.

PhDPosition: Genetics and Evolution of Plant Secondary Metabolism
University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL
Program: Integrative & Conservation Biology – PhD
Study the genetics and evolution of plant secondary metabolism in crop and wild sunflowers.

PhD Positions (2): Tree Ecophysiology 
Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg
| Würzburg, GERMANY
Program: Biological Sciences – PhD
Characterize the drought-stress resistance of temperate tree species by plant hydraulic and dendroecological techniques. 

PhD Position: Plant Trait Ecology of Tundra Ecosystems
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL
Program: Biology – PhD
Be part of an exciting collaborative team developing capacity for the remote estimation of aboveground and belowground plant functional traits and streamlining their inclusion in process models to quantify and predict regional carbon balance.

PhD Assistantship: Ecological and Evolutionary Informatics 
University of Maine | Orono, ME
Program: Ecology & Environmental Sciences – PhD
Work on quantitative modeling and analysis of ecological and evolutionary processes, often making use of newly available biodiversity data produced through next generation sequencing approaches.

PhD Assistantship: Identifying and Prioritizing Habitat for Pheasant Conservation and Management
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
| Lincoln, NE
Program: Biological Sciences – PhD
Study upland game bird ecology and management, determine minimum habitat thresholds and configurations necessary to support pheasant populations.

PhD Assistantship: Identifying and Prioritizing Habitat for Pheasant Conservation and Management
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
|Lincoln, NE
Program:
Natural Resource Sciences – PhD
Conduct interdisciplinary research on wildlife ecology, spatial science and conservation.

PhD Position: Forest Ecology of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem
Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH
Program: Ecology, Evolution, Environment & Society – PhD
Design and conduct original research on biota of the Hubbard Brook Forest as part of the NSF-sponsored Long Term Ecological Research project. 

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PhD Position: Hydrology/Earth Science
University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA
Program: Geology & Environmental Science – PhD
Study global patterns and drivers of suspended sediment in rivers using satellite remote sensing. Use satellite remote sensing to examine water quality in rivers, lakes, and estuaries.

PhD Graduate Studentship: Floating Treatment Wetlands
University of South Carolina | Columbia, SC
Program: Marine Science – PhD
Work to advance the science and engineering of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs). Specifically water quality influences, habitat value, microbial community composition, and plant species suitability of various FTW configurations across nutrient and salinity gradients.

Graduate Assistant
Baylor University | Waco, TX
Program: Environmental Science – PhD
Engage in interdisciplinary research projects concerning air and water quality, climate change, environmental toxicology and chemistry, risk assessment, applied ecology, and environmental management. 

PhD Position: Landscape Ecology and Fire
Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX
Program: Wildlife, Aquatic, & Wildlands Science & Management – PhD
Help mentor undergraduate cohorts through The Bridge Adventure Program. Serve in a leadership role in the program while earning a doctoral degree in Wildlife, Aquatic, and Wildlands Science and Management.

PhD Position: Fish Ecophysiology
The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX
Program: Marine Science – PhD
Study respiratory plasticity in marine fish following exposure to prolonged environmental hypoxia.

Categories
Assistantships

Environmental Graduate Funding Update – 38 Assistantships

Below find the latest graduate assistantships and other funding opportunities posted across the web in the last week in ecology, conservation and related environmental fields.

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Master’s Opportunities

MSc Graduate Research Assistantship: AU Shellfish Lab
Auburn University | Auburn, AL
Program: Fisheries – MS
Conduct research on improving Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) crop inventory and farm management through the practical integration of RFID technology in shellfish aquaculture.

Graduate Research Assistants (2): Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Auburn University | Auburn, AL
Program: Fisheries – MS
Develop a thesis that provides extensive information on the distribution, habitat use, and demographics of invasive carp and native fishes of the lower Mississippi River

MSc Assistantship: Mesocarnivore Movement – Cal Poly, SLO
California Polytechnic State University | San Luis Obispo, CA
Program: Biological Sciences – MS
Work on a mesocarnivore movement study involving coyote-sheep interactions in and around San Luis Obispo, CA in fall, 2021.

MS Assistantships (3): Fisheries Conservation Genetics
Humboldt State University | Arcata, CA
Program: Natural Resources – MS
Apply genetic approaches to fish conservation and management, including:
1. quantification of the variability of Ceratonova shasta DNA concentrations in Klamath River water samples.
2. monitoring coho salmon at local-scales in northern California streams using environmental DNA.
3. using genomics to elucidate local adaptation among isolated populations of the endangered tidewater goby.

MS Assistantships (3): Ecology and Evolution of Fall Webworm
University of Denver | Denver, CO
Georgetown University | Washington, DC
University of Massachusetts | Amherst, MA
Program: Biological Sciences – MS, PhD
Study ecology and evolution of diet breadth of a generalist caterpillar, fall webworm. Examine how bottom-up and top-down selective pressures affect the diet breadth of a generalist insect; the research will involve both field and lab work.

MS Graduate Opportunity: Microbial Ecology of Terrestrial-Aquatic Linkages
University of Georgia | Athens, GA
Program: Ecology – MS
Work on the microbial ecology of terrestrial-aquatic linkages at University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory in Aiken, SC.

MS Position: Aquatic Biogeochemistry
Louisiana State University | Baton Rouge, LA
Program: Environmental Sciences – MS
Work on carbon transport and transformation in aquatic systems. The research involves field sampling of the Mississippi River and an urban lake with a research focus on biogeochemical cycling of carbon, especially CO2 outgassing.

Graduate Assistant: USM Gulf Coast Research Labratory
The University of Southern Mississippi | Hattiesburg, MS
Program: Marine Science – MS
Study the recruitment, growth, and health of oysters in Mississippi Sound as part of a large restoration program following the 2019 mass mortality due to the opening of the Bonnet Carré spillway.

Research Technician: MO Cooperative F & W Research Unit
University of Missouri | Columbia, MO
Program: Natural Resources – MS
Assist with the collection of telemetry and other data for Striped Bass and other fish species in Bull Shoals Lake.

MS Position: Social Network Analysis and Ecology of Bats
New Mexico State University | Las Cruces, NM
Program: Fish, Wildlife & Conservation Ecology – MS
investigating the effects of animal movement and social behavior on disease dynamics, with a focus on bats and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

MS Positions: Environmental Science
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | Chattanooga, TN
Program: Environmental Science – MS
For students wanting to gain experience in the fields of environmental science, biology, geoscience, and natural resources. The non-thesis is designed for students who wish to enhance their professional degree skills.

