Graduate Student Opportunity – WSU Pullman Goldberg Lab

The new Goldberg Lab in the School of the Environment at Washington State University in Pullman is accepting one to two M.S. students starting in the Spring 2015 semester. The School of the Environment at WSU is a new interdisciplinary unit that includes earth, environmental, and natural resource sciences.

Research in the Goldberg Lab focuses on the use of genetic tools to address applied questions in spatial ecology. Ongoing projects include studies of gene flow and the development and application of environmental DNA methods for detecting rare species across the U.S. and internationally. Our new facilities are fully outfitted and include a lab dedicated to the handling of environmental DNA samples.

M.S. Projects: The detection of vertebrates using environmental DNA is a new technique with enormous potential for contributing to the conservation and management of amphibians. Projects will involve using eDNA to map distributions of sensitive amphibians and forecast the fine-scale distribution of these species under scenarios of climate and landscape change. One of the anticipated projects also includes analyzing gene flow between species and across landscapes. Summers will be spent camping in California, Oregon, and/or Nevada while collecting samples. A significant amount of time during the year will be spent in the lab analyzing those samples.

Funding: These projects are collaborative with federal agencies and are expected to have 3 semesters of RA and one semester of TA support. Lab supply and field transportation expenses will be provided.

Who should apply: Candidates with an interest in using genetic techniques to understand amphibian ecology that hold a Bachelor’s degree in wildlife, biology, or related field and have experience working independently in remote field settings, especially in hot, dry, and/or high elevation conditions. Work may require extensive hiking, backpacking, and operating a 4WD vehicle. Experience with clean lab practices, DNA extraction, and PCR, as well as catching and handling frogs, is preferred but not required.

Please send a single .pdf containing cover letter, CV (including GRE scores), unofficial undergraduate transcript, and contact information for 3 references to Caren Goldberg at caren.goldberg at wsu.edu. Review of applications will begin 27 October 2014.