The Wagner Lab at the University of Wyoming is recruiting a PhD student to work on integrating ideas in evolutionary biology and ecological stoichiometry as part of the NSF-funded grant, Stoichiometric Traits of Organisms In their Chemical Habitats (STOICH) project (https://stoichproject.org/). Specifically, the student will work on topics related to the evolution and assembly of stoichiometric traits in animal communities. We will use community datasets combined with information about environmental and organismal stoichiometry and phylogenetic data to better understand 1) how stoichometric traits evolve and 2) the influence of stoichiometric traits on community assembly processes. The student will work within the context of our large, multi-institutional project integrating data on aquatic ecological stoichiometric data in the STOICH database, and will be part of a diverse, multidisciplinary team. There is considerable room for motivated students to shape research directions based upon individual interests within this research context. The student will work on diverse taxa, including macroinvertebrates and fishes, with opportunity to connect with several study systems that are the focus of work in the Wagner Lab and labs of STOICH project collaborators.    

The Wagner Lab is committed to diversity and inclusion and particularly welcomes applications from historically underrepresented individuals. The University of Wyoming has strong research programs in ecology and evolutionary biology across multiple departments, including Botany, Zoology and Physiology, Ecosystem Science and Management, Plant Sciences. The student will join UW’s Program in Ecology and Evolution, an interdepartmental PhD program. The university is located in Laramie, a community that is nestled between the Laramie and Snowy Mountain ranges, which offer ample opportunity for skiing, climbing, hiking, and mountain biking. Laramie has a relatively low cost of living, is close to field sites across a wide variety of vegetation types from mixed grass prairie to alpine tundra, rivers and lakes, and is within easy driving distance of Colorado’s Front Range corridor (Fort Collins, Boulder, and Denver).

To express interest in the position, please email Dr. Catherine (“Katie”) Wagner (catherine.wagner@uwyo.edu) with the subject line “STOICH PhD Position” and include a CV and cover letter detailing your research background and motivation for interest in working on this project. Inquiries are welcome until the position is filled, but applicants are encouraged to write to express interest in the position before the end of December.