M.S. Graduate Research Assistantship: Prescribed fire and oak forest birds (USA)

The Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Oklahoma State
University announces a Graduate Research Assistantship beginning Jan. 2015.
The successful applicant will take the lead on a project to study the long-
term effects of prescribed fire on ground-dwelling birds in upland oak
forests of central Oklahoma. In this transition zone between eastern forests
and central grasslands, fire frequency can have dramatic effects on
vegetation, litter, and coarse woody debris.  We are interested in
vegetation structure and arthropod availability at the ground level as
mechanisms to explain avian community composition along a gradient of fire
frequency. The GRA will manage this project, overseeing all data collection
and taking the lead on analysis and manuscript preparation in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Science degree in NREM. The
GRA will be co-advised by Drs. Steve Hallgren and Tim O’Connell.

Compensation: Full project support for two years including non-resident
tuition waiver, 30–36-hour tuition remission, field housing and travel
costs, OSU insurance, and annual stipend of $15,504.

Qualifications: B.S. in wildlife ecology or related discipline, GPA > 3.3,
combined GRE > 1100 (>300 for 2011 revised scores), English fluency, and a
valid U.S. driver’s license. Desired experience: Excellence in written and
oral communication; proven ability to identify eastern U.S. songbirds by
song and call; solid quantitative background and comfort in study design and
statistics; maturity, responsibility and dedication to meticulous field work
despite harsh conditions; leadership in supervision of 1–2 field
technicians.

For consideration, please send the following via email to
tim.oconnell@okstate.edu:  1) cover letter expressing interest in and
suitability for the position, 2) CV or resume, 3) names and contact
information for at least 3 references, 4) unofficial transcript and GPA, and
4) unofficial GRE scores. Documents should be attached as MS Word files or
pdfs. Please do not submit a formal application to the Department unless
requested to do so.  Applications will be accepted until 31 August 2014.