Thursday, September 29, 2016

AMNH Internship (Grad or Undergrad)

The Division of Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History is offering 1 part-time (18 hours per week), 1-year internship for a graduate or undergraduate student in geology, invertebrate paleontology, life sciences, museum studies, or related fields (November 7, 2016 start). The intern will participate in an NSF-funded project to image and geo-reference specimens in the Invertebrate Paleontology department at AMNH. A summary of the NSF-funded project can be found here:

The intern will work with collection management staff to curate, image, geo-reference, catalog, and database specimens. A stipend will be provided as support over the internship period.

Required Qualifications:
Applicants should be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree course, or be a recent graduate of a degree course in invertebrate paleontology, life sciences, museum studies, or related fields. Ability to work with paleontological research collections, ability to perform tasks requiring physical strength and high manual dexterity, proficiency in the use of Mac and PC based software, good organizational, excellent interpersonal skills, and ability to work independently. Experience working in museum collections a plus.

Interested parties should apply online:careers.amnh.org/applicants/Central?quickFind=52189
Applications must be received no later than October 21, 2016.







Latest Ediacaran Wormworld Fauna

Check out the new paper in GSA Today written by our past, current, and soon-to-be GSA GBGM presidents (Jim Schiffbauer, Marc Laflamme, and Simon Darroch)! "The Latest Ediacaran Wormworld Fauna: Setting the Ecological Stage for the Cambrian Explosion"


Field Course- Taphonomic and Ecological Processes in Tropical Environments

Taphonomic and Ecological Processes in Tropical Environments
Summer Field Course in Graduate Research
Gerace Research Centre, San Salvador, Bahamas
June 19 - July 21, 2017

Course Information: http://geraceresearchcentre.com/fieldcourse.html

Instructors:
Michal Kowalewski, University of Florida (kowalewski@ufl.edu<mailto:kowalewski@ufl.edu>)
Troy A. Dexter, Gerace Research Centre (researchgrc@gmail.com<mailto:researchgrc@gmail.com>)

Overview: This 5-week course will focus on graduate-level research in taphonomy and ecology of late Quaternary to Recent environments of San Salvador Island (the Bahamas), including both marine and terrestrial settings. Each student participant will lead an independent project based on field, experimental, or laboratory data. The instructors will assist students, both logistically and intellectually, in developing projects that can generate publishable quality data. San Salvador field sites and laboratory facilities offer opportunities for conducting topically diverse projects from experimental ecology and taphonomy to Quaternary paleoecology and biosedimentary processes.

Where: Gerace Research Centre, located on San Salvador Island, one of the outermost of a chain of some 700 islands that comprise The Bahamas

Who: Students interested in taphonomy, paleoecology, marine ecology, carbonate deposystems, reef paleoecology, coastal environments (both marine and terrestrial), and Quaternary paleoenvironments are particularly encouraged to apply. The course is aimed at graduate students who aspire to develop strong research portfolios. Advanced undergraduate students interested in research-oriented careers are also encouraged to apply. Students from all countries are eligible for admission.

Application Process: Please submit (1) one completed application form and (2) your most up-to-date Curriculum Vitae to kowalewski@ufl.edu<mailto:kowalewski@ufl.edu>. One reference letter should be emailed separately by the academic advisor. The application is due on Feb 1, 2017. Maximum enrollment: 16. The application form can be downloaded at the course website or directly at the following address: http://geraceresearchcentre.com/pdfs/TaphonomyApplicationForm.doc. Please contact instructors if you have any questions regarding the course or the application process.

Fees and Anticipated Expenses: The course fee is anticipated to be $2500 per student and will cover (1) lodging and all meals, (2) access to all facilities at the research centre, (3) transportation to and from field sites around the island, and (4) instructional and advising activities. The fee also includes health insurance for the duration of the course. The fee does not include transportation to San Salvador ($800 to $1000 from the mainland USA). The total anticipated cost per student is expected to be around $3300-$3500 per student.

Given more expensive airfare for non-US flights, the total cost is likely to be higher for international students. Students are encouraged to apply for financial aids/scholarships at their home institutions.

NOTE: Additional financial aid may be available from the course organizers. For details see the application form.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Postdoc in invertebrate paleobiology at the Florida Museum of Natural History (University of Florida)

The Invertebrate Paleontology Division at the Florida Museum of Natural History (University of Florida) invites applications for 1 or more postdoctoral positions in paleobiology. We are seeking motivated candidates, preferably with experience in quantitative paleoecology and stratigraphic paleobiology. The successful candidates will be part of two NSF-funded projects focused on marine invertebrate paleobiology. The projects will involve close collaboration with our partners at University of Bologna and Miami University of Ohio.


