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Ph.D. research assistantships available |
Several Ph.D. graduate research assistantships are available to investigate the eco-hydrology and spatial ecology of rivers and streams for students wishing to pursue studies in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences at Montana State University, Bozeman, under the direction of Dr. Geoffrey Poole, who will begin his position on the MSU faculty on September 1, 2008. These research assistantships commence in August of 2008 for highly motivated and creative students with excellent quantitative skills.
Research questions will be developed by the students. However, two basic premises tie together the research conducted by Geoff and his students:
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Channel topology, floodplain morphology, and stream discharge regime combine to determine patterns of water movement within river networks, across floodplain surfaces, within alluvial aquifers, and between channels and underlying hyporheic zones (e.g., Poole 2002; Poole et al. 2006).
Specifically, Ph.D. students will pursue research questions under one of three broad research topics:
- Elucidating geomorphic and hydrologic controls on habitat diversity and biotic processes (e.g., biogeochemistry, productivity/respiration, greenhouse gas emissions) in floodplain ecosystems. Research questions under this topic will build a foundational, quantitative understanding of the role of geomorphology and hydrology in controlling nutrient and carbon cycling in surface and groundwater in floodplain ecosystems. This work will support the SaRON project, which is investigating the influence of marine-derived nutrients (borne by anadromous salmon runs) on freshwater floodplain ecosystem productivity around the Pacific Rim.
- Developing novel, agent-based modeling approaches to simulate transport and biotic uptake of solutes from stream channels and hyporheic zones of gravel-bedded streams. Research questions under this category will build upon ongoing research at the Tenderfoot Creek Study Site to test and perfect novel approaches to modeling interactions among geomorphology, hydrology, and biogeochemistry in stream ecosystems. Research will focus on continued development of the Waterborne Resource Exchange Network (WREN – an agent-based stream ecosystem model stream hydrology and biogeochemistry), using extensive existing data sets collected on the Tenderfoot site along with new field studies designed to support model development and application.
- Linking geomorphology and hydrology to fish habitat diversity and utilization in mainstem rivers of Montana. Research questions under this category will focus on understanding how channelization of rivers and floodplains (e.g., straightening, dredging, diking, filling) alters patterns of ground and surface water exchange and imparts associated changes in fish habitat such as temperature, structural diversity, and productivity. The research will be aimed at producing novel guidance to improve geomorphic restoration of naturally anabranched gravel- and cobble-bedded alluvial rivers common throughout Montana, the intermountain West, and the Pacific Northwest.
Students will be based at Montana State University in beautiful Bozeman, Montana – an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise! Research techniques will be highly quantitative, involving simulation modeling, GIS analysis, and/or remote sensing, coupled with ample opportunities for field data collection and laboratory analysis including analytical chemistry.
 Successful applicants will be highly self motivated and creative problem solvers. As members of large, collaborative, and interdisciplinary research teams, students must possess outstanding interpersonal skills. Students will be expected to author manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals throughout their graduate studies; thus, excellent writing skills are requisite.
Stipends are typically $22,000-$25,000 per year ($16,000 to $19,000 per year in salary with tuition costs also covered), although these amounts could be negotiated for truly outstanding applicants. Students can also expect active support to seek fellowships and pursue other funding sources to augment student income.
Students will participate in a new campus-wide Ph.D. program in Ecology and Environmental Sciences at Montana State University. This program is jointly administered by the Department of Ecology and the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences. The program draws on the talents of faculty from departments and colleges across campus to provide students with the support necessary to address truly interdisciplinary research questions in the environmental sciences. Although students will need to apply to the graduate program at Montana State University, potential applicants are encouraged to contact Geoff before applying to the graduate program. Please read the overview of graduate studies Geoff has prepared, which describes his approach to mentoring graduate students and provides tips and information on how to apply for graduate research assistantships in his lab.
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Opportunities 
