[alife] Post-doc and Grad Student positions in Ecological Modeling

[Rick Riolo]

Here are two positions I am posting for Scott Peacor
at Michigan State University --- please contact 
him at Peacor at msu.edu for more information.
 - r

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Post-Doctoral and Graduate Student Position in Food Web Modeling


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Post-Doctoral Position in Food Web Modeling

We seek an individual to join a multidisciplinary team in the development 
of food web models that incorporate phenotypic plasticity and coevolution. 
Participants in this effort are ecologists and computer scientists from 
Michigan State University (Scott Peacor, Eric Goodman) and the University 
of Michigan (John Holland, Mercedes Pascual, Rick Riolo - of the Center for 
the Study of Complex Systems).
A principal challenge is to understand how interactions between individual 
organisms 'scale up' to determine structural and dynamical properties of 
communities. Traditional theory typically skirts two critical elements of 
ecological systems (1) individual organisms adapt (respond in the short 
term) to environmental changes by altering their phenotypes and (2) the 
magnitude and distribution of species interactions strengths are 
determined, in part, by co-evolution. We will use agent based models and 
evolutionary computational techniques to model food webs to examine the 
origin and consequences of these properties.

The initial appointment will be for one year with the possibility of 
extending this period (Salary ~ 36,000/yr). Qualifications: PhD and 
expertise in ecology, ecological theory and/or modeling.

Interested individuals should contact Scott Peacor <Peacor at msu.edu> .
(There is also funding for a Graduate Research Assistantship in this 
project. Please have interested students contact Scott Peacor.)


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Graduate Student Research Assistantship in Food Web Modeling
Michigan State University, Fisheries and Wildlife Department

A graduate student research assistantship is available to work on a project 
with a multidisciplinary team in the development of food web models that 
incorporate phenotypic plasticity and coevolution. Participants in this 
effort are ecologists and computer scientists from Michigan State 
University (Scott Peacor, Eric Goodman) and the University of Michigan 
(John Holland, Mercedes Pascual, Rick Riolo - of the Center for the Study 
of Complex Systems).
A principal challenge is to understand how interactions between individual 
organisms affect structural and dynamical properties of communities. We are 
particular interested in studying two elements of ecological systems (1) 
individual organisms adapt (respond in the short term) to environmental 
changes by altering their phenotypes and (2) the magnitude and distribution 
of species interactions strengths are determined, in part, by co-evolution. 
This project will combine agent based models and evolutionary computational 
techniques to model food webs to examine the origin and consequences of 
these properties.

Interested individuals should contact and send a CV to 
Scott Peacor <Peacor at msu.edu> .
Applicants should be available to begin work on the project during summer 
or fall 2004.

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-- 
Rick Riolo                           rlriolo at umich.edu
Center for the Study of Complex Systems (CSCS)
4477 Randall Lab                
University of Michigan         Ann Arbor MI 48109-1120
Phone: 734 763 3323                  Fax: 734 763 9267
http://cscs.umich.edu/~rlr