The initial full-time appointment will be for one year, with a possible extension for up to two years. A PhD degree is required. Candidates should submit a letter of application, a CV including a list of publications, and addresses of at least two referees Carrie Tyler (tylercl@MiamiOH.edu), or to Michal Kowalewski (kowalewski@ufl.edu), Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. E-mail applications are preferred. For further information please contact Tyler or Kowalewski. Review of applications will begin right away and will continue until the position is
filled. Full job posting available on the PaleoNet Position Listings.

NOT:  PI's will be at GSA and meeting with potential candidates. Please indicate your interest in meeting at GSA when you submit your application.

Post Doc positions at the AMNH

The American Museum of Natural History (New York) invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships in all areas of natural science including paleontology.  Please note that there are special programs targeting research in specific fields (e.g., Lerner Gray Fund for marine research) as well as the general program through the Richard Gilder Graduate School. 

The application deadline is Nov 15 2016.  For more information and to apply, go to http://bit.ly/2cEklb4.

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Position in Micropaleontology or Invertebrate Paleontology Texas A&M University

The Department of Geology and Geophysics at Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas) invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in paleontology.  Areas of interest include marine micropaleontology, marine invertebrate paleontology, paleoecology, paleoclimatology and biostratigraphy.  Successful applicants are expected to develop and maintain a vigorous, externally funded research program and demonstrate a commitment to exceptional undergraduate and graduate teaching through effective pedagogical techniques.  We are a collaborative, broad-based Department within the College of Geosciences, which includes the Departments of Oceanography, Atmospheric Science, Geography, Texas Sea Grant, the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG), and the International Ocean Discovery Program.  Opportunities for collaboration also exist within the Faculty of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, which brings together faculty interested in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from across the campus.

Interested candidates should submit electronic versions of a curriculum vita, statement of research interests and teaching philosophy, the names and addresses of at least three references and up to four reprints by email attachments, to the Chair of the Paleontology Search Committee, paleosearch@geo.tamu.edu.  Screening of applications will begin October 1, 2016, and will continue until the position is filled.  A Ph.D. is required at the time of employment.

Texas A&M University, a land-, sea-, and space-grant university, is located in a metropolitan area with a dynamic and international community of 255,000 people.  Texas A&M University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer committed to excellence through the recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty and student body and compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. The University is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment.  We strongly encourage applications from women, underrepresented ethnic groups, veterans, and persons with disabilities. Texas A&M University also has a policy to address the needs of dual-career partners (https://advance.tamu.edu/dual-career-program-information/)

Tenure-track assistant/associate professor of invertebrate paleontology- Drexel

The Department of Biodiversity, Earth & Environmental Science at Drexel University seeks applicants for a tenure-track assistant or associate professor appointment in invertebrate paleontology. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, Systematic and Evolutionary Biology, Paleoecology, Climatology, and Conservation Paleobiology, with the aim of deploying paleontological data to understand patterns of global change. 

The successful candidate will develop a research program in their subject area; teach courses in Invertebrate Paleontology and Stratigraphy, and at least one other course (such as Structural Geology, History of Life or Climatology); and will be the Curator for the Invertebrate Paleontology collection of Drexel's Academy of Natural Sciences. The ability to collaborate with other research groups in the department, such as Environmental Biogeochemistry, or other units at the university, such as Environmental Engineering, is a plus. Importantly, Drexel University emphasizes experiential learning and field-oriented candidates are encouraged to apply.
 
Philadelphia is located on the Fall Line between the Piedmont and Coastal Plain provinces and is one and a half hours from the Appalachian Mountains. The Academy of Natural Sciences, founded in 1812, is the oldest natural history research institution in North America with 18 million collection objects and a 250,000 volume library. The invertebrate paleontology collection holds 1 million specimens, including 6,000 lots of type specimens, and 30,000 samples of well-cuttings from the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains. The department has field facilities at Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, and a glacial lake in northeastern Pennsylvania.  Faculty in the department are engaged in geological and paleontological research in the Delaware Estuary and region, the Appalachian Mountains, the Canadian Arctic, India, and Indonesia. Drexel University is a research institution ranked in the top 100 among all PhD granting universities according to US News & World Report (2016). Located in the University City section of Philadelphia, Drexel sits along the Northeast rail corridor, providing easy access to New York and Washington.
 
Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Geology, Invertebrate Paleontology or a related field, a record of scientific achievement, a strong interest in undergraduate and graduate teaching, and must be able to develop a high-quality, externally-funded research program. For the Associate level, the candidate must demonstrate extramural funding.
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, CV, a summary of research experience, a statement of teaching philosophy, and a list of three or more references with postal address, email address, and telephone number. Apply online at drexeljobs.com<http://www.drexeljobs.com> (Position # 7849). Review of applications will begin December 1st, 2016 and will continue until the position is filled. Inquires may be sent to Dr. Gary Rosenberg, Search Committee Chair at gr347@drexel.edu.
 

Monday, September 19, 2016

2016 Division Awards for outstanding research

Every year the GSA Geobiology and Geomicrobiology division selects three exceptional researchers to receive pre-tenure, post-tenure, and distinguished career awards.  This year we had an exceptional list of nominees and we are pleased to announce that the 2016 awards go to Erik Sperling, Tanja Bosak, and Dawn Sumner. Please checkout their brief biographies below.


Pre-Tenure Award Recipient: Erik Sperling (Stanford University)
 

Erik Sperling studies Earth history and the evolution of life, and the interactions between the biosphere and geosphere. He incorporates evidence from fossil data, molecular phylogenetics, sedimentary geochemistry, and eco-physiological data from modern organisms. Ultimately, the goal is to link environmental change with organismal and ecological response (across time scales) through the lens of physiology.


Post-Tenure Award Recipient: Tanja Bosak (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)



Tanja Bosak was born in Croatia and graduated from the Zagreb University with a degree in Geophysics. After a summer of research at JPL and a short stint as a meteorologist at the Zagreb Airport, she moved to the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, where she studied signatures of microbial processes in ancient sedimentary rocks and earned a Ph.D. in Geobiology. She spent two years at Harvard as a Microbial Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow, joined the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at MIT in 2007 and is now an associate professor of Geobiology.

Tanja’s work integrates microbiology, sedimentology and stable isotope geochemistry into experimental geobiology to ask how microbes make minerals, shape sedimentary rocks and become fossilized. Her lab uses this approach to explore modern biogeochemical and sedimentological processes and interpret the record of life on the Early Earth. For this work, and her work with graduate students and undergraduates, Bosak received the Subaru Outstanding Woman in Science award by the Geological Society of America (2007), the Macelwane Medal from the American Geophysical Union (2011), the Edgerton Award for young faculty at MIT (2012) and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities for Undergraduates Mentor of the Year award by MIT (2012). Bosak is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union (2011) and one of the subject editors of Geobiology and Frontiers of Microbiology.


Distinguished Career Award Recipient: Dawn Sumner (University of California - Davis)





Dawn Sumner's research focuses on reconstructing ancient environments on early Earth and Mars and the early evolution of bacteria, including oxygenic photosynthesis. Her group studies everything from the environmental setting, geochemistry and morphology of Archean microbialites to the morphology, climate response, and genomics of modern microbial communities growing in ice-covered Antarctic lakes to the stratigraphy and geochemistry of sedimentary rocks on Mars. She is a member of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory, helping the rover Curiosity explore ancient environments in Gale Crater on Mars. She also regularly shares her research and adventures with the public and is dedicated to helping students of all backgrounds prepare for careers in science. [Bio modified from http://geology.ucdavis.edu/people/faculty/sumner.php]


Please join us at the GSA Geobiology Division Award Presentation on Monday, 26 September 2016 (12:00 - 1:30 pm) in the Hyatt Regency Denver, Capitol Ballroom


Assistant Professor, Stable Isotope Geochemistry- Western Washington University

Applications are invited for a tenure track Assistant Professor position in Stable Isotope Geochemistry in the Geology Department at Western Washington University (WWU) in Bellingham, WA, with an expected start date of September 2017. The Geology Department supports Western's mission to bring together individuals of diverse backgrounds and perspectives in an inclusive, student-centered university that develops the potential of learners and the well-being of communities. We encourage applications from candidates from underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in this faculty position.

The ideal candidate will enhance our existing strengths in geoscience teaching and research by developing new courses and research avenues in stable isotope geochemistry applied to any of a diverse range of geoscience problems. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to paleoclimatology/paleolimnology/paleoceanography/paleoecology, fluid flow and fluid-rock interactions, applications of stable isotopes to (bio)geochemical processes and (bio)mineralization. The hired applicant will be expected to successfully contribute to the department’s course and curricular offerings, to establish a successful research program that includes BS and MS students and securing external funding for support of major research instrumentation, and work with department faculty and staff to develop connections to other WWU departments and programs in the marine and environmental sciences and other allied fields. The faculty member will also be expected to participate in service activities, including departmental committees and student advising.

