PhD Assistantship at the University of Montana

Ph.D. Research Assistantship is available in the Wildlife Biology Program at The University of Montana. Research will focus on the conservation and management of humpback whales relative to shipping and cruise tourism in Alaska. The study will utilize a variety of field-based efforts with spatial modeling to better understanding the dynamics between ships and whales. Student will conduct surveys of whales from the bow of cruise ships as part of a long-term study in and near Glacier Bay National Park, and utilize a variety of data sets and simulations to make inferences and predictions regarding best management and operation conditions of ships. Student should have strong quantitative skills (spatial modeling using GIS, R, ADMB or other relevant software is preferred), an interest in wildlife conservation, and an ability to work independently. The student should also meet the minimum requirements for admission to the graduate degree program in Wildlife Biology at The University of Montana. Interested students should send a cover letter describing your interest and relevant experience, CV, unofficial transcripts, GRE scores, and contact information for 3 references to Dr. Paul Lukacs (paul.lukacs@umontana.edu). For more information about the Wildlife Biology Program at UM see http://www.cfc.umt.edu/WBIO and for Dr. Lukacs’ lab see http://www.cfc.umt.edu/lukacslab.