Graduate Positions at the DendroLab
Applications are invited for two Master of Science (M.S.) positions and for one Doctoral (Ph.D.) position that are currently available in the DendroLab (http://dendrolab.org/), Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science (https://www.unr.edu/nres), University of Nevada, Reno (http://www.unr.edu). M.S. Position #1 (starting in Spring 2020) – The graduate student will be involved in a project aimed at understanding wildfire-climate interactions in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) stands of the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts. This position is funded for two years, with no more than one year provided by a teaching assistantship. The successful applicant will help expand results obtained in previous fire history and climate studies conducted by DendroLab personnel in collaboration with the Fish and Wildlife Service as well as other land management agencies in Nevada and surrounding states. M.S. Position #2 (starting in Fall 2020) – The graduate student will be involved in a project aimed at understanding growth history and stand dynamics of curl-leaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) in Nevada. The project will use a combination of tree-ring and radiocarbon techniques to obtain reliable information on growth rates and climatic sensitivity of this species, while also examining how it performs when released from pinyon-juniper competition. This position is funded for two years as a research assistantship. The successful applicant will help uncover information on an intriguing component of Great Basin ecosystems in collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management as well as other natural resource agencies in Nevada and surrounding states. Ph.D. Position (starting in 2020, either Spring or Fall) – The graduate student will be involved in a collaborative project with the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona to determine the past behavior of river discharge, evapotranspiration, and snow-water equivalent by applying a combination of multiple tree-ring variables, both annual and seasonal, and water balance modeling. Collection and analysis of tree-ring data will focus on the Truckee-Carson watersheds spanning the eastern Sierra Nevada and western Great Basin, and laboratory analyses will be performed at the UNR DendroLab using classic as well as innovative techniques. This position is funded for three years as a research assistantship. The successful applicant will help expand the field of dendrohydrology in new directions aimed at improving uncertainty estimates and sensitivity analysis, with an emphasis on innovation and discovery in connection with the Paleo Perspectives on Climate Change program of the US National Science Foundation. Financial support for each position includes a monthly stipend, support for travel to scientific meetings, field and laboratory analyses, and most of the tuition fees. Applicants for a M.S position should have an undergraduate degree in biology, wood science, hydrology, ecology, climatology or a related field. Applicants for the Ph.D. position should have a graduate degree in biology, wood science, hydrology, ecology, climatology or a related field, as well as experience in writing and publishing at least one peer-reviewed article. Ideal candidates should have a quantitative background and a specific interest in tree-ring records of growth-climate relationships, stand dynamics, wildfire and drought histories. Candidates need to apply for graduate admission on-line (https://www.unr.edu/grad/admissions), and will become eligible for the position after being accepted in one of the following graduate programs: Master of Science in NRES (https://www.unr.edu/nres/graduates/natural-resources-ms) or Environmental Sciences (https://www.unr.edu/esh/degrees/ms); Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences (https://www.unr.edu/degrees/environmental-sciences/phd) or Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology (https://www.unr.edu/eecb/degree-and-admissions/phd). The UNR website also includes information for international applicants (https://www.unr.edu/oiss/prospective-international-students). For questions or additional details on the position, please contact Prof. Franco Biondi (fbiondi@unr.edu, +1 775 784-6921).