Graduate Student / Scientific Aid Opportunity – Humboldt State University

A joint MS Student/Scientific Aide position with the Humboldt State University (HSU) Department of Wildlife and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is available to a qualified prospective student and employee beginning in January 2016. The student will be responsible for developing and executing an MS thesis research project focused on studying the effects of removal of introduced trout on trophic interactions between trout, the Cascades Frog (Rana cascadae), and garter snakes (Thamnophis). Knowledge of field natural history, mark-recapture methodology, and wilderness field experience are paramount to successful execution of this project. The project provides an opportunity for a student to develop a deeper understanding of ecological interactions, restoration, data analysis, and field experiments. The project also provides a serious opportunity for professional development in the context of a project that involves partners from state and federal agencies and academia. The study site is a remote high-elevation lake basin in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, Trinity County, California, can be reached only via significant travel on foot (6 miles and 4000 feet of elevation gain), and provides only limited contact with the outside world for extended periods of time (there is no cell phone service).

The successful applicant will join Dr. Daniel Barton’s population ecology lab as an MS student and work as a Scientific Aide with Justin Garwood for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and must be admitted to the College of Natural Resources and Sciences Master’s Program (http://www.humboldt.edu/wildlife/masters.html and http://www.humboldt.edu/cnrs/grad-programs/natural-resources). The successful applicant will be financially supported by regular work duties for the CDFW as a Scientific Aide during the field season, and via part-time teaching or research duties during the academic year. The position does not currently include a tuition waiver (this is less important for many California state residents that file a FAFSA; see resources on HSU’s website about the State University Grant).

This is a general solicitation for applications to the HSU MS position – application to the CDFW Scientific Aide position will be conducted by submitting the State of California’s standard State Application Form to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Please contact Dan Barton (daniel.barton@humboldt.edu) or Justin Garwood (justin.garwood@wildlife.ca.gov) for additional information. Priority will be given to inquiries that demonstrate commitment to beginning graduate student in January 2016. The application deadline for submitting materials (application, transcripts, GRE scores, and letters of reference) to the HSU MS in Wildlife program for January 2016 admission is September 30.