MS Assistantship: Artificial Reef Research
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Edinburg, TX
Program: Ocean, Coastal, and Earth Science – MS
Investigate juvenile fish use of artificial reefs via ROV surveys and visual observations on SCUBA.

MS position in Thornforest Restoration & Seedling Ecophysiology
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Edinburg, TX
Program: Biology – MS
Evaluate conditioning pretreatments to minimize the transplant shock and improve initial field performance of thornforest seedlings.

MS Position: Genomics and Evolutionary Biology
Texas Christian University | Fort Worth, TX
Program:Biology – MS
monitoring the effects of hatchery rearing on genome-wide variation in Chinook Salmon, with a particular focus on the effects of domestication selection.

MSc Position: Human Dimensions of Wildlife
University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio, TX
Program: Environmental Science – MS
Assess the effects of Bird City Texas, a community-focused certification program created to help people protect birds and their habitats on
1. attitudes towards birds and bird conservation
2. engagement in nature-based recreation and bird conservation efforts
3. nature-based knowledge.

Graduate Assistantship: Ravens and Grouse
Utah State University | Logan, UT
Program: Wildlife Biology – MS
Investigate raven movements inside known Greater sage-grouse habitats.

MS Opportunities: Behavioral Ecology and Conservation
William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA
Program: Biology – MS
Recruiting new research Masters students in areas of behavioral ecology and applied conservation science, to start in Fall 2021.

Masters & Doctorate

Graduate Research Assistant (MS or PhD) in Aquatic Macroecology / Data Science 
Louisiana State University | Baton Rouge, LA
Program: Oceanography & Coastal Sciences – MS
Work on building a database of CO2 in flowing waters (streams) across the US and use statistical modeling to detect spatial and temporal trends.

Phd or MS Position: Predation Risk, Maternal Stress Effects, and Transgenerational Plasticity
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | Dartmouth, MA
Program: Biology – MS
Projects in our research group are centered on two major themes:
1. Some aspect of how ecological stressors drive changes in free-living animals physiology and behavior, how this impacts reproduction and survival, how this drives changes in population dynamics and ultimately community structure.
2. Some aspect of how maternal stress may impact offspring physiology, behavior and fitness.

MS or PhD Assistantship: Migration Ecology
New Mexico State University | Las Cruces, NM
Program: Fish, Wildlife & Conservation Ecology – MS
Examine migration ecology in the southwest and, particularly, the effects of light pollution on migrating birds.

MS or PhD Assistantship: Restoration Ecology
Utah State University | Logan, UT
Program: Wildlife Biology – MS
MS –  plasticity of Bluebunch wheatgrass for restoration
PhD – Criollo cattle in the Canyonlands area
PhD – sagebrush die-off science & restoration in southern UT

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To post a graduate opportunity to our next Funding Update, please email us:
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Doctorate Opportunities

PhD Assistantship: Wildlife Survey Design
Auburn University | Auburn, AL
Program: Wildlife Sciences – PhD
Evaluate current and potential alternative survey designs for assessing abundance of wintering waterfowl in Alabama’s Tennessee River Valley.

PhD Research Assistantships (3): Stream Ecology
University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR
Program: Biological Sciences – PhD
Focus on factors affecting population and community dynamics of freshwater fish and invertebrates, especially the role of disturbance in community dynamics, impacts of introduced species in aquatic ecosystems, and conservation of aquatic ecosystems.

PhD Position: Sustainable Oceans
University of California, Davis | Davis, CA
Program: Ecology – PhD
Research Traineeship (NRT) program “Sustainable Oceans: From Policy to Science to Decisions”
Focusses on the front-end of the research and training enterprise as a means of building more effective links between the science and decisions on sustainable use of living marine resources.

PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Connecticut | Mansfield, CT
Program: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology – PhD
Study the interface of ecology and evolution with a focus on understanding the creation and maintenance of biodiversity and resilience of natural systems to disturbances such as climate change.

PhD Student: Forest Ecosystem Dynamics
University of Florida | Gainesville, FL
Program: Forest Resources and Conservation – PhD
Study forest dynamics across spatial scales exploring topics of forest health and tree regeneration.

PhD Position: Remote Sensing & Forestry
University of Georgia | Athens, GA
Program: Forest Resources – PhD
Work on research related to the assessment of understory vegetation in the coastal plain region of the Southern US.

PhD Student: Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
University of Idaho | Moscow, ID
Program: Natural Resources – PhD
Evaluate factors associated with the distribution, occurrence, and population dynamics of Bull Trout in Idaho.

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PhD Research Assistantship: Soil Chemistry
University of Kentucky | Lexington, KT
Program: Integrated Plant and Soil Sciences – PhD 
Study the biological and abiotic transformations of ammonium in soils using a combination of wet chemical and imaging/spectroscopic techniques to contribute novel information to our understanding of the nitrogen cycle.

PhD Position: Plant Evolutionary Ecology
Michigan Technological University | Houghton, MI
Program: Biological Sciences – PhD 
Understand the origin, maintenance, and changes of genetic, phenotypic and species diversity patterns. Current projects are related to plant genome size evolution and ecology, species interactions (plant-herbivore-pathogen-pollinator-plant interactions), and invasive species biology.

PhD Position: Forest Restoration, Soil Health, & Water Quality
Mississippi State University | Starkville, MS
Program: Forest Resources – PhD
Assess changes in ecosystem services like water quality and soil health during forest restoration activities.

PhD Research Assistantship: Soil Health Monitoring
University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND
Program: Biological Sciences – PhD
Develop process-level understanding in support of management that improves soil health, biodiversity, and productivity of irrigated meadows.

PhD Assistantship: Black Bears
Oklahoma State University | Stillwater, OK
Program: Natural Resource Ecology & Management – PhD
Address factors affecting fine-scale movements of dispersing male and female black bears and the implications for bear-human conflict and establishment of a self-sustaining black bear population in east-central Oklahoma.

PhD Assistantship: Landscape Ecology and Fire
Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX
Program: Wildlife, Aquatic, and Wildlands Science and Management – PhD
Help mentor undergraduate cohorts through The Bridge Adventure Program, a program that aims to foster diversity and inclusion through field-based experiential learning opportunities, including regular excursions for mentored research, service learning, and community-building adventure.

