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Graduate Assistantship Available Now

in the

Forest Pathology Lab

Department of Plant, Soil & Microbial Sciences and the Department of Forestry

Are you passionate about finding solutions to save our trees? Come and work in the Sakalidis Lab at Michigan State University to join a dynamic team working on chestnut diseases and oak wilt.

Your project will focus on evaluating the impact, biology, diversity and management of chestnut blight and oak wilt in Michigan chestnut orchards. You will conduct lab, greenhouse and field-based research and present your work in extension and academic meetings. You will be working closely with a post doc who is also working on chestnut diseases and the Sakalidis lab oak wilt team (3 other graduate students). The Sakalidis lab uses molecular ecology and plant pathology approaches to understand the etiology and epidemiology of tree pathogen species and their populations. With a focus on emerging native pathogens and exotic invasive pathogens we seek to characterize these pathogens and mitigate negative effects they have on their hosts. You could enroll in either a Plant Pathology Master’s degree or a Forestry Master’s degree for this position. If a prospective candidate strongly desires a PhD degree this can be accommodated.

Skills you should have:

  • Attention to detail
  • Ability to communicate effectively & work as part of a team

Some of the skills you will gain:
Lab based: microscopy, media preparation, fungal culturing and storage, DNA extraction, PCR and qPCR, chemical efficacy (fungicide trials)

Greenhouse: plant maintenance, pathogenicity trials, chemical efficacy (fungicide) trials

Field: chemical efficacy (fungicide) trials, herbicide applications, sample collections, disease surveys

Writing & Communication preparation and presentation of academic and extension text and talks. Including peer-reviewed manuscripts, reports, grant proposals, extension news articles and fact sheets.

Start Date: Ideally Summer 2023, must start by Fall 2023/Spring 2024.

Commensuration: Two years fully funded incl. salary ($27,846- $31,200 per annum), health and tuition.

Interested? Please reach out to Dr. Sakalidis (sakalidi@msu.edu) with questions & to send application materials.

Application Materials: Cover letter with a summary of background, research interests and career goals; a Curriculum Vitae; Contact information and details of three professional references.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will close when filled

Location

The position will be based at Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing, MI, USA. The Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial (PSM) Sciences is an internationally recognized department of more than 70 faculty members, with diverse interests spanning applied and fundamental research across agricultural systems and natural resources.Formally established in 1902, MSU’s Department of Forestry was among the first undergraduate forestry programs in the U.S. The Department is a vibrant, growing, internationally recognized unit committed to interdisciplinary education, research and extension to understand and resolve environmental and natural resource issues.

MSU enjoys a park‐like campus with outlying research facilities and natural areas. The campus is in the city of East Lansing, adjacent to the capital city of Lansing. The Lansing metropolitan area has a diverse population of >500,000. Local communities have excellent school systems and place a high value on education. The University is proactive about its obligations under the ADA and provides individual accessibility plans to students and employees with disabilities.The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at Michigan State University is committed to achieving excellence by creating and sustaining an accessible and inclusive culture that values cultural and academic diversity. We are an equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer. The CANR is particularly interested in candidates of all backgrounds who are committed to the principle that academic excellence is achieved through open access and proactive inclusion.

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. MSU is committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. The University actively encourages applications and/or nominations of women, persons of color, veterans and persons with disabilities.

Undergraduate Research Position Available Now

in the

Forest Pathology Lab

Department of Plant, Soil & Microbial Sciences and the Department of Forestry

Position Description:

The Sakalidis Lab (https://forestpathology.msu.edu/ ) is seeking a motivated undergraduate researcher to assist with laboratory and field studies for the 2023 summer (May-August). If performance is satisfactory, the research assistant would be invited to continue in subsequent semesters. We work on a range of nursery, landscape and forest tree diseases such as oak wilt, spruce decline, Phytophthora root rot, chestnut and white pine health issues.

Required Qualifications:

  1. Reliable
  2. Attention to detail
  3. Good communication skills
  4. Commitment to completing work with a high level of initiative, skill and professionalism
  5. Ability to work well independently and in a team environment

Desirable Skills:

  1. Coursework in Plant Sciences; plant pathology/microbiology/biotechnology etc.
  2. Previous lab experience in molecular biology (DNA extraction and PCR, especially)
  3. At least one full day a week free for lab work
  4. A valid driver’s license

Working conditions: This position will be lab based with the potential for some greenhouse and field work. Activities could include pathogen isolation, DNA extraction, media preparation, pathogen culture collection and maintenance, and molecular work such as DNA extraction, and PCR. Field work may involve activities such as sample collection, tree inoculation, data collection and data entry.

Wages: Hourly wage starts at $14/hour, for between 5‐29 hours/week dependent on applicant availability.

Please apply through handshake (Job # 7729338) or email a resume & cover letter to Dr. Monique L Sakalidis sakalidi@msu.edu by April 17th.

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer.  MSU is committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential.  The University actively encourages applications and/or nominations of women, persons of color, veterans and persons with disabilities.