Doctoral Student

The Darrouzet-Nardi Laboratory at the University of Texas at El Paso is recruiting a Ph.D. student in UTEP's Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Ph.D. Program to work on the soon-to-launch CrustNet project. CrustNet is an international distributed experimental network focused on biocrust ecology, examining biocrust biodiversity, function, and resilience in the face of global change. The role for this Ph.D. student will be to run CrustNet sampling nodes in the Chihuahuan Desert and to analyze biocrust samples from dozens of sites around the world with the help of a laboratory technician. It is the perfect project for a desert or biocrust lover and represents a tremendous opportunity to network with the global community of biocrust researchers and to develop high-impact publications based on network data. The connections begin with the esteemed scientists on the project including lead PI Dr. Matthew Bowker, Dr. Sasha Reed, Dr. Anita Antoninka, and Dr. Javier Ceja-Navarro. From there, the chances to connect and establish a career extend to regular participation in the Biocrust conference series, held in various international locations, and beyond to the dozens of research laboratories around the world that have expressed interest in the network. Some of our lab's specific areas of focus will be to examine soil characteristics, elemental composition, soil enzymatic function, and contribution of biocrusts to ecosystem productivity in both observational and experimental components of the project. The analytical work will be done at the University of Texas at El Paso where this position is based. There will be cool experiments like a sledgehammer smash and recovery of biocrusts done in exactly the same way in 100 global locations. There will be a chance to travel to sites around the Western U.S. and globally. To me, this is the most special and high-profile Ph.D. opportunity that I have had the pleasure of being able to create for a promising Ph.D. student, and I'm looking for someone great! So please if you are interested, send an inquiry email to ajdarrouzetnardi@utep.edu. Posted: July 27, 2024.