WWU is a primarily undergraduate state institution (about 15,000 students) in Bellingham, WA, 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia and 90 miles north of Seattle. WWU has longstanding and growing program in the geosciences, preparing more professional geologists than any other institution of higher education in Washington.

Closing Date Notes: Application review begins December 19, 2016; position is open until filled

Click here for more details: https://jobs.wwu.edu/JobPosting.aspx?JPID=7158

Curious about issues facing women in paleontology and geobiology?

Find someone with a Mary Anning button at GSA! We are paleontologists and geobiologists at various career stages with experience facing gender issues in science. Ask us about our research, career paths, or issues of concern to you, and grow your network!



Curator at NHM London

This is an opportunity to take up a collections leadership role in a world-renowned institution with a unique scientific mission and public profile.

The successful applicants will join a large science group that comprises a group of approximately 300 scientists, that houses some of the largest and most significant scientific collections in the world, that is home to an internationally important natural history library, that includes a suite of advanced analytical and imaging facilities, and that has the opportunity to communicate science to a huge national and international audience.

Applications are open to collections-based scientists across the breadth of the NHM's activities in Life Sciences to take up newly developed roles as Principal Curator in Charge (PCiC), in each of 3 of the following Life Science Divisions: Insects, Invertebrates, and Vertebrates; a PCiC position has been filled already in the Division of Algae, Fungi & Plants. We are especially interested in applicants who combine disciplinary expertise with a demonstrated ability to use that expertise to lead access to and development of collections.

Salary: 43,350 (GBP) per annum plus benefits
Contract: Permanent role as Band 3 Principal Curator; 5 year rolling appointments as PCiC
Closing date: 9am, Monday 17 October 2016

______________________________

Professor Norman MacLeod
The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD
(0)207 942-5204 (Office Landline)
(0)785 017-1787 (Mobile)
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/paleonet/MacLeod/

Vertebrate Paleo Professor- Nebraska

Applications are invited for a tenure track position as Assistant Professor with specialization in vertebrate paleontology in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The main duties of the successful candidate will be to develop an active and rigorous research program that is supported by external funding and to teach undergraduate and graduate courses. In addition, the candidate will co-supervise curation of the internationally significant mammal collections within the Vertebrate Paleontology Division of the University of Nebraska State Museum (UNSM). We seek applicants with research and teaching interests that complement departmental strengths in the related fields of paleontology, sedimentary geology, and paleoclimatology.

Requirements: Ph.D. in related field at the time of appointment; demonstrate strong potential for research and teaching; and research and teaching interests that complement departmental strengths in the related fields of paleontology, sedimentary geology, and paleoclimatology.

To apply, go to http://employment.unl.edu/postings/51184 and complete the “faculty/administrative form”. Applicants must attach a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of research, teaching, and curatorial interests, and names of at least three references via the above website. We will begin to review applications on November 15, 2016, but the position will remain open for applications until it is filled.

More details here: https://employment.unl.edu/postings/51493

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Postdoctoral Research Scientist wanted at the Field Museum- Vertebrate Paleontology



The Field Museum (Chicago, IL) seeks two postdoctoral scholars working in vertebrate paleontology, with a focus on archosaur paleobiology and evolution. Successful candidates will have a PhD in earth or life sciences or in a related discipline, and are expected to have a track record of publication and grant writing. Demonstrated experience working with three-dimensional data generated through scanning of fossils is desirable. The postdoctoral scientists will work directly with Dr. Peter Makovicky to conduct research on dinosaur evolution and paleobiology, and will also collaborate with Dr. Makovicky and staff in the Exhibit department on the creation of exhibits related to dinosaurs. For more information, please contact Dr. Peter Makovicky.

Each postdoctoral scientist will be employed by the Museum on a 12-month term, with benefits. The term for each position is up to two years with a review of performance after the first year. Review of applications will begin immediately and will conclude when both position are filled. To apply please send a statement of research interests and experience, a curriculum vitae including publications list, and names of three referees (with e-mail addresses) to: Peter Makovicky, Earth Sciences Section, The Field Museum, 1400 S. Lakeshore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605-2496 USA; e-mail: pmakovicky@fieldmuseum.org; phone: (312) 665-7633.

