The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) invites applications for a PhD student to join a team studying beaver engineering and its impact on the Arctic ecosystem. This full-time position will be located in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The student will be involved in establishing and conducting research as part of the Arctic Beaver Observation Network, a five-year National Science Foundation project. The successful candidate will join the interdisciplinary beaver research team and collaborate with team members to detect recent changes in surface water and beaver disturbances across the Arctic.

The PhD student will plan and contribute to fieldwork, participate in team discussions, and develop and implement rigorous remote sensing approaches with support from the research team. Fieldwork occurs twice a year in the late winter and late summer and involves a mixture of road-based and remote wilderness work in western and northern Alaska tundra.

Because beaver engineering impacts nearly all aspects of lowland ecosystems, there is a breadth of possible topics for the dissertation, from water quality and permafrost thaw to ecosystems, fish, and people, and could include a combination of field measurements and geospatial analysis. The student will develop a set of research questions during their first year and will fulfill coursework in the Earth System Science PhD program, which has a variety of tracks to choose from, including Cryosphere, Ecosystems, Hydrology, and Geospatial Sciences.

Candidates must have a MSc, substantial experience with geospatial analysis, and strong interpersonal skills.

Tuition waiver and research assistantships are available for three years, after which the student is expected to work with mentors to obtain completion funding. The anticipated start date for this position will be between April and September 2022.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Application deadline: Open until filled

For more information, go to:
Position Announcement

For questions, contact:
Ken Tape
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Ben Jones
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Jason Clark:
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