Join the University of Florida Forest Entomology lab (pitchtube.org) for a PhD degree on ambrosia beetle systematics. This is a part of our 4-year NSF funded project, based on the main UF campus in Gainesville, FL. Your goal will be to pursue modern systematics of the Platypodinae, the large and exciting pinhole borers, mostly distributed in tropical jungles. You will work in coordination with three senior investigators (Andrew J. Johnson, Jiri Hulcr, and Matt Smith), a fellow student focused on the complementary ambrosia fungus systematics, a fellow student developing a high-throughput pipeline for simultaneous DNA sequencing of both the beetles and the fungi, collaborators in six tropical countries, and many other colleagues. The methodologies in this project will range from fundamental, specimen-based taxonomy, to molecular phylogenetics, to tests of ecological and evolutionary hypotheses.
This is a fully funded PhD program that includes $30,000/year stipend for all four years, health benefits, tuition, and research expenses. International applicants are welcome to apply. The ideal start is August 2024, but January 2025 or August 2025 are also possible.
To apply, send the following to [email protected]:
- A letter describing your experience with entomology, biosystematics, or related fields.
- Your CV
- A list of your hobbies (what do you do when nobody tells you what to do?)
Application deadline: May 30, 2024.
Questions about this position should be sent to [email protected]. To learn more about tropical ambrosia beetles, and Platypodinae in particular, you can watch a short movie: