[ES_JOBS_NET] PhD in Climate Change Mitigation Assessment (MSU)

[Courtney Siegert]

The Department of Forestry in the College of Forest Resources at
Mississippi State University is seeking applicants for a funded Ph.D.
research assistantship. The successful candidate will be advised by Dr.
Austin Himes and work closely with many other faculty members in the
Department of Forestry to assess the climate change mitigation potential of
afforestation practices under the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

The student will be working on a multi-disciplinary research project
monitoring and collecting samples from CRP forest sites across the
southeastern U.S. Forest inventory measurements and destructive biomass
sampling will be combined with terrestrial LiDAR scans, high-resolution
point dendrometers recording tree diameter growth and allometric models to
improve estimates of carbon sequestration and storage by trees in these
systems. Additionally, soil samples and greenhouse gas measurements will be
taken at each site to account for other major carbon pools and fluxes. All
field data will be used to calibrate key parameters of the DayCent model
and estimate the climate change mitigation potential of the CRP tree
plantings within the study region.

The successful candidate will be expected to lead a team of field
technicians in data and sample collection, process soil and gas samples in
the laboratory, analyze data and communicate results through multiple
peer-reviewed journal articles, presentations at national and international
scientific conferences and reports to project partners. The position starts
January 1st, 2022. This is a 4-year position that includes an annual
stipend of $20,000, tuition waiver and insurance.

Required qualifications:

   - Ability to meet all admission requirements of the Department of
   Forestry Graduate Program
   - Valid driver’s license or ability to get one • Masters degree in
   forestry, natural resources, environmental science or related field
   (exceptional students with B.S. may be considered)
   - Demonstrated excellence in English (written and oral) communication
   - Willingness to drive long distances for field work with multiple
   consecutive overnight stays
   - Ability to walk long distances encumbered with 30+ pounds of gear and
   conduct field research in challenging conditions

Preferred qualifications:

   - Experience and/or strong interest in quantification and modeling of
   carbon stocks and fluxes
   - Experience or willingness to learn R-statistical software, python or
   other coding languages
   - Familiarity or interest in learning USDA NRCS sampling protocol and
   FIA protocol
   - Experience writing peer-reviewed journal publications

Information about the Department of Forestry at Mississippi State
University as well as admissions criteria can be found at
https://www.cfr.msstate.edu/forestry/index.asp and
https://www.grad.msstate.edu/. Interested candidates should contact Dr.
Austin Himes by emailing a cover letter explaining your interest and
qualifications for the position, a resume/CV, unofficial transcripts and
contact information for 3 references. If you have taken the GRE general
test, please provide your unofficial results with your resume/CV.

Successful applicants will be required to apply to the Graduate School at
Mississippi State University. Review of applications will begin immediately
and continue until the position is filled. The application deadline for
2022 spring enrollment is December 1 (domestic) and October 1
(international).

MSU is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will
receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color,
religion, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity),
national origin, disability status, age, sexual orientation, genetic
information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic
protected by law. We always welcome nominations and applications from
women, members of any minority group, and others who share our passion for
building a diverse community that reflects the diversity in our student
population.

Contact Information:
Austin Himes, Ph.D.
Department of Forestry
Mississippi State University
Box 9681
Mississippi State, MS 39762

Office: 353 Thompson Hall
E-mail: austin.himes at msstate.edu
Phone: (662) 325-4249
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