Graduate Research Assistantships on the environmental data revolution: Project STOICH
The NSF-funded Stoichiometric Traits of Organisms In their Chemical Habitats (STOICH) team is recruiting applicants for 7-8 graduate student positions for Summer/Fall 2021 across three different institutions. Our interdisciplinary team will combine tools emerging from the data revolution and the ecological stoichiometry framework to advance our understanding of how the supply of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other essential elements constrain ecological, environmental, and evolutionary processes in aquatic ecosystems. We are building a national database of biogeochemical, food web, and organismal traits relevant to stoichiometry in aquatic ecosystems. Students will receive training in data science and team science as they develop relevant dissertation/thesis projects, and will interact with a diverse team including ecologists, biogeochemists, evolutionary biologists, data scientists, and artists. We aim to foster the development of a diverse group of trainees, and we particularly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups.
Student applicants will join graduate programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Drs. Jessica Corman and Steve Thomas), the University of Wyoming (Drs. Sarah Collins, Amy Krist, and Katie Wagner), or the University of Central Arkansas (Dr. Hal Halvorson). More information about each position is available below. These positions are funded by the National Science Foundation EPSCoR Track-2 program. More information on our specific project can be found here.
All PIs on the project are happy to field inquiries about individual positions and we encourage you to contact us. General questions about the project can be directed to: [email protected]. To apply, please 1) fill out the standard coversheet: link, and 2) submit your CV and a 1-2 page statement of interest to [email protected]. Applications should be submitted by March 15, 2021 for full consideration. We anticipate that positions will start in Summer or Fall 2021.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Ph.D. and M.S. students – mentor: Dr. Jessica Corman (https://ecostoich.weebly.com/)
The graduate student research assistants at UNL will assist with systematic data collection, extraction, and analysis from existing datasets related to aquatic ecosystem stoichiometry. The students will identify their own research interests related to the themes of coupled elemental cycles, biogeochemical cycles, and/or ecosystem metabolism. Potential research areas include exploring spatial and temporal trends in stoichiometric signatures across aquatic ecosystems, constraints on nitrate concentrations in managed vs unmanaged watersheds, or linking carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles to other essential elemental cycles. The students will have the opportunity to conduct empirical work related to supplemental data collection for the STOICH database.
M.A. student in Art History and the Environmental Humanities – mentor Dr. Katie Anania
This student will work with multiple research clusters for the STOICH project in order to create a series of workshops, Art, Data, and Environment/s, (ADE/s), at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The workshops will facilitate partnerships between artists and scientists involved with the project to create frameworks for graphic communication related to Ecological Stoichiometry. Over the first three semesters of the grant leading up to a Year 2 workshop in Nebraska, the MA student will organize a subset of undergraduate and graduate scientists to engage in guided conversations with undergraduate and graduate student artists and designers, exploring available tools for data visualization and scientific translation. Students interested in contemporary art history, graphic design, or science studies are encouraged to apply.
University of Wyoming: http://www.uwyo.edu/pie/
Ph.D. student - mentor Dr. Amy Krist (https://www.uwyo.edu/krist/)
Effects of resource stoichiometry on intraspecific variation in aquatic ecosystems
The student will work within the context of our large project integrating data on aquatic ecological stoichiometric data in the STOICH database, and will be part of a large, diverse, multidisciplinary team. The student will assist with systematic data collection, extraction, and analysis from existing datasets relevant to ecological stoichiometry and also have the opportunity to conduct empirical work to supplement the data synthesis. The student will identify their own research interests related to the effects of resource stoichiometry on intraspecific variation in aquatic ecosystems. Potential research topics include effects of resource stoichiometry on host-parasite interactions, intraspecific variation in genome size, organismal stoichiometry, and local adaptation of life history traits.
