Ph.D. Research Assistantship

Dr. Yi Qi’s lab (www.qispatial.com), Dr. Andrew Little’s lab (https://wildlifeecologylab.unl.edu/), and Dr. Dan Uden’s lab (https://go.unl.edu/z2ta) at the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) are seeking one motivated Ph.D. student to conduct interdisciplinary research on wildlife ecology, spatial science and conservation. The student will join an interdisciplinary research project on identifying and prioritizing habitat for ring-necked pheasant conservation and management in agriculturally dominated landscapes of Nebraska. The student will have access to state-of-the-art facilities and collaboration with scientists at UNL and state agencies. We are especially looking for students with backgrounds or interests in the following topics:

• Landscape and wildlife ecology
• Remote sensing and image analysis
• Geographic information systems and spatial data analysis

Dr. Qi’s lab is focused on cross-scale characterization and modeling of ecosystem processes and structure, especially vegetation functional traits, plant diversity and ecosystem production using remote sensing, GIS, and spatial data science. Dr. Little’s lab focuses on developing innovative solutions to the growing wildlife conservation and management needs in multi-functional landscapes where there are competing interests for agricultural production, wildlife conservation, and ecosystem services.

Salary

12 month/per stipends with health insurance and tuition waiver (student is responsible for fees). Funding is available for four years, pending good performance.   

Start Date

Spring 2021 (classes begin on Jan 25, 2020) 

Qualifications

M.S. in wildlife ecology, natural resources, ecology, geography, or closely related field. Specialization or coursework in Remote Sensing/GIS is preferred. Experience in programming, quantitative analysis and field work are desirable. 

To Apply

Applicants must create a single document (e.g., a Word or pdf document) and the name of the file must contain the applicant’s first and last name.  Application document must include:

1. A cover letter that articulates their interest pursuing an advanced degree
2. Curriculum Vitae with a list of three references and their email addresses
3. Unofficial transcripts
4. Unofficial TOEFL/IELTS scores (international students only)

Send file to yi.qi@unl.edu. Applications will be screened as they are received. Formal application to UNL is required subsequent to selection of the successful candidate. For information about the School of Natural Resources, visit: https://snr.unl.edu.  Contact Dr. Yi Qi (yi.qi@unl.edu) with general questions about the assistantship.