Aftermath of Hurricane Matthew
Posted on 22 October 2016
New images of destruction from Hurricane Matthew in southwest Haiti taken by the Haiti National Trust team.
On Monday (17 October) they flew over southwest Haiti to survey hurricane damage to the communities surrounding Grand Bois National Park, and took these images showing flooding still affecting communities in the region, with fallen trees and others stripped of leaves. The eye of the hurricane passed through this region where we work. Photos taken along the road near Port Salut also show the impact of the storm, with overturned cars and destroyed houses. Clearly many people in this area were affected and are without housing.
We can help rebuild permanent housing for members of the Grand Bois community who were displaced by the hurricane, with help from your donations.
Lab Awarded Major NSF Grant for Biodiversity Forecasting
Posted on 21 September 2016
David Attenborough's Emmy Award-winning film and television program Rise of Animals (Smithsonian Channel) uses Hedges and Kumar's circular timetree of life as its framework. An early product of their TimeTree database, a circular timetree of life containing 1,610 families of organisms was presented by Hedges and Kumar in the first chapter of their book in 2009, The Timetree of Life. This illustrates the synthetic nature of the TimeTree project, where the result of many individual published studies are brought together to yield something new and useful for scientists and the public. For the Attenborough movie, the timetree of life was literally brought to life using animated computer-generated imagery (CGI), in scenes every 10 minutes throughout the two-hour movie. The Emmy award was presented by the National Academy of Television (Arts and Sciences) on September 21, 2016 for “Outstanding Nature Programming.” Reviews of the program consistently highlighted the CGI with some noting it was “striking” (The Independent) and “stunning” (BBC). This suggests that the timetree CGI, in part, contributed to the program winning the Emmy.
PhD Graduate Student Position
Posted on 16 August 2016
A PhD Graduate student position with Dr. Matthew Helmus is available at Temple
University’s Center for Biodiversity for Fall 2017. Dr. Helmus runs a joint lab in
the Center with Dr. Jocelyn Behm that is focused on integrating biodiversity science with human ecology to
understand contemporary patterns of biodiversity and its functioning within ecosystems.
The PhD student will research the drivers of past and present patterns of
amphibian and reptile functional island biogeography. Activities performed may include:
- Functional trait measurement
- Data mining (literature and museum specimens)
- Genetic sequencing
- Caribbean field work
- Mentoring undergraduate research assistants
- Quantitative method development
Applicants must have prior research experience and a bachelor’s and/or
master’s degree in biology, environmental science, or other quantitative field. Ideal applicants are those
with experience in ecology, macroevolution, statistics, and/or herpetology; but most importantly, the
successful applicant will be well-organized, able to work both independently and in a team setting, and
motivated to learn. This position is ideal for those craving a career in the exciting, fast-paced world of
biodiversity science.
Full applications are due to Temple’s Graduate School on December 15 (November
15 for international applicants). However, interested applicants should initially
contact Dr. Helmus (mrhelmus@temple.edu) well in advance of the deadline. Include in this
initial contact your CV, unofficial transcript, and a brief statement of interest that describes your
relevant background experiences, why you are interested in the position, and questions you have about the
research, etc. Applicants are strongly encouraged to first peruse the lab website and publications prior
to contact (http://www.matthelmus.com/).
The Center for Biodiversity is located in a new LEED-Gold certified building
on Temple’s main campus in historic Philadelphia. The Center provides state-of-the-art biodiversity
research facilities along with support staff with expertise in media development, GIS technology, and
genetics. Temple University, founded in 1884, is a public R1 university with a diverse student body of ca.
40,000 students. It is the sixth largest provider of graduate school education in the U.S.A., is within
the top 4% of research institutions in the U.S.A., and is in the top ten of the fastest gainers in ranking
by the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges. Philadelphia is the birthplace of the U.S.A., filled
with numerous attractions (e.g., Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Zoo, Academy of Natural
Sciences), amazing food, and a quick train ride to New York City and Washington DC. Philadelphia is
nestled within an extensive national/state trail and park system, and is very close to Valley Forge
National Park, the Pocono Mountains, the unique Pine Barren ecosystem, and the beaches of the Atlantic
shore.
Temple University is an equal opportunity, equal access, affirmative action
employer committed to achieving a diverse community.
For more information see:
Lab Manager Position (Full-Time)
Posted on 2 August 2016
A full-time position of LAB MANAGER is available at Temple University’s Center for Biodiversity within the joint lab of Drs. Matthew Helmus and Jocelyn Behm. The lab mission is to integrate biodiversity science with human ecology to understand contemporary patterns of biodiversity and its functioning within ecosystems. The lab manager will be responsible for research activities and overseeing day-to-day operations of the lab including:
- Data mining
- Genetic sequencing
- Functional trait measurement
- Biodiversity sampling
- Ecosystem-service assessments (in the lab and the field, including sampling birds)
- Managing undergraduate research assistants
- Database maintenance
- Lab administration
Proficiency in all of these areas is not expected, instead applicants must have the ability,
background, and enthusiasm to learn relevant techniques.
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred) in
biology, environmental science, or other relevant field. Ideal applicants are those with relevant prior
research experience, but most importantly, the successful applicant will be well-organized, able to work
both independently and in a team setting, and motivated to learn. This position is ideal for those craving
experience in the exciting, fast-paced world of biodiversity science before pursuing a higher degree.
Please email applications to biodiversity@temple.edu. Include
your CV, unofficial transcript, contact information for three references, and a brief letter of interest
that describes your relevant background experiences, managerial skills, and why you are interested in the
position.
Review of applications will begin August 12, 2016 and will continue until the position is filled.
The start date is negotiable, salary is commensurate with experience, and the position includes a
competitive benefits package. The position is initially for one year, and can be extended two more years
given positive work reviews. Possible extensions of the position are also likely as funding is acquired.
The Center for Biodiversity is located in a new LEED-Gold certified building
on Temple’s main campus in historic Philadelphia. The Center provides state-of-the-art biodiversity
research facilities along with support staff with expertise in media development, GIS technology, and
genetics. Temple University, founded in 1884, is a public R1 university with a diverse student body of ca.
40,000 students. It is the sixth largest provider of graduate school education in the U.S., is within the
top 4% of research institutions in the U.S., and is in the top ten of the fastest gainers in ranking by
the US News & World Report’s Best Colleges. Philadelphia is the birthplace of America, filled with
numerous attractions (e.g., Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Zoo, Academy of Natural Sciences),
amazing food, and a quick train ride to New York City and Washington DC. Philadelphia is nestled within an
extensive national/state trail and park system, and is very close to Valley Forge National Park, the
Pocono Mountains, the unique Pine Barren ecosystem, and the beaches of the Atlantic shore.
Temple University is an equal opportunity, equal access, affirmative action
employer committed to achieving a diverse community.
For more information see:
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