Ph.D. student – mentor Dr. Catherine Wagner (cewagnerlab.com)
The evolution and assembly of stoichiometric traits in animal communities
This student will use community datasets combined with information about environmental and organismal stoichiometry and phylogenetic data to seek to better understand 1) how stoichometric traits evolve and 2) the influence of stoichiometric traits on community assembly processes. The student will work within the context of our large project integrating data on aquatic ecological stoichiometric data in the STOICH database, and will be part of a large, diverse, multidisciplinary team. There is considerable room for motivated students to shape research directions based upon individual interests within this research context.
Ph.D. student - mentor Dr. Sarah Collins (https://sarahmcollins.weebly.com/)
Consumer-resource stoichiometry in aquatic food webs
This PhD student will assist with systematic data collection, extraction, and analysis from existing datasets relevant to water quality and consumer-resource stoichiometry in aquatic food webs. The student will identify their own focal interests related to the themes of coupled elemental cycles, biogeochemical cycles, and/or food web ecology. As a component of their thesis, the student will also have the opportunity to develop field surveys or lab experiments in Wyoming to supplement the data synthesis. Example research questions could include comparisons of stoichiometric imbalances in “green” vs. “brown” food webs, assessing land-use effects on consumer-resource stoichiometry, analyzing stoichiometric changes along the river continuum, or linkages between carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles.
University of Central Arkansas: https://uca.edu/biology/msbiology/
M.S. student – mentor: Dr. Hal Halvorson (www.halvorhalvorson.com)
Consumer-resource stoichiometry in aquatic food webs
The M.S. research assistant at UCA will assist with systematic data collection, extraction, and analysis from existing datasets relevant to water quality and consumer-resource stoichiometry in aquatic food webs. The student will identify their own focal interests to prioritize data integration, in collaboration with the STOICH team, to construct a national public database on ecological stoichiometry. As a component of their thesis, the student will also have the opportunity to develop field surveys in aquatic systems of Arkansas to supplement the data synthesis. Example research questions may encompass comparisons of stoichiometric imbalances in “green” vs. “brown” food webs, assessing land-use effects on consumer-resource stoichiometry, or analyzing stoichiometric changes along the river continuum, among others.
The NSF-funded Stoichiometric Traits of Organisms In their Chemical Habitats (STOICH) team is recruiting applicants for 7-8 graduate student positions for Summer/Fall 2021 across three different institutions. Our interdisciplinary team will combine tools emerging from the data revolution and the ecological stoichiometry framework to advance our understanding of how the supply of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other essential elements constrain ecological, environmental, and evolutionary processes in aquatic ecosystems. We are building a national database of biogeochemical, food web, and organismal traits relevant to stoichiometry in aquatic ecosystems. Students will receive training in data science and team science as they develop relevant dissertation/thesis projects, and will interact with a diverse team including ecologists, biogeochemists, evolutionary biologists, data scientists, and artists. We aim to foster the development of a diverse group of trainees, and we particularly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups.
Student applicants will join graduate programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Drs. Jessica Corman and Steve Thomas), the University of Wyoming (Drs. Sarah Collins, Amy Krist, and Katie Wagner), or the University of Central Arkansas (Dr. Hal Halvorson). More information about each position is available below. These positions are funded by the National Science Foundation EPSCoR Track-2 program. More information on our specific project can be found here.
All PIs on the project are happy to field inquiries about individual positions and we encourage you to contact us. General questions about the project can be directed to: [email protected]. To apply, please 1) fill out the standard coversheet: link, and 2) submit your CV and a 1-2 page statement of interest to [email protected]. Applications should be submitted by March 15, 2021 for full consideration. We anticipate that positions will start in Summer or Fall 2021.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Ph.D. and M.S. students – mentor: Dr. Jessica Corman (https://ecostoich.weebly.com/)
The graduate student research assistants at UNL will assist with systematic data collection, extraction, and analysis from existing datasets related to aquatic ecosystem stoichiometry. The students will identify their own research interests related to the themes of coupled elemental cycles, biogeochemical cycles, and/or ecosystem metabolism. Potential research areas include exploring spatial and temporal trends in stoichiometric signatures across aquatic ecosystems, constraints on nitrate concentrations in managed vs unmanaged watersheds, or linking carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles to other essential elemental cycles. The students will have the opportunity to conduct empirical work related to supplemental data collection for the STOICH database.
