UNDERC has three positions open for summer teaching and mentoring opportunities.
1. UNDERC TA - East:
Teaching Assistant needed for 10-week summer course at the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC) in northern Wisconsin and the Michigan Upper Peninsula. This undergraduate course, Practicum in Environmental Field Biology, runs from May 20 – July 26, 2019. The course includes both teaching and research components to educate 28 sophomore and junior undergraduate students. The teaching component is broken up into 4 week-long modules (Vertebrate Ecology, Aquatic Ecology, Insect Ecology, and Forest Ecology), taught by instructors from the University of Notre Dame and other collaborating universities. Students also work with mentors and TAs to design and carry out independent ecological research projects. See UNDERC’s web page for specifics about the course: underc.nd.edu/underc-east/courses/
TA will work to assist professors during each teaching module, as well as provide guidance on a daily basis to enrolled students. Additionally, the TA will directly mentor 2 student projects during the summer. The project topics will be directed towards the mentor’s strengths and research interests in ecology (e.g., herpetology, ornithology, forestry, entomology, limnology, etc.). Past projects are posted on our website: underc.nd.edu/education/recent-student-projects-2018/nd.edu/education/recent-student-projects-2018/
Modern apartment-style housing will be provided at no cost at UNDERC. Field vehicles provided throughout the course. Other amenities (24-hr computer lab, wireless internet access in apartments, free laundry facilities) are accessible on property.
Qualifications: M.S. in Ecology or related field is preferred, but B.S. in Ecology plus 1 year post-graduate work experience in teaching or biological research may substitute. Basic knowledge of 4 modules (listed above) and univariate statistics preferred. If applicable, please include a list of relevant coursework you have completed.
Salary is negotiable, based on level of experience. Minimum $6000 for the class (10 weeks).
Please submit cover letter (including topics of potential independent projects), CV/resume, and the contact information for three references (e-mail submission preferred) to:
Dr. Michael J. Cramer
Assistant Director, East
Environmental Research Center
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(574) 631-0970
http://underc.nd.edu
Review of applications will begin 1 March 2019, and continue until the position is filled.
2. UNDERC TA - West
Teaching Assistant needed for the 10-week (June 8th through August 14th, 2019) summer course involving the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC) – West. These ten weeks include eight weeks at our central research location in western Montana. The course includes both teaching and research components to educate 8-10 junior and senior undergraduate students. The teaching component is broken up into 3 week-long modules (Grassland Ecology, Montane/Forest Ecology, and Native American Ecology). Students in the course work with instructors, TA, and a graduate student to design and carry out independent ecological research projects.
TA is expected to assist the instructor(s) with teaching modules, assist in field trip execution, and provide guidance and field assistance to enrolled students on a daily basis. Additionally, the TA will directly mentor two student projects during the summer. Project topics of assigned mentees will be matched as closely as possible with mentor’s strengths in ecology.
UNDERC-West is located in western Montana near the National Bison Range. The TA will be provided housing with the undergraduates (a small house or double-wide on a working cattle ranch).
Preferred Qualifications: M.S. in Ecology or related field is preferred, but B.S. in Ecology plus 1 year post-graduate work experience in teaching or biological research may substitute. Experience working in grassland systems is preferred. Basic knowledge of modules (listed above), univariate statistics (t-tests, ANOVA, etc.), and statistical programs (R or Systat) also preferred. If applicable, please include a list of relevant coursework you have completed.
Salary is negotiable, based on level of experience. Minimum $6000 for the class (10 weeks).
Please submit a cover letter (which includes topics of potential independent projects), CV/resume, and the contact information for three references (e-mail submission preferred) to:
Dr. David G. Flagel
Assistant Director, West
Environmental Research Center
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556
dflagel@nd.edu
(574) 631-2612
http://underc.nd.edu
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
3. UNDERC-East Native American Mentor Fellowship
We invite graduate students to apply for UNDERC (University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center) fellowships. The fellowships are available to any Native American graduate student. These are restricted to graduate students studying environmental sciences (e.g., ecology, biology, anthropology, engineering, geology, etc.).
Advisement Requirement
- UNDERC fellows are required to advise at least two undergraduates’ independent research projects that are part of the UNDERC undergraduate summer course, BIOS 35502. This advising requires extended residence at UNDERC-East (60% of the ten-week course, May 20 – July 26) and should entail a minimum of one day per week, on average, working with the students. Even when not physically on property, mentors should maintain contact electronically with their students and be available to offer advice and assistance remotely. Employing undergraduates as labor in the graduate student’s project will not fulfill this requirement; rather, the graduate student should consider how small ancillary projects conducted by UNDERC undergraduates might benefit his/her graduate research. The undergraduate projects must be exclusively conducted on the UNDERC property and must “stand alone” so that the students achieve closure in their projects. This requirement is independent of the amount of funds awarded or whether the graduate student’s faculty advisor requires his/her graduate students to help advise the faculty member’s undergraduate research advisees at UNDERC. Undergraduate research projects must be completed before the end of the UNDERC summer course with the last 2 days of the course (July 23-24) being a symposium where each student presents his/her results in a 15-minute presentation and provides a written version of the presentation; grades will be assigned at this time – the graduate student advisor is required to attend these presentations to evaluate their student’s performance. Working with these undergraduates must be taken seriously. Each undergraduate research project will be allowed $500 for supplies. Equipment purchased with an UNDERC research fellowship is the property of UNDERC following completion of the project. In addition, UNDERC fellows are required to work with their undergraduate students on designing their projects and preparing research proposals during the spring semester that is due at the end of the first week of the course (May 25).
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Provisions: Housing will be provided. This will be a bed in a shared apartment on the UNDERC property. Exclusive use of a bedroom or apartment, however, must be paid for at the assessed rates, if space is available. Living off-property will not be subsidized.
This summer graduate fellowships pays $7200 and do not require the student to conduct research on the UNDERC-East property. However, the graduate student must mentor at least two undergraduates from the UNDERC-East summer program (BIOS 35502) in their research projects on the UNDERC-East property. This will require the graduate student to be in residence at UNDERC-East for at least 60% of the ten-week summer course (May 20 – July 26), so that students can get advice, and spend a minimum of one day per week, on average, working with the two undergraduate students. Even when not physically on property, mentors should maintain contact electronically with their students and be available to offer advice and assistance remotely.
Application Requirement
- A proposal no longer than 1 page, double-spaced describing each potential student project. Up to $500 will be allowed for supplies used in each project.
- Submitted to the UNDERC office (097 Galvin Life Sciences) or e-mailed to underc@nd.edu by Friday, March 8, 2019.
- A letter of support from your advisor should be attached to the proposal.
- Decisions will be announced by March 15, 2019.