PhD Position: Stream Ecology
University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX
Program: Quantitative Biology – PhD
Determine how biodiversity and species co-occurrence networks in streams—one of the most threatened ecosystems on Earth—would respond to climate change under mitigated, stabilizing, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

PhD Positions (2): Microbiome Ecology
University of Texas | Arlington, TX
Program:Quantitative Biology – PhD
Project 1. Seeks to quantify the role of gut microbiota in the plant-insect chemical arms race.
Project 2. Examines the relationship between stinkbugs and the bacterial genus Burkholderia, an emerging model system in symbiosis research, to understand when and how animals benefit from environmentally-acquired microbes.

PhD Assistantship: Rangeland Ecology
Utah State University | Logan, UT
Program: Wildlife Biology
Assess movements of an experimental herd of GPS-collared Criollo and evaluates their impacts on ecosystem services, as well as analyzes efficiency of beef production.

PhD Assistantship: Environmental Data Science and Forecasting
Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA
Program: Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences – PhD
apply innovative new techniques to combine lake ecosystem modeling with sensor data analyses to forecast future water quality in drinking water reservoirs

Categories
Assistantships

Environmental Graduate Funding Update – 34 Assistantships

Below find the latest graduate assistantships and other funding opportunities posted across the web in the last week in ecology, conservation and related environmental fields.

[newsletter-signup]

Master’s Opportunities

MS Position: Fire Ecology of Oak and Pine Forests
Auburn University | Auburn, AL
Program: Forestry – MS
Conduct extensive field research investigating the influence of fire on upland oak and pine forest regeneration. Understand the consequences of forest compositional shifts on resource availability and forest flammability at a variety of sites across the southeast.

MS Assistantship: Stream Fish Ecology
University of Central Arkansas 
| Conway, AR
Program: Biology – MS
Study variation in fish assemblages across Gulf Coastal Plains streams in Arkansas in relation to land use.

MS Position: Tree Root Research for Improving Green Tree Reservoir Management
University of Arkansas Monticello 
| Monticello, AR
Program: Forest Resources – MS
Conduct field and controlled environment studies to better understand the interactive effects of temperature, flood, and dormancy on oak root physiology.

MS Research Assistantship: Minnow Population Genomics
Southern Illinois University | Carbondale, IL
Program: Zoology – MS
Analyze Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) genotypes for the conservation of chubs (Macrhybopsis spp.).

MS Research Assistant: Wetland Macroinvertebrates
Emporia State University
| Emporia, Kansas
Program: Biology – MS
Investigate the effects of various wetland management practices on macroinvertebrate community dynamics.

MS Teaching Assistantships (3): Marine and Environmental Biology
Nicholls State University | Thibodaux, Louisiana
Program: Marine & Environmental Biology – MS
1. Conduct water quality surveys and monitor for the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the public boat launches of southeast Louisiana.
2. Monitor of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the migratory birds in southeast Louisiana.
3. Conduct laboratory and field research on an NSF funded functional genomics and husbandry project using spotted gar.

MS Graduate Assistantship: Assessing the Distribution and Abundance of Bridle Shiner
University of Maine 
| Orono, ME
Program: Wildlife Ecology – MS
Incorporate historic data, standard field surveys and the use of environmental DNA to assess current distributions of the Bridle Shiner, a special concern species in Maine.

MS Position: Lake Sturgeon Ecology
University of Toledo | Toledo, OH
Program: Biology – MS
Leverage the Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry System (GLATOS) to address questions related to Lake Sturgeon ecology through analysis of telemetry data.

MS Position: Tropical Community Ecology
Oklahoma State University | Stillwater, OK
Program: Plant Biology – MS
Develop an independent research project around:
1. Effects of enemies (herbivores, pathogens, etc.) and mutualists on plant communities.
2. Effects of altered climate on species interaction and coexistence
3. Roles played by enemies and mutualists along succession.
4. Coexistence theory.

MS Research Assistant: Fisheries
Oklahoma State University | Stillwater, OK
Program: Natural Resource Ecology and Management – MS
Investigate Striped Bass and Catastomid populations in river and reservoir habitats and hydroacoustic assessment of forage in reservoirs.

MS Assistantship: Ecology & Conservation of Freshwater Mussels
Clemson University | Clemson, SC
Program: Wildlife & Fisheries Biology – MS
Address questions related to the ecology and recovery of the federally endangered Carolina Heelsplitter mussel in South Carolina.

MS Graduate Assistantship: Fisheries Ecology 
Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX
Program: Wildlife, Aquatic & Wildlands Science & Management – MS
Conduct a population assessment of invasive Bigheaded carps (Bighead carp, Silver carp) in the Sulphur River as it flows through Texas and Arkansas.

MS Teaching Assistantships: Conservation, Data Science, and Genomics
William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA
Program: Biology – MS
Topics can be chosen around molecular genetics, biomath and ecology, and should explore the research interests of current faculty.

Masters & Doctorate

MS or PhD Positions: Influence of Dams on Riverine Fish Populations
Auburn University | Auburn, AL
Program: Fisheries – MS
Study the effects of large lock-and-dam systems on riverine fishes, potential for fish to pass structures using spillways and lock chambers, use of hard part microchemistry and stable isotope analysis to study natal origins and fish movement as a response to the presence of dams, and laboratory study of fishes in response to effects of dams.

MS and PhD Graduate Student Positions: Aquatic/Fisheries Ecology
Ohio State University | Columbus, OH
Program: Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology – MS, PhD
1. Study the ecology of Lake Erie yellow perch.
2. Study the ecology of blue catfish and channel catfish in Ohio reservoirs.
3. Study the impact of cyanobacteria blooms and hypoxia on Lake Erie’s food webs.

MS and PhD Positions: Water Quality and Carbon Cycling in Freshwaters
Purdue University | West Lafayette, IN
Program: Forestry & Natural Resources – MS, PhD
Research opportunities include:
1. Apply national networks of in situ water sensors (including NEON and USGS) to model microbial and photo-oxidation of organic matter.
2. Use sensor networks to model and predict water quality in midwestern lakes at risk for eutrophication.
3. Understand landscape controls on methane production using high-resolution LiDAR and bathymetry.

MS or PhD Assistantship: Gizzard Shad Sampling in Reservoirs
Oklahoma State University | Stillwater, OK
Program: Natural Resource Ecology & Management – MS, PhD
Develop protocol for sampling gizzard shad with hydroacoustics and trawls in large highland reservoirs.

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To post a graduate opportunity to our next Funding Update, please email us:
[email protected]

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Doctorate Opportunities

PhD Position: Plant Ecology
University of California Davis | Davis, CA
Program: Plant Biology – PhD
Develop drought strategies of herbaceous species in California grassland systems.

PhD Assistantship for Fisheries Population Dynamics
Florida International University | Miami, FL
Program: Biology – PhD
Develop quantitative modeling approaches to assess and predict fisheries population dynamics for spiny lobsters and red snappers.