M.A. student in Art History and the Environmental Humanities – mentor Dr. Katie Anania
This student will work with multiple research clusters for the STOICH project in order to create a series of workshops, Art, Data, and Environment/s, (ADE/s), at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The workshops will facilitate partnerships between artists and scientists involved with the project to create frameworks for graphic communication related to Ecological Stoichiometry. Over the first three semesters of the grant leading up to a Year 2 workshop in Nebraska, the MA student will organize a subset of undergraduate and graduate scientists to engage in guided conversations with undergraduate and graduate student artists and designers, exploring available tools for data visualization and scientific translation. Students interested in contemporary art history, graphic design, or science studies are encouraged to apply.
University of Wyoming: http://www.uwyo.edu/pie/
Ph.D. student - mentor Dr. Amy Krist (https://www.uwyo.edu/krist/)
Effects of resource stoichiometry on intraspecific variation in aquatic ecosystems
The student will work within the context of our large project integrating data on aquatic ecological stoichiometric data in the STOICH database, and will be part of a large, diverse, multidisciplinary team. The student will assist with systematic data collection, extraction, and analysis from existing datasets relevant to ecological stoichiometry and also have the opportunity to conduct empirical work to supplement the data synthesis. The student will identify their own research interests related to the effects of resource stoichiometry on intraspecific variation in aquatic ecosystems. Potential research topics include effects of resource stoichiometry on host-parasite interactions, intraspecific variation in genome size, organismal stoichiometry, and local adaptation of life history traits.
Ph.D. student – mentor Dr. Catherine Wagner (cewagnerlab.com)
The evolution and assembly of stoichiometric traits in animal communities
This student will use community datasets combined with information about environmental and organismal stoichiometry and phylogenetic data to seek to better understand 1) how stoichometric traits evolve and 2) the influence of stoichiometric traits on community assembly processes. The student will work within the context of our large project integrating data on aquatic ecological stoichiometric data in the STOICH database, and will be part of a large, diverse, multidisciplinary team. There is considerable room for motivated students to shape research directions based upon individual interests within this research context.
Ph.D. student - mentor Dr. Sarah Collins (https://sarahmcollins.weebly.com/)
Consumer-resource stoichiometry in aquatic food webs
This PhD student will assist with systematic data collection, extraction, and analysis from existing datasets relevant to water quality and consumer-resource stoichiometry in aquatic food webs. The student will identify their own focal interests related to the themes of coupled elemental cycles, biogeochemical cycles, and/or food web ecology. As a component of their thesis, the student will also have the opportunity to develop field surveys or lab experiments in Wyoming to supplement the data synthesis. Example research questions could include comparisons of stoichiometric imbalances in “green” vs. “brown” food webs, assessing land-use effects on consumer-resource stoichiometry, analyzing stoichiometric changes along the river continuum, or linkages between carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles.
University of Central Arkansas: https://uca.edu/biology/msbiology/
M.S. student – mentor: Dr. Hal Halvorson (www.halvorhalvorson.com)
Consumer-resource stoichiometry in aquatic food webs
The M.S. research assistant at UCA will assist with systematic data collection, extraction, and analysis from existing datasets relevant to water quality and consumer-resource stoichiometry in aquatic food webs. The student will identify their own focal interests to prioritize data integration, in collaboration with the STOICH team, to construct a national public database on ecological stoichiometry. As a component of their thesis, the student will also have the opportunity to develop field surveys in aquatic systems of Arkansas to supplement the data synthesis. Example research questions may encompass comparisons of stoichiometric imbalances in “green” vs. “brown” food webs, assessing land-use effects on consumer-resource stoichiometry, or analyzing stoichiometric changes along the river continuum, among others.
