NMSU Avian Migration Program - General Application

PROGRAM INFORMATION The Avian Migration Program at New Mexico State University seeks PhD and MS students to join a program shared across four labs at New Mexico State University, the US Geological Survey New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Students will join a collaborative and diverse team of faculty, post-doctoral researchers, graduate students and undergraduate students working on projects broadly related to avian ecology including migration and movement ecology, breeding and non-breeding ecology, avian health and disease ecology, and conservation and management questions. The Avian Migration Program focuses on preparing students for careers in applied conservation of migratory birds in a rapidly changing climate. Students in the program will receive hands-on training through a series of workshops and complete a set of core courses including Science Ethics, Science Communication, and Migration Biology with a field component in Costa Rica. Graduate students affiliated with the program will be team mentored including a mentor based at a state or federal agency. Funding is available for travel to present research at a national conference. New Mexico State University is a Hispanic Serving Institution with a strong commitment to students from diverse backgrounds. Avian Migration Program Faculty Mentor Team: • Dr. Tim Wright (wright@nmsu.edu): Social behavior, communication and conservation of tropical and temperate birds. https://wrightbehaviorlab.org/ • Dr. Martha Desmond (mdesmond@nmsu.edu): Conservation and ecology of threatened and endangered birds and species of conservation concern. https://fwce.nmsu.edu/faculty-staff/martha-desmond.html • Dr. Abby Lawson (ajlawson@nmsu.edu): Population ecology, waterfowl and game birds, stable isotope ecology, and decision support modeling. https://www1.usgs.gov/coopunits/staff/1389300 • Dr. Jeanne Fair (jmfair@lanl.gov): Avian comparative biology specializing in immunology, disease, and response to stress, including contaminants in the environment. https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/176571/overview Salary and Benefits: Student support packages will include a combination of research and teaching assistantships, a partial in-state tuition waiver and up to $200/mo for health insurance reimbursement. Summer salary support will be project-dependent. Program requirements: All applicants must meet the minimum requirements for admission to the NMSU Graduate School which include GPA >3.00 in final two years, and GRE scores for individuals who completed their undergraduate degrees outside the U.S. ------------------------------------------------------------ APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS The form below is a general application to our program for consideration on graduate projects starting in Fall 2025 or later. We also invite applications from prospective students who wish to develop their own research topics with a faculty mentor. In addition to this general application, we also will post links for applications for specific projects as these become available. If you are interested in one of these positions you should *also* submit the specific application for that project via the link(s) below. By completing this application, you will be placed on an email list and informed of new projects, as they become available in the future. We are currently recruiting for 1 specific graduate position available during the Fall 2025 cycle, but anticipate at least one additional project. Applications for Fall 2025 positions are due January 20th, though we may conduct a second round of review on April 15th if we are unable to fill the positions. If you wish to be considered for one of these projects, you must apply directly through the project portal:

First Name

Last Name

Pronouns

Email address

Undergraduate Institution

Undergraduate Major

Undergraduate GPA (overall)

Undergraduate Graduation Year

Graduate Institution (if applicable)

Note: MS degrees are not required to apply to the PhD, but are viewed favorably.

Graduate Graduation Year (if applicable)

Graduate GPA (overall, if applicable)

What type of degree are you interested in pursuing?

M.S.
Ph.D.
Open to either

What is your preferred start semester?

Fall 2023
Summer 2024
Spring 2024
Flexible

What topics are you interested in pursuing for graduate research?

Check all that apply

R Programming Experience

None
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced

Research Project Ideas

We are also open to working with students to develop research projects based on their interests. If you have ideas regarding a potential research topic or question, please share them here.

Are you a U.S. citizen or green card holder?

U.S. citizen or permanent resident status is not a requirement. However, multiple funding avenues exist for this position, some of which are intended for U.S. citizens or green card holders.

Do you identify as a member of an underrepresented minority group?

Identifying as a member of an underrepresented minority group is not a requirement. However, multiple funding avenues exist for funded positions in the program, some of which are intended for underrepresented minority groups including: African American/Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander.

Which projects do you wish to be considered for?

We are currently filling one graduate position to start in Fall 2023. The list below contains the degree type (MS or PhD) followed by the topic, with the migration program leads shown in parentheses. Check which projects you are interested in, including those that may open in Fall 2023 or later.

Upload your application

Please upload the following as a single PDF document with the following file name format: Lastname_NMSU AMP.pdf 1) Letter of interest that describes your qualifications and how this position fits into your career goals; (2) CV or resume that includes GPA and contact information for three references (including a direct supervisor); (3) unofficial university transcripts; if you wish to be considered for a PhD position also include (4) a writing sample such as a class paper, published manuscript or M.S. thesis.

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