Citizen Science to understand the interdependence of nature and humanity
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Photos by Lauren Nichols of the awesome people in my lab in the summer 2017 Graduate Student Opportunities Coming soon (Spring 2018 and Fall 2018): 1 MS and 2 PhD opportunities to study citizen scientists FILLED 2+ Immediate opportunities to start in Spring or Fall 2017! Coupled natural human systems & Human dimensions of citizen science Graduate Assistantships – Coupled natural-human systems 1 MS and 1 PhD position at NC State University, Starting January or Fall 2017 (flexible) Graduate opportunities in Fish and Wildlife Conservation with the Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources for self-motivated and hardworking students interested in the social and ecological dimensions of avian stewardship on residential lands. The graduate students will conduct research that leverages citizen science projects associated with the Cooper lab, which includes Sparrow Swap (http://scistarter.com/sparrowswap/), Sound Around Town (launching this winter in collaboration with the National Park Service’s Dark Skies and Natural Sounds division), and the Raleigh site for the Smithsonian’s Neighborhood Nestwatch. Possible research directions include, but are not limited to, management of invasive house sparrows, mapping environmental contaminants based on their levels of bioaccumulation in house sparrow eggs, and the influence of soundscapes and lightscapes on avian and human wellbeing. Students will be expected to engage with the activities of the university-wide cluster on Leadership in Public Science (https://facultyclusters.ncsu.edu/clusters/leadership-in-public-science/) which offers unique intellectual focus and professional development in the realm of citizen science, open science, and science communication. The students will spend time in the Biodiversity Research lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (http://naturalsciences.org/research-collections/biodiversity-lab) where they will have opportunities to develop their science communication skills. Minimum qualifications: BS (MS for PhD opening) degree in ecology, wildlife, natural resources, conservation or related discipline with coursework in social sciences, or in human dimensions with coursework in ecology and behavior GPA of 3.4 or higher GRE scores near or above 160 in verbal and quantitative areas Demonstrated research experience (data collection, analysis, and writing) Background in natural resource management, conservation, or urban ecology Interest in interdisciplinary (social and biological) research Commitment to public science Excellent verbal and written communication skills Preferred qualifications: Experience with citizen science Experience in science communication Advanced geospatial and quantitative skills To apply, submit a pre-application to Dr. Cooper at cbcoope3@ncsu.edu by Nov 7, 2016. Submit pre-application as a single PDF file attached to an email introducing yourself with “Coupled Human Natural Systems graduate application” in the email subject line.: 1) cover letter summarizing interest in the position, qualifications, and experience, as well as research and career goals 2) Curriculum Vitae 3) academic transcripts (can be unofficial) 4) GRE scores (can be unofficial) 5) Names and contact information for three professional references Selected applicants will also need to apply to the Dept of Forestry & Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University before acceptance. Graduate Assistantship – Human dimensions of citizen science Starting January or Fall 2017 (flexible) 1 MS or 1 PhD position at NC State University Graduate opportunities in Fish and Wildlife Conservation within the Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources for self-motivated and hardworking student interested in the human dimensions of citizen science. The graduate student will conduct research via resources and tools available in collaboration with SciStarter.com, the largest repository of citizen science projects in the world and a comprehensive database detailing project design features and outcomes. Thanks to a NSF-AISL Pathways award, SciStarter will soon offer each member a dashboard to manage and display their citizen science activities, track their progress in projects, network with others, and consent to have their online behavior tracked across citizen science projects. Possible research directions include, but are not limited to:
Minimum qualifications: BS (MS for PhD opening) degree in social sciences, information sciences, human dimensions or similar with some coursework in ecology GPA of 3.4 or higher GRE scores near or above 160 in verbal and quantitative areas Demonstrated research experience (data collection, analysis, and writing) Interest in interdisciplinary (social and biological) research Commitment to public science Excellent verbal and written communication skills Preferred qualifications: Experience with citizen science Experience with quantitative research and survey development Experience with Google Analytics Quantitative analysis skills To apply, submit a pre-application to Dr. Cooper at cbcoope3@ncsu.edu by Nov 7, 2016. Submit pre-application as a single PDF file attached to an email introducing yourself with “Human dimensions of citizen science graduate application” in the email subject line.: 1) cover letter summarizing interest in the position, qualifications, and experience, as well as research and career goals 2) Curriculum Vitae 3) academic transcripts (can be unofficial) 4) GRE scores (can be unofficial) 5) Names, contact information, and short description of relationship for three professional references Selected applicants will also need to apply to the Dept of Forestry & Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University before acceptance. |
Internships - check out current opportunities
Every semester there are opportunities in my lab for students to gain research experiences in ecology and social sciences, as well as science communication experiences.