PhD Assistantship in Modeling the Spread of Invasive Species at NC State University

The Biological Invasions Lab at North Carolina State University seeks a creative, motivated Ph.D. student with an interest in spatial data sciences to join a team modeling the spread of invasive species. The position will begin Fall 2020 and is funded for four years at $25,000/year, plus benefits and tuition support, through the cutting-edge Ph.D. program in Geospatial Analytics offered by NC State’s Center for Geospatial Analytics (geospatial.ncsu.edu).

The selected applicant will join a research group focused on interactive near-term forecasting of landscape and environmental change, with emphasis on collaborating with stakeholders to explore what may happen in the future under different scenarios. The student will be actively involved in projects sponsored by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to build tools to quantify at-risk areas and inform decisions regarding invasive pest and pathogen management. The student will be encouraged to develop research questions and a project tailored to their unique interests and career goals.

The Center for Geospatial Analytics at NC State is an internationally recognized hub for interdisciplinary data scientists pushing the boundaries of spatial data science to advance discovery and inform real-world decision-making.Students in the Ph.D. program receive multidisciplinary advising and the opportunity to work with over thirty  faculty fellows with diverse expertise from over a dozen departments across NC State. Students also engage in experiential learning through an off-campus professional internship.

To apply, complete the application at grad.ncsu.edu/apply by February 1, 2020. Applicants should hold a degree in data science, plant science, ecology or a related discipline. Experience with programming in R and Python is desired.

For more information about the position, contact Ross Meentemeyer (rkmeente@ncsu.edu) and include a copy of your CV. Additional details about the Ph.D. program in Geospatial Analytics and complete application instructions are available at go.ncsu.edu/geospatial-phd. Interested students are also encouraged to contact Rachel Kasten, Graduate Services Coordinator (rachelkasten@ncsu.edu or 919-515-2800), with questions about the program or to explore additional opportunities.