PhD Position: Ecological/ Evolutionary Plant Physiology
Florida International University | Miami, FL
Program: Biology – PhD
1. the effects of genome size-cell size allometry on plant structure, function, and evolution.
2. the physiological dimensions of floral evolution.
3. speciation of the desert genus Encelia (Asteraceae)

PhD Research Assistantship: Fire Ecology
University of Idaho | Moscow, ID
Program: Natural Resources – PhD
Evaluate the effectiveness of fuel breaks in mitigating size and risk of damaging wildfires and the fuel break ecological impacts in sagebrush steppe ecosystems.

MS or PhD Assistant Positions (3): Invasion Ecology
Southern Illinois University | Carbondale, IL
Program: Zoology – MS, PhD
1. Fish movement including novel analysis techniques for telemetry data.
2. Invasion ecology including the impacts and management of invasions.
3. Socioeconomic/ecological factors underlying the establishment and control of aquatic species invasions.

PhD Positions: Fish and Aquatic Ecology
Purdue University | West Lafayette, IN
Program: Forestry and Natural Resources – PhD
Address important management issues in the Great Lakes (e.g., ecological effects of eutrophication, climate change impacts on larval fish dispersal and hypoxia influences on fish distributions and movement patterns).

PhD Positions: Tree Functional Ecology, Life History Tradeoffs, Demography and Community Ecology
University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN
Program: Biological Sciences – PhD
Research on North American tree biology and/or Asian subtropical or tropical forests.

PhD Positions: Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior
University of Louisville | KY
Program: Biology – PhD
Study how populations of Rhagoletis flies and Ambystomatid salamanders respond and their consequences for community interactions vary across time and space.

Phd Position: Community Ecology and Species Coexistence
University of Maryland Baltimore County | Baltimore, MD
Program: Geography & Environmental Systems – PhD
Understand the role of native plant biodiversity in enhancing ecosystem services on urban vacant land.

PhD Research Assistantships: Aquatic Ecology
University of Mississippi | Oxford, MS
Program: Biological Sciences – PhD
Research the interface between community, behavioral, and evolutionary ecology in freshwater systems, or at the freshwater/terrestrial interface, as well as participate in ongoing projects.

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PhD Position: Fishes in the Warming Gulf of Maine
University of New Hampshire | Durham, NH
Program: Biological Sciences – PhD
investigate how diets of predators have shifted over the past several decades. This information, along with climate change models, will be integrated to understand how predator-prey relationships may continue to change in the future.

PhD Graduate Assistantship: Quantitative Fisheries Science
Cornell University | Ithaca, NY
Program: Natural Resources – PhD
Investigate mechanisms underlying changing fish community dynamics in temperate lakes.

PhD Graduate Research Assistantship: Recovery and Restoration Strategies for Steelhead in California’s Central Valley
Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR
Program: Fisheries Science – PhD
Conduct a multi-year research project developing quantitative tools to assist managers in constructing recovery and restoration strategies for Steelhead in California’s Central Valley.

PhD Positions: Investigate Continental Patterns of Riverine Fish Invasions
Clemson University | Clemson, SC
Program: Wildlife & Fisheries Biology – PhD
Perform observational field studies, experiments, and modeling of large datasets to investigate community ecology and fish conservation.

PhD Positions (2): Stream Fish Invasion Ecology
Clemson University & Louisiana State University | Clemson, SC & Baton Rouge, LA
Program: Oceanography & Coastal Sciences – PhD
Investigate continental patterns of riverine fish invasions.

PhD Assistantship: Assessing Effects of BMPs and Land Use in the Chesapeake Bay Basin on Stream Fishes
Virginia Tech | Blackburg, VA
Program: Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences – PhD
Participate in an innovative multi-scale assessment of the effectiveness of widely implemented BMPs in improving physical, chemical, and biotic conditions in streams of the Chesapeake Bay basin.

PhD Positions (5): Social-Ecological Dynamics of Fisheries
Virginia Tech & Indiana University Bloomington | Blacksburg, VA & Bloomington, IN
Program: Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences – PhD
Focus on arapaima fisheries in the Brazilian Amazon including, habitat effects on arapaima movement, effects of fishers’ perceptions on rule compliance in light of community culture, leadership, and institutional arrangements, effects of markets, institutions, and government rules on arapaima management, and effects of habitat and rule compliance on the dynamics of arapaima populations.

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Categories
Assistantships

Environmental Graduate Funding Update – Sep 23, 2020

Below find the latest graduate assistantships and other funding opportunities posted across the web in the last week in ecology, conservation and related environmental fields.

Master’s Opportunities

MS Assistantship – Microbial Ecology and Carbon Cycling of Coastal Alaskan Wetlands
Utah State University | Yukon-Kuskoksim Delta, AK
Program: Ecology – MS
Understand the role of herbivory, climate change, and wetland ecology and management in affecting microbial communities and carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide and methane) exchange in wetlands of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in Alaska.

Stream Ecology MS Research Assistantship Macroinvertebrate Communities in Gulf Coastal Plains Streams of Arkansas
University of Central Arkansas 
| Conway, AR
Program: Biology – MS
Study macroinvertebrate assemblages across Gulf Coastal Plains streams in relation to land use in Arkansas.

Fish Ecology MS Assistantship: Fish Ecology in Gulf Coastal Plains Streams of Arkansas
University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR
Program: Biology – MS
Study variation in fish assemblages across Gulf Coastal Plains streams in relation to land use.

Spacial Ecology MS Position
Colorado State University Pueblo 
| Pueblo, CO
Program: Biology – MS
Monitor a range of species, including golden eagles, using telemetry. Look at a range of disturbance and vegetation treatment effects on community movement.

Graduate Assistant in Urban Sustainability
University of the District of Columbia | Washington, D.C.
Program: Urban Sustainability – PSM 
Assess the current condition and survival of oak trees in the District of Columbia including the evaluation of the presence of pests and pathogens, and measurement of abiotic factors that may negatively impact urban trees.

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MS Assistantship in Applied Forest Ecology
Iowa State University | Ames, IA
Program: Forestry – MS
Work on a continuing study of drought resilience in singleleaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla), the most dry-adapted pine species in North America. Identify traits and strategies that confer seedling tolerance to drought, using common garden experiments that compare performance of seedlings from different populations of origin.

Graduate Opportunity: Community Ecology
University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Baltimore, MD
Program: Geography & Environmental Systems – MS
Focus on community ecology and the factors that promote species coexistence in space and time, both in aquatic and urban ecosystems. Understand the role of native plant biodiversity in enhancing ecosystem services on urban vacant land.

Graduate Research Assistantship in Algal Biology
New Mexico State University | Las Cruces, NM
Program: Molecular Biology – MS
Work on algal biology and ecology projects, with opportunities to (1) study field-reared cultures of the microalga Nannochloropsis and (2) work with industrial partners.

Graduate Position to Join the Evolutionary Neuroecology Group
University of North Carolina Wilmington
| Wilmington, NC
Program: Marine Biology – MS
Study the neuroecology of marine vertebrate vision, centering on topics that include the sensory basis of dynamic skin color change, deep-sea bioluminescence, and the visual ecology of gamefish and whales.

MS or PhD Positions in Aquatic/Fisheries Ecology
Ohio State University | Columbus, OH
Program: Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology  – MS
Conduct research on the following topics: 1) ecology of western Lake Erie’s yellow perch population; 2) ecology of blue catfish and channel catfish in Ohio reservoirs; and 3) impacts of cyanobacteria blooms and hypoxia on Lake Erie’s food webs and fisheries.

MS or PhD Position: Underlying Mechanisms of Phenotypic Plasticity
University of Dayton | Dayton, OH
Program: Biology – Biology – MS, PhD
The student will be expected to develop an independent research program that expands or compliments current research in the lab.

PhD or MS Assistantship: Gizzard Shad Sampling in Reservoirs
Oklahoma State University | Stillwater, OK
Program: Natural Resource Ecology & Management – MS
Develop a protocol for sampling gizzard shad with hydroacoustics and trawls in large highland reservoirs with the freedom to develop project objectives to address larger questions related to forage management or sportfish-prey balance in reservoirs.

MS Research Assistantship to Study Asian Carp Invasion Biology in South Dakota
University of South Dakota | Vermillion, SD
Program: Biology – MS
Document presence/absence and seasonal use patterns of Silver and Bighead Carp in three tributaries of the Missouri River: the Big Sioux, Vermillion, and James Rivers, using acoustic telemetry and environmental DNA (eDNA) and determine if the carp occur upstream of putative barriers on the study rivers.

PhD and Master’s Students in Conservation Science
University of Tennessee Knoxville 
| Knoxville, TN
Program: Ecology & Evolutionary Biology – MS
This growing research program is seeking applications from prospective graduate students in conservation science. Outstanding students interested in either pursuing a Ph.D. or research-based Masters should apply.

MS Research Assistantship Thornforest Restoration
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley |
Brownsville, TX
Program:
Biology – MS
Beginning Jan 2021 (Summer 2021 latest) Seedling conditioning study aimed at enhancing thornforest seedling field performance and restoration success.

MS or PhD Assistantships in Environmental Toxicology
Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX 
Program:
Environmental Toxicology – MS, PhD
Beginning Spring 2021 applicants may conduct research in a variety of areas depending on interest.

Fisheries Ecology MS Graduate Assistantship
Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX
Program: Wildlife, Aquatic & Wildlands Science & Management – MS
Study the ecology of invasive fishes, conduct a population assessment of invasive Bigheaded carps in the Sulphur River as it flows through Texas and Arkansas.

Masters Assistantship Examining Perspectives on Forest Adaptation and Restoration Strategies
University of Vermont | Burlington, VT
Program: Natural Resources – MS
Examine forest stakeholder perspectives on restoration, adaptation, and transition management techniques at fostering forest health and productivity in the face of novel climate, insect, and disease threats.

MS in Biology Studying Plant-Insect Interactions for Species Found in Puerto Rico
Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA
Program: Biology – MS
Study the network structure of various taxonomic and functional groups (pollinators, specialists, introduced species) or in different environments (wet forest vs. dry forest).

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To post a graduate opportunity to our next Funding Update, please email us:
[email protected]
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Doctorate Opportunities

PhD Position: Amphibian Conservation and Synthetic Biology – Australia
University of Melbourne | Melbourne, AUS
Program:
Veterinary Medicine – DVM
Investigate advantageous genetic traits against the disease chytridiomycosis and use that knowledge and synthetic biology to increase disease resistance in declining frog species.

PhD Position in Department of Environmental Studies
University of California Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA
Program: Environmental Studies – PhD
Understand and predict how global environmental changes alter ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as their consequences for human well-being.

PhD Assistantship Studying Fish Transcriptomics
Purdue University |
West Lafayette, IN
Program:
Forestry & Natural Resources – PhD
Conduct studies evaluating the transcriptome responses of Florida Pompano Trachinotus carolinus to different salinities.

PhD Graduate Positions: Evolutionary Ecology
University of Louisville | Louisville, KT
Program: Biology – PhD
Study how populations respond to rapid environmental change and the consequences of adaptation, divergence, and species interactions.

PhD Assistantships in Evolutionary and Microbial Ecology
Louisiana State University | Baton Rouge, LA
Program: Biochemistry – PhD
Use experiments, analysis of existing datasets, and mathematical modeling to understand the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that direct community assembly and ecosystem functions. Explore the eco-evolutionary dynamics in plant microbiomes to predict microbial impacts on plant fitness. Explore the eco-evolutionary responses of plant-microbiome systems to emerging environmental stressors.

PhD Position: Research in the Conservation and Coexistence Group
University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI
Program: Environment & Sustainability – PhD
Develop new and detailed knowledge of tiger movement, space use, and behavior in response to road infrastructure in order to develop effective road mitigation strategies. Other areas of study within the lab are also available.

PhD Position in Plant-Insect Ecology
Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI
Program: Entomology – PhD | Integrative Biology – PhD
Research how heterogeneity—including biological diversity and climate variability—influences interactions among plants, insect herbivores, and predators. Work in natural and agricultural ecosystems and strive to answer fundamental questions that have relevance for agricultural sustainability or global change biology.

PhD Position in Applied Ecology
Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
| Koppang, NOR
Program: Applied Ecology & Biotechnology PhD
Study the influences of habitat and landscape parameters on pine martens. Use available data collected through different Scandinavian research projects to examine factors that influence European pine marten abundance and movements along a gradient from areas dominated by extensive non-forested areas with high anthropogenic influence to larger tracts of relatively undisturbed forest in Norway and Sweden.

PhD Assistantship Studying the Nutritional Ecology of Climate Change: Impacts on Northwest Atlantic Fish
University of New Hampshire | Durham, NH
Program: Biological Sciences – PhD
Work to understand how warming oceans, species distributions, and feeding habits interact to impact the Northwest Atlantic ecosystem.

