I am recruiting 1-2 MSc and/or PhD students to join my lab group in Fall 2022. Ongoing research focuses on tropical forest-savanna mosaic landscapes, and includes projects on fire regimes, processes that maintain boundaries between forests and savanna, functional strategies of forest and savanna trees, and restoration of mosaic landscapes. We use a variety of approaches, including remote sensing and observational field studies. Students will have the opportunity to develop projects related to their own interests within the broader lab themes but will ideally pursue research at our field sites in forest-savanna mosaic landscapes in Siem Reap and Preah Vihear, Cambodia.

Strong applicants will have some experience conducting research in ecology and/or geography and at least some coursework or training in ecology/biogeography. Ph.D. applicants should have or be working toward an M.Sc. (or have completed independent research that is moving toward publication). Field research experience, particularly in tropical forests, is an asset, as is experience with ecological and/or geospatial data.

Graduate students will interact with ecologists and environmental sciences from around campus, including the Biodiversity Research Center, and with scholars in the Department of Geography with diverse approaches and interests in environmental and sustainability. Students will benefit from the lab group’s ongoing collaborations with researchers at other universities and with forest managers and conservation practitioners at NGOs and government agencies in Cambodia.

MSc and PhD students in UBC Geography are guaranteed funding via a combination of research and teaching assistantships, fellowships, and department funds. Canadian citizens and permanent residents are encouraged to apply for NSERC fellowships, and I am happy to assist with applications for these programs and other relevant external funding programs.

The deadlines for the MSc and PhD in Geography are in December and January, respectively, but interested students should contact me before they apply. If interested please send me an email with a brief summary of your research interests, your research experience, and why you are interested in this position, and attach a copy of your CV and unofficial transcript.