The WCSU Pinou Lab, in collaboration CT DEEP Wildlife Division, Connecticut DOT, and the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is looking for a student interested in pursuing a MS to join our Terrapin Tracking Team to collect data on Diamondback Terrapins in Connecticut. We are particularly interested in motivated students with an interest in integrating land use ecology with community science and road mortality mitigation. The project is part of a larger effort to map wildlife mortality on Connecticut roads. The student will be responsible for responding to hotline calls and managing all spatial and temporal data, as well as for working with community scientists to conduct surveys. The project will provide the student experience in geographic information systems (GIS) and in road mitigation initiatives. This project can be applied towards the stewardship requirement for the MS degree and can be used to develop a research thesis that explores frameworks in wildlife conservation, landscape and urban ecology, the reliability of citizen science data, and the intersection between citizen science outreach and policy. Student support includes university assistantships, internal scholarships, and fellowships (internal and external). Interested students should contact the PI at pinout@wcsu.edu and include a cover letter describing your research experience and interests, as well as a CV ASAP.
All interested students must hold a driver’s license and be accepted into the MS in Integrated Biological Diversity program by April in time for seasonal fieldwork (https://www.wcsu.edu/biology-msbiodiversity/how-to-apply/).
