PhD opportunity - non-perennial stream microbial ecology
This PhD student will lead independent and participate in collaborative research to learn how stream drying and rewetting at different spatiotemporal scales affects microbial diversity, abundance, and function in relation to water quality and nutrient export. The cross-site research involves a significant field work component in direct collaboration with teams of hydrologists, biogeochemists, and microbial ecologists from other universities, and in addition, the PhD researcher will be responsible for laboratory data collection, data analysis, and dissemination in the scientific literature. Expected field sites include locations in Kansas, Idaho, and the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, and the field research will be complemented by laboratory experiments on tolerance limits of microorganisms collected and isolated from the field sites. The opportunity is fully funded by NSF grants with support from the KSU Division of Biology. Anticipated start timing for this position is Summer 2023, with graduate course responsibilities beginning in Fall 2023. Contact Dr. Zeglin at lzeglin@ksu.edu for more information: Please include in this email a copy of your current CV, a brief statement of your professional background, and a brief statement of your career goals and how they align with the project. Full applications for the Biology Graduate Program at KSU are due December 15, 2022 (LINK).
PhD opportunity - Soil Microbial biodiversity and Health
This PhD student will lead independent research on soil health and biodiversity shifts resulting from different rangeland and crop nutrient management systems. The researcher will be responsible for field sample collection alongside NRCS staff and KSU technicians, laboratory data collection and analysis, and data interpretation and dissemination. The project involves field work at grazed, annually burned, and unmanaged (not grazed or burned) tallgrass prairie soils, and cropped soils under different cover crop and fertilizer schedules, in northeast KS, USA; laboratory work and data analysis on soil biogeochemical and microbiological measurements including microbial marker gene and metagenomic functional gene sequencing; and communication of results in the scientific literature and translation to broader management audiences in other venues. This is a standalone project, however, the PhD student will have the opportunity to collaborate with other lab members and local researchers on related work. The opportunity is fully funded by the USDA NRCS with support from the KSU Division of Biology. Anticipated start timing for this position is Summer 2023, with graduate course responsibilities beginning in Fall 2023. Contact Dr. Zeglin at lzeglin@ksu.edu for more information: Please include in this email a copy of your current CV, a brief statement of your professional background, and a brief statement of your career goals and how they align with the project. Full applications for the Biology Graduate Program at KSU are due December 15, 2022 (LINK).
postdoc opportunity - microbial community and ecosystem ecology
This postdoctoral research associate will lead independent and coordinate collaborative research to advance understanding of large ungulate grazer influences on grassland soil fertility, by assessing the structure and function of N-cycling microorganisms in tallgrass prairies from centimeter to regional scales. This 2-year position is part of a larger 5-year NSF-funded project, and the postdoctoral researcher will be responsible for synthesis of an existing time series of data, as well as independent field observational and experimental sample collection, data collection, analysis and dissemination. The project involves field work at bison-grazed, cattle-grazed, and ungrazed field sites across the Flint Hills, KS and OK, USA, laboratory work and data analysis on soil biogeochemical and microbiological measurements including microbial marker gene sequencing, and communication of results in the scientific literature and translation to broader audiences (e.g., public and private rangeland managers, high school students) in other venues. Anticipated start timing for this position is Summer 2023, and the application due date for priority consideration will be December 15, 2022. Read the full ad here (LINK; pdf), and contact Dr. Zeglin at lzeglin@ksu.edu for more information.
