Applications are invited for a graduate student assistantship (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) now available in the Ecosystem Studies Group at the UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) in Solomons, Maryland (umces.edu/cbl). The position will focus on developing numerical models to support understanding of estuarine ecosystems as a component of a larger interdisciplinary research project. We seek highly motivated applicants with demonstrated problem-solving and quantitative skills. Review of applications begins immediately with an anticipated start date of January 2015. Oyster Reef Modeling: The student will work to further develop an existing advection-diffusion model simulating particle capture on an oyster reef to also include ecosystem processes relevant to estuarine nitrogen cycling. This project complements an ongoing empirical research program to study oyster reef restoration in the Choptank estuary, which is one of two sites in NOAA’s North Atlantic Region selected as a Habitat Focus Areas under NOAA’s Habitat Blueprint. Communication skills will be valued to facilitate productive collaborations with field researchers, and some experimental work may be expected as a component of the modeling effort. Experience with Matlab programming is a plus. Applications: Graduate students at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory matriculate through the Marine Estuarine & Environmental Sciences (MEES) graduate program at the University of Maryland. Details about the program can be found at: mees.umd.edu/. For more information regarding the position, please contact Dr. Lora Harris ([email protected]) and Dr. Jeremy Testa ([email protected]) by e-mail. Prospective students should send a cover letter, CV, and the names and contact information of three references (including email and phone) to [email protected] with GRA-LH in the subject line.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 17:04:10 +0000