For more information, go to: www.fieldmuseum.org/about/careers

Monday, September 12, 2016

Texas A&M University tenure-track faculty position in paleontology

The Department of Geology and Geophysics at Texas A&M University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in paleontology.  Areas of interest include marine micropaleontology, marine invertebrate paleontology, paleoecology, paleoclimatology and biostratigraphy.  Successful applicants are expected to develop and maintain a vigorous, externally funded research program and demonstrate a commitment to exceptional undergraduate and graduate teaching through effective pedagogical techniques.  We are a collaborative, broad-based Department within the College of Geosciences, which includes the Departments of Oceanography, Atmospheric Science, Geography, Texas Sea Grant, the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG), and the International Ocean Discovery Program.  Opportunities for collaboration also exist within the Faculty of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, which brings together faculty interested in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from across the campus.

Qualifications: A Ph.D. is required at the time of employment.
 
Application Instructions: Interested candidates should submit electronic versions of a curriculum vita, statement of research interests and teaching philosophy, the names and addresses of at least three references and up to four reprints to https://apply.interfolio.com/36752.  Screening of applications will begin October 1, 2016, and will continue until the position is filled

University of Utah- Tenure track Paleoecology and Conservation Biology

The University of Utah seeks to fill a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level focused on biodiversity science in the area of paleoecology or conservation biology, broadly defined. This is a joint hire between the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) and either the Department of Geology & Geophysics or the Department of Biology at the University of Utah.  Areas of research emphasis could include fundamental questions of process and response in ecosystems to past and present global change; applying quantitative tools to understand geospheric and biospheric interactions over ecological and geological timescales; evolutionary, ecological, and/or biogeographic responses to perturbations such as landscape change, climate change, extinction, invasive species, etc.; and/or citizen science.

Review of applications will begin October 15, 2016 and will continue until the position is filled.  For full details and to apply on line, see https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/56783.

Other positions include:
Paleo-Ecology OR Conservation Biology: Cluster hire with the Natural History Museum, focused on Sustaining Biodiversity
https://nhmu.utah.edu/positions
Energy Geoscience: at the Associate Prof level
https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/52988
Igneous Processes:
https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/52987
Earth Systems Scientist AND a Social Scientist: Cluster hire on Society, Water and Climate

San José State University- Assistant Professor position in Paleontology

Qualifications: A Ph.D. degree in the Earth Sciences by start of appointment is required. Postdoctoral experience is desirable, and a proven record of excellence in teaching or evidence of promise for excellence in teaching is expected.

Research interests may include the interdisciplinary fields of paleobiology, paleoceanography, global change/paleoclimatology and carbonate sedimentology and should complement current departmental strengths in tectonics, petrology/geochemistry, geomorphology, sedimentology/stratigraphy, structural geology, and field geology.

Responsibilities: The successful candidate must have the interest and ability to teach Paleontology and an undergraduate Earth Systems course and will take a leadership role in teaching and curricular development of undergraduate and graduate courses in his or her area of expertise. Teaching non-majors is also expected. Research involving masters and undergraduate students is required, and external funding must be sought.

Starting Date: August 21, 2017

Eligibility: Employment is contingent upon proof of eligibility to work in the United States.

Application Procedure: For full consideration, send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, statement of teaching interests/strategies, statement of research interests, and three letters of reference with contact information by November 1, 2016 to apply.interfolio.com/36824.

Questions may be directed to Jonathan Miller.

Find out more here: www.sjsu.edu/geology/docs/23791_PaleontologyPosition.pdf

Friday, September 9, 2016

Divisions

When you renew your GSA membership don't forget to add GSA Geobiology & Geomicrobiology as your affiliated division! We are the only division that covers geobiology, microbiology, paleontology, and many other interdisciplinary fields!

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Twitter and Facebook

Check out our awesome new twitter account: https://twitter.com/GSA_Geobio
We also have a brand new facebook page: www.facebook.com/GSAGeobiology/

Subscribe to the feed or join the group for updates about GSA Geobiology events, papers, jobs, and more!

Thanks to our student representatives Anna Weiss and Selva Marroquin for setting these up!

GSA Lunch and Awards 2016

Hello GBGM division!

Please join us at GSA this year for the Geobiology and Geomicrobiology Division Award Presentation Event & Business Meeting on Monday, 26 September 2016 (12:00 - 1:30 pm) in the Hyatt Regency Denver, Capitol Ballroom


Also, for students presenting research at GSA, we will be continuing our tradition of awarding prizes for the best poster and talk at GSA. To be considered for this award, please email Selva Marroquin or Anna Weiss with the following information by Wednesday September 21st:
     1. Your name
     2. Talk or Poster
     3. Session
     4. Date and Time
     5. Room number

See you in Denver!
Marc, Simon, Jim, Vicky, and Rowan