EMPLOYER – Troy University, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences
LOCATION – Troy, Alabama
COUNTRY – United States
LAST DATE TO APPLY – 09/21/2026
OPEN UNTIL FILLED – YES
Description
Troy University is seeking an M.S. student to contribute to an ambitious project aimed at developing new tools to standardize heterogeneous citizen science, biogeographic, ecological, and phenotypic datasets into phylogenetically informed formats, and to develop new methods for large‑scale analyses in BEE (Biogeography, Ecology, and Evolution). Among the scientific questions it may help address are the relative roles of dispersal and ecology in shaping patterns of species diversification. This tool, which will be packaged as a new R library, has the potential to be broadly useful across biodiversity research and to make a significant contribution to cutting‑edge comparative methods.
The resulting framework will then be applied to investigate the tempo and drivers of diversification within an avian group (e.g., hummingbirds), selected based on the student’s interests and the presence of unresolved or competing hypotheses about the group’s evolutionary history.
The position includes 2-year support through graduate teaching assistantships and tuition assistance. Teaching duties will vary by semester but typically involve assisting or teaching a variety of biological courses and labs, including statistics-related courses. The successful candidate will be a thesis-track student in the Master of Science in Environmental and Biological Sciences.
Salary
Graduate Teaching Assistantship: $13,000 annually, consisting of a $8,000 stipend and $5,000 in tuition support. Additional salary funding is being pursued, but it is contingent upon successful grant application. Other supplemental funding opportunities will be implemented as they become available.
Qualifications
Required:
· BS in Computer Sciences, Data Sciences, Statistics, Wildlife Biology, Environmental Sciences, or a related field, with GPA of 3.5 or higher.
· Experience and interest in computer programming, with basic familiarity with R and proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., R, Python, C).
· Strong analytical skills and a demonstrated interest in statistical data analysis.
Preferred:
· Enthusiasm for birds and for fundamental questions in ornithological science
· Proficiency in R, or a clear motivation to become highly proficient
· Strong scientific writing skills
Admission requirements
Admission requirements to the Troy University Graduate School include:
· A completed online application form with fee
· BA/BS degree from a regionally accredited institution
· Official transcripts from all universities attended
· Appropriate standardized admission exam
· A letter of recommendation
Admission requirements to the Environmental and Biological Sciences Program include:
· A BS degree from a regionally accredited university with a minimum GPA of 2.5 or a 3.0 on the last 30 semester hours
· Completed course work equivalent to Chemistry I, Chemistry II, Ecology, Statistics, and a Jr/Sr level Biology course; depending on the profile of the student selected, some of these requirements may be lifted.
· GRE score of 290
