Date:    Fri, 15 Oct 1999 15:11:36 -0400
From:    Lauchlan Fraser 
Subject: grad student support in wetland ecology

FULLY-SUPPORTED GRAD STUDENT POSITIONS IN WETLAND ECOLOGY

Approximately 90% of the original wetlands in Ohio have been lost over
the last two hundred years, mainly as a direct consequence of human
use.  There is an urgent need to protect and restore the remaining
wetlands because wetlands serve a very important role in our
environment.  Wetlands have been described as =91the kidneys of the
landscape=92 and =91biological supermarkets=92.  They play major roles in=
 the
landscape by providing unique habitats for a wide variety of flora and
fauna.

Full tuition and stipends are available for M.Sc. students to
participate in wetland ecology and restoration studies in the Fraser lab
at the University of Akron.  Our research combines greenhouse, growth
chamber, and field studies to investigate plant traits, and how they
relate to plant community/ecosystem processes towards the restoration
and conservation of wetlands.   Students are guaranteed full financial
support throughout their graduate studies, and have access to first-rate
facilities: greenhouse, growth chambers, equipment for field research,
and a new 404-acre field station, The Bath Nature Preserve.  The
Preserve includes an excellent cross section of the habitats of
Northeast Ohio, including wetlands, ponds, streams, grasslands, and mid-
to old-growth forests =96 a wonderful environment for research.

The Ecology and Evolution group in the Department of Biology at the
University of Akron is dynamic and strong, with 7 recent hires: Wetland
Ecology (Lauchlan Fraser), Plant Systematics (Joel Duff), Invertebrate
Zoology (Steve Weeks), Plant Ecology (Randy Mitchell), Vertebrate
Zoology (Peter Niewiarowski), Cellular Physiology (Rich Londraville),
and Environmental Microbiology (Peter Lavrentyev).  We meet twice weekly
for seminars and discussion groups.  Have a look at our website at
www.uakron.edu/biology/

If you are interested please contact Dr. Lauchlan Fraser for more
information at lfraser@uakron.edu

For admissions information see www.uakron.edu/gradsch/