Master’s Assistantships: Plant-herbivore Interactions – Apply by Jan 1

The Preisser Lab at the University of Rhode Island, as part of a collaborative NSF-funded research project with Colin Orians (Tufts University) and John Orrock (University of Wisconsin), is seeking two students for M.S. work in plant-herbivore ecology beginning in fall 2022. Full funding (including two summers) will be provided as a combination of research and teaching assistantships. Applicants should be independent, highly motivated, and possess research and/or field experience. The project addresses plant-herbivore interactions in sugar maple by exploring how herbivore cues alter the growth, chemistry and susceptibility of sugar maple seedlings and saplings. Specifically, we are interested in how plant responses to herbivore cues change as a function of plant age and whether these cues trigger defensive responses in seedlings that may help older plants survive subsequent attack. Opportunities also exist to develop related predator-prey and plant-herbivore projects. Detailed information about my lab is available at https://web.uri.edu/preisserlab/.

Prospective students should contact me (preisser@uri.edu) and provide a short description of research interests and accomplishments, a CV (including GPA; the Graduate School requires a 3.0 GPA for admission) and contact information for three references. I will contact suitable candidates to discuss potential graduate projects and to set up interviews. Formal review of applications will begin January 1, 2022, but interested students should contact me ASAP.