FUNDED GRADUATE STUDENT POSITIONS
I aim to recruit 2 PhD students and potentially 1 MSc student to start September 2022. Applications are due by the end of January 2022.
Prospective applicants meeting any two of the following criteria are encouraged to contact me:
I am open to students proposing their own projects relevant to the lab's focal research areas, including biogeography, biodiversity conservation, community ecology, invasive species ecology, and landscape ecology. Example publications from our lab can be found here.
Some potential research projects:
1. Generating and testing predictions about fungal range and co-compatibility among ectomycorrhizal host plant species. (Experiments / Field observations / Computational)
2. Generating and testing predictions about geographic variation in the alpha and gamma (species pool) diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi (especially across Canada). This project includes the potential to foster a collaborative, pan-Canadian, coordinated survey. (Field observations / Computational)
3. Leveraging a unique, province-wide dataset, and collecting new data in the field (e.g. functional trait data), to test hypotheses about stochastic and deterministic drivers of geographic variation in the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of plants in British Columbia’s forest ecosystems. (Field observations / Computational)
4. Critically evaluating transparency and reproducibility in landscape ecology research, and using simulations / a “virtual ecologist” approach to assess the reliability of commonly employed analytical techniques, including evaluating the implications of “researcher degrees of freedom” on the reliability of research outcomes. (Computational)
5. Using spatially-explicit simulations to explore how spatial landscape structure, dispersal, and niche properties (e.g. niche breadth) interact to influence efficacy and interpretability of paleoenvironmental reconstructions and species distribution models.
6. Critically evaluating transparency and reproducibility in research on invasive species management, and providing recommendations for future work
PhD students in Biology are guaranteed a minimum stipend of $21K per year, and MSc students a minimum of $17.5K per year.
Diversity and inclusion:
Science and society benefit from diverse ideas and backgrounds. Our lab values diversity in all its facets, and I encourage inquiries from individuals belonging to any under-represented group.
Guidelines for prospective applicants:
Prospective applicants are asked to first consult the general information provided at the Biology Graduate program webpage. Then contact me by email (jason <dot> pither [at] ubc <dot> ca) by December 10th (2021) and include (i) a brief cover letter describing your research interests, relevant experiences, and academic / career goals (PDF format), (ii) an unofficial copy of your latest transcript/grades, and (iii) your up-to-date CV (PDF format). I will review applications and reach out to candidates by email before December 15th to arrange Zoom meetings. Please do not submit a formal application to UBC until being contacted by me.
Preference will be given to citizens and permanent residents of Canada.
Although we provide a guaranteed minimum stipend, students are expected to seek additional sources of external funding (e.g. NSERC), and to be competitive for internal grants available at UBC.
General information about grad studies at the campus and in biology:
UBC Okanagan Biology graduate program
Graduate School at UBC Okanagan
I aim to recruit 2 PhD students and potentially 1 MSc student to start September 2022. Applications are due by the end of January 2022.
Prospective applicants meeting any two of the following criteria are encouraged to contact me:
- previous field- and / or lab-based research experience
- good experience in coding (especially in "R")
- a commitment to implementing reproducible research methods
I am open to students proposing their own projects relevant to the lab's focal research areas, including biogeography, biodiversity conservation, community ecology, invasive species ecology, and landscape ecology. Example publications from our lab can be found here.
Some potential research projects:
1. Generating and testing predictions about fungal range and co-compatibility among ectomycorrhizal host plant species. (Experiments / Field observations / Computational)
2. Generating and testing predictions about geographic variation in the alpha and gamma (species pool) diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi (especially across Canada). This project includes the potential to foster a collaborative, pan-Canadian, coordinated survey. (Field observations / Computational)
3. Leveraging a unique, province-wide dataset, and collecting new data in the field (e.g. functional trait data), to test hypotheses about stochastic and deterministic drivers of geographic variation in the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of plants in British Columbia’s forest ecosystems. (Field observations / Computational)
4. Critically evaluating transparency and reproducibility in landscape ecology research, and using simulations / a “virtual ecologist” approach to assess the reliability of commonly employed analytical techniques, including evaluating the implications of “researcher degrees of freedom” on the reliability of research outcomes. (Computational)
5. Using spatially-explicit simulations to explore how spatial landscape structure, dispersal, and niche properties (e.g. niche breadth) interact to influence efficacy and interpretability of paleoenvironmental reconstructions and species distribution models.
6. Critically evaluating transparency and reproducibility in research on invasive species management, and providing recommendations for future work
PhD students in Biology are guaranteed a minimum stipend of $21K per year, and MSc students a minimum of $17.5K per year.
Diversity and inclusion:
Science and society benefit from diverse ideas and backgrounds. Our lab values diversity in all its facets, and I encourage inquiries from individuals belonging to any under-represented group.
Guidelines for prospective applicants:
Prospective applicants are asked to first consult the general information provided at the Biology Graduate program webpage. Then contact me by email (jason <dot> pither [at] ubc <dot> ca) by December 10th (2021) and include (i) a brief cover letter describing your research interests, relevant experiences, and academic / career goals (PDF format), (ii) an unofficial copy of your latest transcript/grades, and (iii) your up-to-date CV (PDF format). I will review applications and reach out to candidates by email before December 15th to arrange Zoom meetings. Please do not submit a formal application to UBC until being contacted by me.
Preference will be given to citizens and permanent residents of Canada.
Although we provide a guaranteed minimum stipend, students are expected to seek additional sources of external funding (e.g. NSERC), and to be competitive for internal grants available at UBC.
General information about grad studies at the campus and in biology:
UBC Okanagan Biology graduate program
Graduate School at UBC Okanagan