PhD Graduate Fellowship
Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH
Program: Ecology, Evolution, Environment & Society – PhD
Work at the Dartmouth Organic Farm that borders the Connecticut River and Dartmouth-owned forest, including active maple-sugar bush or on Chinatown urban food supply networks on the east coast. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, critical transition theory, complex hysteretic patterns and land-use change dynamics.

PhD Graduate Assistantship: Quantitative Fisheries Science
Cornell University | Ithaca, NY
Program: Natural Resources – PhD
Contribute to native fish restoration in the Finger Lakes region. Potential projects will be able to leverage acoustic tag telemetry, eDNA, and foodweb modeling to advance understanding of inland lake ecosystem dynamics.

MS or PhD Positions in Aquatic/Fisheries Ecology
Ohio State University | Columbus, OH
Program: Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology  – MS
Conduct research on the following topics: 1) ecology of western Lake Erie’s yellow perch population; 2) ecology of blue catfish and channel catfish in Ohio reservoirs; and 3) impacts of cyanobacteria blooms and hypoxia on Lake Erie’s food webs and fisheries.

MS or PhD Position: Underlying Mechanisms of Phenotypic Plasticity
University of Dayton | Dayton, OH
Program: Biology – MS, PhD
The student will be expected to develop an independent research program that expands or compliments current research in the lab.

PhD or MS Assistantship: Gizzard Shad Sampling in Reservoirs
Oklahoma State University | Stillwater, OK
Program:Natural Resource Ecology and Management – MS
Develop a protocol for sampling gizzard shad with hydroacoustics and trawls in large highland reservoirs with the freedom to develop project objectives to address larger questions related to forage management or sportfish-prey balance in reservoirs.

PhD Graduate Position in Fish Ecology and Conservation
University of Clemson | Clemson, SC
Program: Wildlife & Fisheries Biology – PhD
Work closely with agency ecologists on research aimed to improve barrier removal prioritization for stream fish passage in the Southeastern US.

PhD and Master’s Students in Conservation Science
University of Tennessee Knoxville 
| Knoxville, TN
Program: Ecology & Evolutionary Biology – MS
This growing research program is seeking applications from prospective graduate students in conservation science. Outstanding students interested in either pursuing a Ph.D. or research-based Masters should apply.

MS or PhD Assistantships in Environmental Toxicology
Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX 
Program:
Environmental Toxicology – MS, PhD
Beginning Spring 2021 applicants may conduct research in a variety of areas depending on interest.

PhD Position Understanding the Role of Dust in Catchment Biogeochemistry
Utah State University
| Logan, UT
Program: Watershed Science – PhD
Explore the role of atmospheric dust in watershed biogeochemical cycles and aquatic ecosystems. The project is primarily focused on understanding the fate and mobility of dust within watersheds.

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PhD Graduate Student Positions on the Social-Ecological Dynamic of Fisheries
Virginia Tech/Indiana University | Blacksburg, VA
Program: Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences – PhD
Study the social-ecological dynamics of freshwater fisheries as part of an interdisciplinary project with Virginia Tech and Indiana University.

PhD Position in Seagrass Biodiversity
University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA
Program: Environmental Science – PhD
Study the patterns and drivers of seagrass biodiversity at the Virginia Coast Reserve Long Term Ecological Research Project.

PhD Position in Ecological Synchrony of Kelp Forests
University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA
Program: Environmental Sciences – PhD
Study ecological synchrony in giant kelp forests across California, and Baja California, Mexico.

PhD Position in Plant Functional Ecology and Trait Variance
Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA
Program: Integrative Life Sciences – PhD
Study plant functional ecology and trait variance across spatial and temporal scales using a combination of publicly available data (NEON, FIA, etc.) and field-collected data across our sampling sites in Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Virginia.

PhD Position in Sustainable Agroecosystems
University of Wisconsin-Madison
| Madison, WI
Program: Soil Science – PhD
Investigate the impact of land management strategies on the sustainable production of bioproduct agroecosystems on poor quality agricultural land across the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA.

Categories
Graduate Program Reviews

Student Reviews of Environmental Graduate Programs: PART 1

We wanted to help you learn more about graduate programs in environmental fields. So we asked former students to write firsthand accounts of their graduate program experience.

You can also learn more by searching our directory of 1,300+ environmental Master’s, PhD, and Certificate programs.

Read the program reviews below to gain insight into environmental graduate programs across the United States and abroad.

Program Reviews

[anchor_link section=”section_uh”]UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I AT HILO
[/anchor_link] | Conservation Biology & Environmental Science – MS
[anchor_link section=”section_uf”]UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA[/anchor_link] | Forest Resources and Conservation – MS
[anchor_link section=”section_uwv”]WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY[/anchor_link] |  Wildlife and Fisheries Resources – MS 
[anchor_link section=”section_ut”]TUFTS UNIVERSITY[/anchor_link] | Conservation Medicine – MS
[anchor_link section=”section_ums”]MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY[/anchor_link] | Marine Biology and Coastal Sciences – MS
[anchor_link section=”section_ucs”]COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY[/anchor_link] | Human Dimensions of Natural Resources – MS
[anchor_link section=”section_uwm”]UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON[/anchor_link] | Environmental Conservation – MS 
[anchor_link section=”section_pc”]PRESCOTT COLLEGE[/anchor_link] | Environmental Studies – MS
[anchor_link section=”section_ubg”]BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY[/anchor_link] | Biology – MS
[anchor_link section=”section_vub”]VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL[/anchor_link] | Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management – M.Sc.

 

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Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science – MS

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’I AT HILO | Hilo, HI

“I am writing from my experience in the Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science masters program at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. I participated in the internship track, although this program offers both internship and thesis routes. If you are thesis you need to have an advisor before you start the program and form a committee in your first year. So if you are looking that route, I suggest you reach out to professors and labs as you turn in your application. The internship route gets appointed one advisor for the whole internship track and you gain mentors as you start working with your internship organization.

My first year in the internship program was the first year they revamped the requirements. You are required to take 10 internship credits of courses and complete a 600 hour professional internship experience alongside your course load totaling 36 credits. When you get accepted to the program, and in your first year, you work with the advisor to find an internship organization. Your internship can be on island, or abroad. I would start looking up organizations and make connections asap when you are applying, as some students found it harder than others to find an internship after their first semester.

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Overall, I was happy with my experience. I got to learn about Hawaii’s culture and ecosystems while earning my masters degree in two years.

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This track is great for people who want to be natural resource managers. If you want to be a researcher or professor, I suggest the thesis route.

