Graduate Assistantship, Nanomaterials and Aquatic Food Webs Agency: Baylor University, Aquatic Ecology Lab Location: Waco, TX and Durham, NC website: baylor.edu/aquaticlab Salary: $21,000-$28,000/y (stipend) Start Date: 08/15/2015 Last Date to Apply: 01/25/2015 Description The Aquatic Ecology Lab (baylor.edu/aquaticlab) at Baylor University is seeking applicants for a graduate assistantship related to the study of the environmental implications of manufactured nanoparticles on aquatic food webs. The student would start in Fall 2015. Applicants should apply to the MS or PhD program in Biology (baylor.edu/biology/index.php?id=68415). The prospective student will conduct research as part of a large NSF-funded collaborative coined the Center for Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT; ceint.duke.edu/), uniting Baylor, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, and others major research universities. The Center is exploring the relationship between a vast array of nanomaterials and their potential environmental exposure, biological effects, and ecological impacts (ceint.duke.edu/news/grant-further-study-nanotechnology-environmental-impact). The Aquatic Ecology Lab at Baylor is collaborating on experiments that are designed to assess impacts of nanoparticles on aquatic ecosystems, particularly food webs. The NSF-funded award lasts through 2018. The student will participate in outdoor experiments at the Duke University mesocosm facility (wetlands) and the Baylor Experimental Aquatic Research (BEAR) mesocosm facility (streams; baylor.edu/aquaticlab/index.php?id=869250). The studies will focus on the effects of environmentally realistic concentrations of nanoparticles, particularly those most widely used and/or pose the greatest risk, on aquatic community structure, food web dynamics, and other related ecological endpoints. Baylor affords outstanding research and teaching facilities. The Aquatic Ecology Lab is housed in the 500,000 sq. ft Baylor Sciences Building and recently moved into new expansion space to accommodate growth of the lab. Student offices are situated adjacent to the lab and other aquatic teaching and research labs, most notably the Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research (baylor.edu/crasr), an analytical laboratory supporting a suite of water, soil, and tissue chemical analyses. A stable-isotope mass spectrometer lab is also down just down the hall, one of several multi-user shared facilities offering state-of-the-art instrumentation. Off campus, the 180-acre Lake Waco Wetlands (lakewacowetlands) supports our new Baylor Experimental Aquatic Research (BEAR) outdoor stream facility, one of the largest and most realistic experimental stream facilities in North America. Baylor offers excellent financial support for qualified applicants. Annual stipends range from $21,000-28,000, with the higher stipends awarded to top applicants. Stipends are awarded to students for up to 5 years, assuming the student remains in good standing in the department. Admission also includes full tuition remission (up to a 20 credits per year), health insurance benefits (80% of cost of premium covered; cost to student ~$450/y in 2015), and additional funding opportunities to travel to professional meetings. Qualifications Applicants should possess an M.S. degree (preferred for PhD applicants) or substantial undergraduate research experience (for MS applicants), GRE Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning scores at or above the 70th percentile, GRE Analytical Writing score of 4.5 or greater, and undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) GPA of 3.5 or higher. Applicants also must possess a U.S. drivers license. Please review additional departmental admission guidelines (baylor.edu/biology/index.php?id=68418). If you meet these criteria and are considering applying, please send an email describing your background and interests to Dr. Ryan S. King ([email protected]). No application will be considered without previous interaction by email and telephone/skype with Dr. King. Complete applications need to be submitted to the Graduate School by January 25, 2015 to be eligible for all-expenses paid campus visit for the most qualified applicants. Applications will not be considered after February 15, 2015. Contact Person: Ryan S. King Contact eMail: [email protected]
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 02:53:16 +0000