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PhD Assistantship

Posted: 
11/15/2021
Expiration Date: 
02/22/2022

Title: PhD Assistantship - How methods to suppress an invasive fish affect Yellowstone Lake water quality
Agency, Location: Department of Zoology and Physiology, and Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming
Stipend: $22,860 stipend per year, plus tuition waiver and health insurance 
Applicate Due Date: 1 February 2022

Responsibilities: The Department of Zoology and Physiology and the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database at the University of Wyoming has a position available for an PhD student to investigate lake metabolism, nutrient cycling, and plankton dynamics in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park after >20 years of suppressing invasive lake trout to conserve native Yellowstone cutthroat trout.  The student will work closely with Yellowstone National Park’s Native Fish Conservation Program to address how lake trout suppression changed the lake’s water quality.  The student will spend summers collecting data at Yellowstone Lake and the remainder of the year at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.  The student will begin in August 2022.  The project is fully funded including stipend, tuition and health insurance for 3 years.  

Qualifications: Students with a strong research background in aquatic ecology will be given first consideration.  Superior applicants will have well-rounded backgrounds in aquatic ecology with an emphasis on nutrient cycling, metabolism and plankton identification.  Desirable qualifications include demonstrated analytical chemistry, quantitative and writing skills, extensive field experience, and the ability to work as part of a research team in an extremely remote location within Yellowstone National Park. Applicant must have strong interests in conserving native trout, advancing science to mitigate for invasive, nonnative fishes and working with natural resource agencies and stakeholders. Selection will be based on GPA, experience, previous achievements and letters of recommendation.  

Contact: To apply, please send an email to Dr. Lusha Tronstad (tronstad@uwyo.edu) with one document that contains the following: (1) cover letter describing credentials and professional goals; (2) curriculum vitae; (3) email address and phone number for three references; and (4) a copy of university transcripts. Formal application to the graduate program at University of Wyoming, including official transcripts, is required subsequent to selection of the successful candidate. Inquiries about the position are welcome.

Links:
http://www.uwyo.edu/wyndd/
http://www.uwyo.edu/zoology/
https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/fishing.htm