MSA Student Workshop: Using fungi to get a job

Anne Pringle, Harvard University 

Some ads specifically ask for mycologists, more often, departments are looking for conceptually oriented biologists. Fungi offer myriad opportunities for connecting to broader themes in ecology, evolution, and other fields; making those connections can be critical to a successful job hunt.  I’ll talk about my own experiences on the job market and share the research and teaching statements I used to find my current position. We’ll then practice job strategies by taking the time to talk about our research “mission statements” and “cocktail-party tidbits”.  I’ll explain why these are useful and we’ll finish by sharing our newly crafted statements with each other.

MSA Student Section

At the 2012 meeting this year in New Haven, the Mycological Society of America will be launching a Student Section. This student-run group within the MSA will provide opportunities for students to network with other students in their own fields and beyond. It will also be valuable for student members of MSA seeking connections with those performing cutting edge research in mycology and thus has the potential to inspire future collaborative research. The Student Section is open and inclusive; we welcome the participation of all students (and faculty!) in building this group.  We look forward to your participation in our new mentorship program and hope you can also join us at the following events.

Events:

Sunday July 15th:  Using fungi to get a job

Join us as Harvard University mycology professor Anne Pringle leads our first MSA Student Section event.  This professional development workshop will take place after the Foray and before the Welcome Reception on Sunday.

Monday July 16th: First Annual Student Section Mixer

Join us before the poster session as we gather in the poster area for a casual meet and greet with coffee, dessert, and other drinks provided. The mixer will go from 6:00-6:30 p.m.

Mentorship Program:

Mentorship programs are an excellent way to introduce students to other researchers with similar interests. In addition, mentors may assist in steering student research or by providing information about previous studies or future opportunities.

For these reasons, all students who expressed interest on their registration form have been assigned a senior mycologist who will serve as their mentor for the duration of the New Haven meeting.  Students will meet their senior mycologist mentor at the Student Section Mixer on Monday, July 16th.

We appreciate your involvement in the commencement of the new MSA Student Section and look forward to seeing you all in New Haven!

The overall objective of the PhD project is to improve the understanding of speciation and intraspecific differentiation of ascomycete fungi. Using molecular sequence analysis, we will examine whether differentiation within and between closely related species correlate to spatial or ecological factors, estimate species´ niche amplitude and dissemination, and study how the morphological variation correlates with the genetic. The project includes work in the field, with museum collections and in molecular lab, as well as phylogenetic and population genetic sequence analyses and morphological microscopy studies.

Use the link below for more information about the position or contact Åsa Kruys: Asa.kruys@ebc.uu.se, tel: +46 18- 471 2770
or Stefan Ekman Stefan.ekman@em.uu.se, tel: +46 18- 471 2821.

http://www.uu.se/jobb/phd-students/annonsvisning?languageId=1&tarContentId=188085

You are welcome to submit your application no later than June, 15th, 2012.

The incumbent serves as an authority in Plant Pathology (plant diseases) for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and provides final identification of fungi and other pathogens, analyzes pest risk, makes recommendations to management and collaborates with scientists, plant health regulators and others, worldwide. This position encompasses the highest level possible for operational diagnostic support and identification services delivery regarding plant pathogens with APHIS.

more details, contact info, and application instructions online (Job Announcement Number 24PQ-2012-0078).

Closes Friday, May 25, 2012.

This is a non-tenure track, PhD level position. Please see the job ad for more information.

Please see the attached description for further information.

The BLM WY Mycological Resources Inventory project is posted on Grants.gov under that name and under number L12AS00057.
It closes 6 April, 2012.

Applicants may contact me or our Agreements Management Officer with questions:

Thank you,
Adrienne Pilmanis
Plant Conservation /Science
P.O. Box 1828
5353 Yellowstone Road
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003
307-775-6035
BLM WY Plant Conservation Program

Bob Tichac
Agreements Management Officer
BLM WY State Office
5353 Yellowstone Road
Cheyenne, WY 82009
Phone: 307-775-6313
Fax: 307-775-6317

I would like to find a mycologist who would be able to participate in an early spring BioBlitz at Green Mountain College. Two students at the college are organizing the event, to record species on the 120 acre main campus and its 85 acre Deane Preserve. I’m coordinating botanical expertise for the event. Here are a few details:

Place: Green Mountain College main campus and Deane Preserve (5 miles from campus), Poultney, VT

Time: April 30-May 1 (3pm to 3pm)

Habitats: Riverine Floodplain Forest, Dry Oak Forest, Acidic Rock Outcrops and Bluffs, Northern Hardwood Forest, Rich Northern Hardwood Forest, Shrub Swamp, and a variety of early successional old fields, and riverside environments.

Contact: James H. Graves, professor of Biology, Botanical coordinator for the BioBlitz

Arrangements: The student organizers expect to provide food and housing in the college’s 2-editors Inn (with group kitchen provided). Details should be available in early April.

Specimens: We would be very interested in adding one specimen or photo of each species collected for the BioBlitz to the Green Mountain College herbarium. We can make arrangements to provide materials needed to store specimens for the collection. Collectors are encouraged to collect duplicate specimens if they would like to take specimens with them.

Identifications: It will be fine to make identifications after the BioBlitz if that works best. The BioBlitz list will include specimens that can’t be identified to species if they are recognized as distinct from other species on the list. Any tentative identification will be noted.

Please let me know if you would be interested in attending.
Thanks!

Jim

James H. Graves, PhD
Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies
Green Mountain College
Poultney, VT 05764
802-235-2098 (phone contact while I’m on sabbatical)
gravesj@greenmtn.edu

The scientist will use conventional methods and association genetics to identify and map resistance genes in wheat landraces from the National Small Grains Collection that are effective against new, highly virulent races of the stem rust pathogen. Duties will include 1) conducting greenhouse and field evaluations for resistance, both in the US in cooperation with the ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory and in Kenya cooperation with scientists from CIMMYT and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute and 2) mapping resistance in populations previously developed. Additional duties will involve mapping crown rust resistance in oat.

