The Bo Zhang Lab in the Department of Integrative Biology at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, is keen to recruit two bright and highly motivated graduate students (one M.S. and one Ph.D.) to join our lab in Spring 2022 or Fall 2022. We are interested in understanding and predicting how environmental heterogeneity and species movement affect ecological dynamics at regional and global scales via scaling up individual behaviors and interactions between organisms and their environments. We combine mathematical modeling and laboratory experiments with the nematode worm, C. elegans.
The objective of this project is to develop a novel set of theoretical predictions to identify the optimal movement strategies in heterogeneous environments. Further, these theoretical predictions will be rigorously tested using the C. elegans laboratory system. The M.S. student will mainly participate in experimental studies of understanding how organisms should move in heterogeneous and changing environments. The Ph.D. student will conduct both experimental and modeling projects. Students will also be encouraged to develop their projects under the lab’s general interest.
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Salary/Benefit: Graduate students are supported by teaching assistantships, research assistantships, or fellowships. Graduate teaching assistantships are readily available, and the 9-month stipend is $19,944 (for M.S. students) and $23,175 (for Ph.D. students).
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Qualifications: Applicants should have: 1) A B.S. in biology, ecology, or a related field; 2) An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. The ideal candidate will have previous laboratory experience with C. elegans, or general wet lab experience. A willingness to learn computer programming is also preferred.
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Applications: I strongly recommend interested candidates contact me directly. Applicants should create a single PDF with the filename containing both the first and last names of the applicant. That PDF should be sent to Dr. Bo Zhang at bozhang@okstate.edu before October 15, 2021. The PDF must contain: 1) A brief statement of research interest; 2) Curriculum Vitae or resumé; and 3) Names and contact information for three professional references. We no longer require GRE scores, although they can be included if available. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
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Location and facilities: Oklahoma State University is classified as R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The university is a land grant institution with an enrollment of about 25,000 students located midway between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The Department of Integrative Biology takes an integrative approach to research in organismal biology, focusing on increasing our knowledge of organisms and their environments through studies ranging from the molecular to the ecosystem levels. We have a friendly and collegial department with a very active graduate student community. Our faculty work in areas of ecology, evolution, behavior, physiology, and ecotoxicology.