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Seeking Masters Student

Posted: 
11/15/2020
Expiration Date: 
01/15/2021

I am seeking a masters student* interested in community ecology, landscape ecology, and/or ecosystem ecology to start in my research group in fall 2021. I will be establishing a research program at Simon Fraser University (metro Vancouver, Canada) including (1) fieldwork based in British Columbia, with a focus on watersheds; (2) geostatistical modeling of ecosystem function; (3) data synthesis; and (4) simulation-based modeling of landscapes and animal movement. Much of my research has a spatial perspective. Candidates interested in any (or multiple) of these approaches are particularly encouraged to apply, but I have very broad interests in ecology and am happy to discuss other research topics as well. I am excited to collaborate with students on research ideas that inspire them.

I value diversity and seek to build an inclusive lab. As one of the first group members, you will have a crucial role to play in building lab culture and defining our values. International students and those from under-represented groups are encouraged to apply.

Our group will be part of the School of Environmental Science and the Department of Resource and Environmental Management, both of which are interdisciplinary settings. The student would enroll in the Master of Resource Management Thesis Stream at Simon Fraser University. Information about the program, which is course-based for the first year, can be found here, and admission criteria here (deadline: January 15).

Masters students will receive $21,000 per year in compensation (normally for two years). It is expected that a portion of this will come from teaching assistantships, particularly in the second year, and that students will apply for appropriate fellowships/scholarships. Funding from TAships and fellowships will be complemented with my research funding.

I understand that we are in the middle of a pandemic and it’s a very challenging time for everyone. I certainly hope that the world is in a better place by fall 2021, but regardless, I will discuss with the successful applicant how I can best support them and what are reasonable goals and expectations in the times of COVID.

To express your interest, get more information, or ask questions about my mentorship approach, please email your CV, a short description of your research interests, and a note about your career goals to chelsea.little.does.ecology AT gmail.com.

* I most likely will take only one masters student this cycle. In the spirit of transparency: I would love to have a PhD student start this fall, but I do not yet have grant funding. Thus, I can only take a PhD student if you have (or can get) fellowship funding for multiple years of your PhD. Otherwise, I will need to wait until spring/summer 2021, when I have a better idea of my lab budget, to decide whether to advertise a PhD position.