Sunday, September 29, 2013

Post Doc: Freshwater Macroecology


Post Doctoral Research Associate in Freshwater Macroecology
School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
University of Washington

Overview:  The Freshwater Ecology and Conservation Lab at the University of Washington seeks a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher. Applicants will develop a collaborative research project with the Principal Investigator that falls broadly within in the area freshwater macroecology or conservation biogeography, and can be tailored to the interests of the successful applicant. Examples of potential research areas include traits-based ecology, trophic organization and food webs, modeling species distributions, forecasting the effects of environmental changes on invasive species and biodiversity, species rarity, conservation planning and (dis)assembly rules. The applicant will have excellent opportunities to work with existing species, trait and environmental databases that span a hierarchy of spatial scales from streams to watersheds to continents to the world.

The successful applicant will be advised by Dr. Julian Olden at the University of Washington, and may work closely with collaborators in other countries. The position will be funded initially for one year, with one or more years of additional funding available, contingent upon performance. Additional funds will be available to support collaborative research endeavors. The Freshwater Ecology and Conservation Lab contains an extremely cohesive mix of graduate students, post-docs and staff.  Quite simply: we play hard and work even harder … and are looking for the same in the applicant.  More information see: http://depts.washington.edu/oldenlab/.

Qualifications: PhD in ecology, zoology, biogeography or related field. Priority will be given to applicants that exhibit strong quantitative modeling and communication skills, proven expertise with GIS and database management, demonstrated excellence in the publication of peer-reviewed papers, and a proven record of working both independently and in a team.

Location:  The position will be located within the School of Aquatic and Fishery Science (SAFS) (http://fish.washington.edu/). SAFS is the leading aquatic and fisheries department globally, and includes 40 faculty and 125 graduate students, and about 90 administrative and research staff. Faculty, staff and students have access to myriad aquatic habitats and rich biological resources, and are involved in interdisciplinary partnerships with other academic programs, as well as public and private organizations and environmental and regulatory agencies.  Seattle is a vibrant and progressive city with ample opportunities for recreation and city-living

Start date: Spring or Summer 2014

Contact: Interested candidates should submit (1) a brief 2-page description of research interests, research project idea, and future career goals, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) most influential publications (PDF), and contact information for at least three references to: Dr. Julian Olden, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington at olden@uw.edu. Screening of applicants will occur in Fall 2014 and will continue until a suitable candidate is found. UW is an equal opportunity  employer and actively seeks diversity among its employees.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

PhD position - Tropical Ecology and Conservation lab (FIU)

The Tropical Ecology and Conservation lab (http://www2.fiu.edu/~kfeeley/) in the Department of Biological Sciences at FIU(http://biology.fiu.edu/) (Miami Florida USA) is seeking a doctoral student to conduct his/her dissertation research as part of an NSF-funded program on “Understanding range limits and plant migration in response to climate change in neotropical montane forests” (a collaboration between K.J. Feeley of FIU, M. Silman of WFU, P. Meir of U. Edinburgh, and ABERG http://www.andesconservation.org/).

Research will involve field measurements of plant performance under experimental environmental manipulations in the tropical Andean cloudforests of Manu National Park, Peru (http://www.flickr.com/groups/aberg/), and will focus on the integration of field data into demographic and distribution models.  In addition to research, the graduate student will assist in outreach and k-12 environmental education activities in collaboration with the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (http://www.fairchildgarden.org/).

 Preferred candidates will have already completed a Master’s degree in ecology or another related discipline; have previous field research experience; have strong analytical and modeling skills; be fluent in R, English, and Spanish; and be highly motivated and personable.  If interested, please send an email with a CV, a letter describing research interests and experiences, GRE scores (and TOEFL scores if applicable) and contact information for 3 professional references to Ken Feeley (kjfeeley@gmail.com). Minority and international students are very strongly encouraged to apply.

The deadline for receiving letters of interest is November 15th 2013.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

3rd meeting of the Network for Neotropical Biogeography


3rd meeting of the
Network for Neotropical Biogeography
Space, Time, Form and Genes

Universidad de los Andes
Bogotá, Colombia
January 9–10, 2014
Pre-conference workshops Jan. 7–8

Organizing committee:
Santiago Madriñán, Carlos D. Cadena, Andrew J. Crawford, Camila Gonzalez, Emilio Realpe, James E. Richardson, Juán Armando Sánchez, and Pablo R. Stevenson

Format:
The meeting will consist of single session for all participants in a large  auditorium (4 keynote addresses, 8 senior researcher talks, 16 postdocs/student  talks). There will be 4 half-day workshops (for registered participants) at no additional charge on January 7–8. There will be pre- and post-meeting field trips for participants (prior registration and fee).

Space:
The meeting will be held in an auditorium with a 218 person capacity.  Workshops will be held in lecture rooms with computers.  Area for posters and coffee breaks near auditorium.

Budgetary issues:
Registration fees: USD $150; student (subsidised) rate USD $50.  Travel and accommodation are the responsibility of participants.

See for more information: http://nnb3.uniandes.edu.co/nnb3/NNB3.html