PhD in Quantitative Forest Ecology
We are currently looking for a Ph.D. student to start August 2025 (beginning of fall semester)!
The student will contribute to ongoing research on the development of models to advance understanding and prediction of forest responses to global change. Research outcomes will be used to help inform adaptive management and forest conservation. The position offers a unique opportunity to gain research experience at the intersection of forest ecology and management and applied statistics. Specific research projects will depend on the student’s interests, but should align with the overall research goals of the lab (see research page for examples).
Students should have a background in natural science preferably in any one of the following fields of forestry, ecology, biology, geology, statistics (or related fields). While it is not necessary to have advanced training in statistics, students should have a strong desire to learn and grow their statistical knowledge through graduate level coursework.
The position provides a competitive stipend, tuition waiver, and full benefits through a combination of teaching and research assistantships. Interested candidates should send their resume and a cover letter describing their research interests to Malcolm Itter ([email protected]).
About the lab and area
Our lab sits within the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Many of us are also members of the interdisciplinary Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program. UMass Amherst is located within the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts and has a terrific mix of academics (Amherst, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, and Hampshire Colleges are also here), arts, and natural resources. Boston and New York City are close by (less than 3 hours away) and accessible by train or bus.
We have existing collaborations with researchers at the Harvard Forest, the Northern Research Station of the USDA Forest Service, the USGS Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, the Northeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change management network, The Trustees of Reservations, and have worked in the past with the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science.
The student will contribute to ongoing research on the development of models to advance understanding and prediction of forest responses to global change. Research outcomes will be used to help inform adaptive management and forest conservation. The position offers a unique opportunity to gain research experience at the intersection of forest ecology and management and applied statistics. Specific research projects will depend on the student’s interests, but should align with the overall research goals of the lab (see research page for examples).
Students should have a background in natural science preferably in any one of the following fields of forestry, ecology, biology, geology, statistics (or related fields). While it is not necessary to have advanced training in statistics, students should have a strong desire to learn and grow their statistical knowledge through graduate level coursework.
The position provides a competitive stipend, tuition waiver, and full benefits through a combination of teaching and research assistantships. Interested candidates should send their resume and a cover letter describing their research interests to Malcolm Itter ([email protected]).
About the lab and area
Our lab sits within the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Many of us are also members of the interdisciplinary Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program. UMass Amherst is located within the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts and has a terrific mix of academics (Amherst, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, and Hampshire Colleges are also here), arts, and natural resources. Boston and New York City are close by (less than 3 hours away) and accessible by train or bus.
We have existing collaborations with researchers at the Harvard Forest, the Northern Research Station of the USDA Forest Service, the USGS Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, the Northeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change management network, The Trustees of Reservations, and have worked in the past with the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science.