Training Grant at Univ. of Pennsylvania

[Kendra Pyle]

TRAINING GRANT LINKING ECOLOGY AND SOCIAL SOLUTIONS

The Department of Biology of the University of Pennsylvania announces an
NSF-sponsored training grant "Linking Basic Ecology with Social Solutions" 
available to support doctoral students*.  The training initiative provides
students with a solid background in basic ecology while giving them the
tools to become effective problem solvers in areas that effect both the
natural biological world and social systems.  The curriculum includes
instruction in environmental law, public policy, and science writing. 
     
The core faculty are members of the Biology Department at Penn and 
adjunct faculty at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the 
nearby Stroud Water Research Center, and the Conservation Research Center 
in Front Royal, Va.  A policy seminar is taught by Dan Janzen, a world 
expert in biological and political issues, related to the conservation of 
biodiversity.  Additional courses involve Penn law school faculty and 
professional journalists.
     
The faculty is well-equipped to supervise a wide variety of dissertation
research topics.  Their field sites are distributed world-wide, and many
are involved in the collection of long term data sets.  Research interests
include behavioral ecology (Dorothy Cheney, John Smith), freshwater and
marine community ecology (Clyde Goulden, David Hart, Peter Petraitis),
physiological ecology/population biology of reptiles (Art Dunham),
biodiversity and animal-plant interactions (Dan Janzen), belowground
interaction in plant communities (Brenda Casper), and evolution, including
molecular evolution, and systematics (Neil Shubin, Paul Sniegowski). 
Students will be encouraged to take advantage of campus-wide programs in
computational biology, paleobiology, and environmental sciences. 
     
A number of natural habitats are easily accessible from the Penn
CampusQcoastal and freshwater marshes, the pinelands of New Jersey,
hardwood forests, and serpentine barrens.  The academy of Natural Sciences
houses one of the best natural history libraries in the country and
several major taxonomic collections, including mollusks, diatoms, fishes
and birds.  Students commonly use resources at the American Museum of
Natural History (N.Y.C.) and the Smithsonian (Washington, D.C.).  The
Morris Arboretum and the Tyler Arboretum are within an hours drive. Some
students conduct their field research overseas. 
     
We encourage applications from women and minorities.  The deadline for 
applications is January 2 of each year, for the following fall.  For more 
information concerning this training grant contact:
     
Dr. Brenda Casper
E-Mail address: bcasper at sas.upenn.edu 
or
a faculty member appropriate for your interest 
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/biology/
     
Or if a Graduate Division School of Arts and Sciences application packet 
is needed, contact:
     
Allan M. Aiken
E-Mail address: aaiken at sas.upenn.edu
     
*This NSF-sponsored training grant is limited to the support of United
States citizens only.