At times this experience was frustrating being the first cohort to go through the new program. Now that this will be the 3rd year of the revamped program, some formatting and issues have been adjusted or brought to light to benefit the students. If you are looking to go this route, my advice would be: 1. Be your own advocate, get your name out there, and be open to opportunities, 2. Respect Hawaiian culture and land, and do your best to educate yourself before coming to Hawaii, 3. Get funded, out of state tuition is CRAZY expensive (over 1,000 a credit) so search for scholarship and funding opportunities beforehand.”

– Student Graduate |  2020


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Wildlife and Fisheries Resources – MS

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY | Morgantown, WV

“My experience at WVU as a grad student from 2015-2017 was very positive. I found the program fairly robust and was able to complete a graduate certificate in GIS and Spatial Analysis in addition to my M.SC. A definite bonus as my undergraduate school didn’t provide exposure to GIS applications for resource Management.

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The faculty were fair and worked with students to balance their scholastic and research commitments.

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My advisor Jim Anderson was hands off in a good way for me. He allowed me to pursue my project on my own and left it up to me to initiate check-ins and seek resources. He also took me on with no funding and allowed me to create my own project, helped me find funding, and placed me as a TA in a separate department to make sure I was financially supported. He also supported me to attend conferences both internationally and nationally. This mentorship worked well for me and I loved having Jim as an advisor.

My favorite thing about the program was my cohort. We had a great group dynamic and among the wildlife, fisheries, and forestry grad students. There was no competitive nature among us and we supported each other through coursework, assisted on each others’ research, and spent a lot of time together socially. The school has a chapter for the Wildlife Society, American Fisheries, and Society for Conservation Biology which were open for both undergrad and graduate students alike to participate in.

Overall I felt that the courses I took supported me in my professional career and I have built a strong network through my time and experience with the WVU Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Department.”

– Program Student | Graduated 2020


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Forest Resources and Conservation – MS

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA | Gainesville, FL

“I received my masters of science online through UF in Forest Resources and Conservation/Natural Resource Policy (non-thesis) and I felt it was a great choice for me. Although the program was non-thesis, I did have the opportunity to write a substantial research paper in lieu of a final exam. My advisory board was extremely supportive and even helped me edit my paper so that I might one day be able to publish it. I was also given many opportunities to travel to campus in order to help with hands-on research, teaching experiences, and special summer courses in the field.

By pursuing an online degree, I was able to continue living and working part-time were I was. I was also able to save a ton on tuition as the distance program allows students to pay an in-state tuition rate. Plus, with all necessary coursework online I was able to create a flexible schedule that worked best for me and the education I received was amazing. Within this program you are also able to pursue a concentration in several areas of study such as policy, GIS and technology, and aquatic sciences.

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Overall I would highly recommend this program to place-bound students or anyone looking to pursue a higher degree without having to dedicate their entire life (or bank account) to it.

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The education I received was on par with other masters programs and I had no trouble finding a higher paid position upon graduating.”

– Student Graduate |  2019


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Conservation Medicine – MS

TUFTS UNIVERSITY | Medford, MA

“I received my masters of science in Conservation Medicine at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts. While this degree is non-thesis you still have a case study or research paper to present which can be upwards of 40 pages, but you also have the option to do your own original research and submit this for publication. There are a variety of opportunities to collaborate on research projects if you are looking to be published, you can also audit and take classes that the veterinary students are taking if you are interested. There are also a lot of laboratories that are happy to have students that are eager to learn.

The faculty is very receptive and they give you their full attention while you are a student. You are also required to do an externship and work in the field for 4-6 weeks. This is usually something that is your choice and helps you hone in on your personal interests.

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Some students use this opportunity to go abroad and work with a particular species or a particular topic that highlights their passion.

[/horizontal_quote]

Overall the Conservation Medicine Program is One Health focused. This program is about a year or so long and is very immersive but there are opportunities for hands-on training both in the laboratory and in the field that are integrated into your curriculum. The schedule does allow you to work part-time while you are matriculated but I would suggest waiting, if possible, until the second half of the program before exercising that option.

I was a non-traditional student and the cohort is comprised of roughly 18 students that vary in ages and disciplines. In the past, the range of students have been anything from veterinarians from other countries to students right out of completing their undergraduate degree. The curriculum has a great GIS course and you grow to become very comfortable with making maps very early on even if you have little to no experience.

I enjoyed the experience and was able to find work before officially graduating. Much like any program, this program is what you make of it and how driven you are to seek out opportunities and build your skills. Overall, the Conservation Medicine program has given me the tools to be more competitive in the field of conservation Medicine.”

– Program Student | Graduated 2019


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Marine Biology and Coastal Sciences – MS

MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY | Montclair, NJ

“The program was originally called Aquatic and Coastal Sciences. It’s a fairly new program only started by one professor in the 2000s.

That being said if you don’t align with the professor’s research studies, you would have a harder time doing the program. Let’s just say our whole curriculum only had a couple mandatory biology and marine biology course, mostly environmental science courses. Even the marine biology courses were mainly focussed on the different overall water ecosystems, not even going that specific in any marine life. It definitely changes your perspective and outlook on what you want to do in the future! It allows you more options when you are looking for jobs. From my point of view, it seems that the whole university is concentrating more on building up its environmental science programs than it is marine biology. Now, it’s slowly gaining momentum by having more people applying and one more professor joining the program!

In conclusion, I guess the reason why the program is not as “on par” as other programs is because the university in not near a huge body of water and the job market up here in the Northeast is either geared towards science education or environmental consultancy.

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In all, if you are the person that thinks with a bigger picture in mind and would like to dabble into other disciplines then this school can be for you!”

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– Program Student | Graduated 2019


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Human Dimensions of Natural Resources – MS

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY | Fort Collins, CO

“Overall I had a very good experience at Colorado State University. I received my MS from this program in 2004 when the department was called Natural Resources Recreation and Tourism. They have since changed their name to Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. When I attended, the department was heavily focused on natural resource recreation and protected area management. I think the department has further diversified since it changed names but my understanding is that it’s still very strong in these areas.

This department is housed within CSU’s College of Natural Resources which is great because it also includes very strong departments in forestry, wildlife biology, and other fields. So as a grad student, I got access to a wide range of high quality courses and faculty across the fields of natural resources. For me, this was helpful because I had no background at all in ecology or natural resources before starting the program. And I was able to get broad exposure to a variety of topics both within the department and outside.

[horizontal_quote]

It helped me figure out what I was interested in and prepared me for multiple job pathways which my career ultimately took.

[/horizontal_quote]

I completed my Masters in 2 years but I combined my schooling with 2 years in the Peace Corps as part of the Masters International program. This was an option of the program and Peace Corps at the time – I’m not sure if it’s still available. There wasn’t much practical benefit of combining my Master’s and the Peace Corps other than the timing worked better for me.”

– Program Student | Graduated 2004


[section id=”section_uwm”][/section]

Environmental Conservation – MS

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON | Madison, WI

“This program really packs a lot of information into a small amount of time! If you do your due diligence and keep up with the readings (which can be extensive), you can learn a lot in the 15-months you’ll spend here. Just be ready to dedicate a lot of time to coursework, because the three semesters that you spend taking classes will be busy. 

As is the case with many graduate programs (I suspect), some classes teach more useful skills than others.

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I found the Conservation Planning and GIS courses to be some of the most challenging yet most valuable courses available to students.

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This is a cohort-based leadership program, so you will spend a lot of time working with the ~30 other students in the program with you. I really enjoyed the support and diversity of viewpoints this structure offered. 

Opportunities to specialize in this program are limited, as you only have two elective courses you can choose and the rest are all required for the program. So if you’re looking for something that will let you dig into a specific research question or discipline, I would recommend exploring some thesis-based options. 

What this program offers is a set of practical skills that you will get to put into practice during your last summer semester, when you join a conservation organization somewhere in the world to complete a capstone project (this is another opportunity to specialize, as you have a decent amount of input in choosing where you go).

The one cautionary note I would offer is that some of the classes are pretty easy if you approach them from a homework standpoint, and it can be tempting to skate through. Don’t – you’ll get out exactly what you put in. Overall, I enjoyed my time in the program and grew professionally as a result of attending.”

– Program Student | Graduated 2020


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Environmental Studies – MS

PRESCOTT COLLEGE | Prescott, AZ (Online)

“I transferred to Prescott at the end of my degree program, attending one semester of classes and one semester to write my capstone. Everyone I spoke to and worked with genuinely desired my success, and both faculty and administration answered my many questions in a timely manner. In my capstone experience, they are very flexible in guidelines and requirements. So much so that I thought the process was too easy at times. The department was revising their guidelines during my time there, but I received conflicting information on the requirements and submission process and was never given nor could find a concise list of directions for the capstone process. That being said, they did work with me and I submitted and graduated without any issues.” 

– Program Student | Graduated 2020


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Biology – MS

BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY | Bowling Green, OH

“I attended Bowling Green State University (BGSU) from 2018 to 2020 pursuing a MS of Life Sciences. BGSU is a middle sized college in Northwest Ohio where there are lots of research opportunities and the majority of graduate students are paid to go in exchange for Research Assistantships or Teaching Assistant positions. There is a lot of money in water quality research (as well as Ichthyology opportunities) due to many grants being established after the toxic algal bloom in Lake Erie in 2014 which shut off water access to Toledo. There are many opportunities for land based research based on the rare ecosystem of the Oak Openings nearby, especially regarding the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly. There are also sizable opportunities for microbiology research at BGSU but as an ecologist, I did not have much crossover or experience with the people in those programs and am unqualified to talk about the quality of said programs.

While this school is very good for students to not go into debt while attending, I had a very mixed experience there. Being a Teaching Assistant can be immensely frustrating due to poor communication if you teach some of the entry level courses, and some Faculty members expect you to take on multiple research roles past your graduation research if you are a Research Assistant which should not be the case. I have only the nicest things to say about fellow graduate students I work with but many of the faculty at BGSU have problems with elitism, minimal Ivory Tower perspective, and can be openly verbally abusive. There are many excellent faculty members, but it is not wrong to say the worst experiences color the rest of your time there. 

I am thankful for the opportunity to graduate without further debt, but in my own, highly specific situation, had a very negative experience at BGSU. I give my personal experience at BGSU a 3/10 but recognize the majority of students in the program probably have a 7-8/10 experience. Parts of what lead to my negative experience was that I switched advisers at the end of my first year due to disproportionate, unwarranted verbal abuse. It is something where I was unable to do due diligence research about the adviser and research opportunity available as I was working a minimum wage retail job and could hop into grad school in 2 weeks or work retail for another year. Warning signs were there (other students told me to never share anything personal with my adviser as it would be used as a guilt bargaining tool), but I chose to ignore them as I believed I could make it work. 

If I could go back in time, I would have waited another year, but hindsight is 20/20 and it was the right decision at the time. I would wager the vast majority of students with positive experiences did not sort of fall into the position like I did. I know students who did have negative experiences in normal situations (especially when they are appointed a committee member they don’t get along with), but like I said, i’d say the average graduate student has a 7-8/10 experience. I do believe my 3/10 is the exception and not the rule at BGSU.”

– Program Student | Graduated 2020


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Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management – M.Sc. 

VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL | Brussels, Belgium

“Length: 2 years, about 1.5 years of classes and a full-length European thesis (~10 pages – like a paper submission) 

Pros: First and foremost, tuition is dirt cheap. Even as a non-EU international student tuition is about $2,000/year. Second off, the program has a wide range of available courses and spans a ton of topics. You can choose between 4 focuses (Global Change Impacts on Ecology and Biodiversity, Conservation Biology and Ecosystem Management, Environmental Impact and Remediation, Marine and Lacustrine Geosciences). For the thesis you have almost unlimited options between the 3 universities and multiple departments involved. The program (aside from COVID19 in 2020) is super hands-on. Multiple weeks on a Belgian government RV, probably 10-15 educational field work trips each year and a week on the North coast of France learning coastal ecology field techniques. We missed it this year but, most years this is a huge selling point of the program. 

Cons: Studying in Europe is different. While graduate students in the US are treated like junior-faculty, grad students in Europe are treated more like advanced students. There is a lot less guidance and there is little to no communication. For this program in particular, the program directors are a little in over their head and can’t handle the students they have in their program. It’s sort of a “one-size-fits-all” feel which sucks. Also, Belgian students (and Dutch students) are treated as sort of superior to other international students – a complaint common among Belgian universities. 

Conclusion:

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Overall, VUB’s Oceans and Lakes is a good option if you want to prepare yourself for a PhD in Marine Sciences, ecology, wildlife science etc, but also want to take advantage of an opportunity to live and study in Europe.

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If you are easily upset by having a lack of communication, organization and often inefficient structure, this program probably isn’t for you. If you are self-sustaining and you can push through that kind of thing, this program has a lot of perks.”

– Program Student

 

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