For full announcement see: http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/311724000

Support is available for multiple years for the postdoc and a single year for the technician to participate in an NSF-funded project, which examines the influences of plant traits and fungal community composition on wood decomposition rates in the Ozark Highlands Ecoregion as climate changes. Potential additional field sites include Appalachians, USA and NSW, Australia. The postdoc will be responsible for fungal identification, using both traditional techniques (field collection and culturing) and molecular methods (targeted sequencing, environmental DNA extraction and next-generation based metagenomics) with encouragement to further develop the project according to his/her own interests. Opportunities will be available to spend time in collaborating labs that specialize on fungal identification, enzyme analysis and genomics. The technician will work closely with the postdoc and help to establish the lab. In both cities, there are strong links among institutions, including ties to the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Smithsonian.

George Washington University is located in the heart of DC, with easy access to numerous science-, conservation-, and policy-based institutions. Motivated applicants with skills in mycology, molecular biology, phylogenetics, and bioinformatics are especially encouraged to apply. Postdoc applicants should have a PhD in a relevant field and strong writing and quantitative skills. Technician applicants with an MSc in a relevant field are preferred but Bachelors applicants will be considered. Applications will be reviewed as received and the positions remain open until filled. Applications should include a research statement, including relevant skills for the project and future goals, for the postdoc (1-2 pages) and research interests and relevant skills for the project (1 page) for the technician, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references (including emails and phone numbers). Materials should be sent to Amy Zanne: aezanne@gmail.com.

A Post-Doctoral position in fungal phylogenetics is available in the Hibbett laboratory at Clark University (http://www.clarku.edu/faculty/dhibbett/). The Post-doc will participate in a large collaborative endeavor supported by the NSF AVATOL Program that is aimed at synthesizing a comprehensive tree of life from published analyses, and developing novel tools for community-driven annotation of the tree. Specific responsibilities will include (1) assembly and integration of phylogenetic datasets and trees representing all groups of Fungi; (2) coordination with a multi-laboratory team including software developers and systematists to develop and test new methods for tree integration and annotation; (3) outreach to the fungal systematics community; (4) contribution to a distributed web-based undergraduate course on assembling the tree of life, and co-instruction of a linked undergraduate course at Clark University.

The ideal candidate will be a productive researcher with interests in fungal systematics and the construction and interpretation of large-scale phylogenetic trees, will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and will seek a career involving both research and education. Candidates lacking background in fungal systematics, but with strong qualifications in phylogenetics, and excellent potential as educators, may be considered.

It is anticipated that the position will be available beginning May 1, 2012. Up to three years of support is possible, depending on progress. Funding is contingent on final NSF approval.

To apply, e-mail a curriculum vitae, statement of research interests and career goals, PDFs of major publications, and names and e-mail addresses for three references. Applications from women and members of underrepresented groups in science are encouraged.

Clark University is an EEO/AA Employer.

David S. Hibbett
Biology Department
Clark University
Worcester, MA 01610
(508) 793-7332
Dhibbett@clarku.edu

Deadline for application is April 1, 2012

Tasks: The diversity and ecology of fungi is one of the foci of the botany department of NCB Naturalis. The arctic tundra, which is on the brink of significant changes due to the climatic changes and growing human impact. Despite their critical roles, fungi are still understudied in arctic ecosystems. The aim of the current PhD project, funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), is to better understand how fungal community composition correlates with vegetation and soil characteristics, and what fungal taxa are expected to play roles in vegetation change and/or the resilience of plant communities to climatic stress.

To achieve this aim the candidate will:

• Assess taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of arctic fungi;

• Compare species composition of fungal communities among vegetation types along soil moisture and pH gradients;

• Determine the influence of elevated air and soil temperature on fungal diversity and species composition.

In the current project, the taxonomic focus will be on root-associated fungi, e.g. root endophytes and various mycorrhizal fungi. The envisaged PhD candidate will closely collaborate with another PhD student who is working on the ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes in the same area.

Requirements: You must have a degree (drs./MSc) in Biology and have a strong interest and experience in fungal ecology and systematics, preferably including molecular and micromorphological techniques. As a person you are a driven and self-confident scientist with excellent analytical and communicational skills, and you are willing to conduct fieldwork in the arctic.

We offer: We offer a vibrant environment to develop on-the-job the skills and networks that a successful academic needs. Appointment will be according to the terms of the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO Nederlandse Universiteiten), for a period of one year with an extension of three years after positive evaluation of capabilities and compatibility. Ultimately the appointment must lead to a completion of a PhD thesis.

During your appointment you will be supervised by Dr. Józef Geml as your co-promotor. Prof. Dr. E.F. Smets will be your promoter.

The gross monthly salary is set on € 2.042,- in the first year up to € 2612,- in year four. An appointment with Leiden University includes a pension build-up and facilitates other benefits such as an annual holiday premium of 8% and an end-of-year premium of 8.3%.

All our PhD students are embedded in the Leiden University Graduate School of Science www.graduateschools.leidenuniv.nl and the Research School Biodiversity. Our graduate school offers several PhD training courses at three levels: professional courses, skills training and personal effectiveness. In addition, advanced courses to deepen scientific knowledge are offered by the research school.

Further Information: For more information, please contact Dr. József Geml: Geml@nhn.leidenuniv.nl or Prof.dr. Erik Smets: erik.smets@ncbnaturalis.nl.

http://vacatures.leidenuniv.nl/wetenschappelijk/12-054-phd-mycology.html