Two five-year positions supported by the National Science Foundation and The Ohio State University for an interdisciplinary research project that examines the environmental conditions that lead to human territorial behavior in pastoral ecosystems as well as how territoriality shapes the environment. Based in the Dhufar highlands of Southern Oman, the project will provide new insights into whether the dynamics of woodland-grassland-woodland cycling are coupled with pulses in human territorial behavior. Project findings will have significant implications for examining interactions between humans and their environments over time in the U.S. and elsewhere. The five-year research plan will train students in complex social-ecological systems thinking at all levels from high school through post-doctoral studies.

We seek candidates for two graduate research assistant members of a research team headed by Joy McCorriston, Mark Moritz, and Ian Hamilton with international partners in Oman, USA, UK, and Germany. The graduate studentships, open to all BA, BSc, MA and MSc candidates, have full tuition and stipend for degree study in either Anthropology or in Evolutionary Ecology and Organismal Biology (EEOB) at The Ohio State University. We are looking for students eager to join an interdisciplinary team that combines archaeological research in Oman (Middle East) with agent-based modeling of social-ecological systems. We especially encourage students from groups that are historically underrepresented in STEM to apply.

Archaeology Graduate Studentship. This student will bring prior archaeological excavation experience and coursework in archaeology to this project along with a strong motivation to acquire multiple new research skills. Desired experience includes some combination of the following: archaeological survey and mapping, field illustration, laboratory analysis in the archaeological or archaeo-biological sciences, or geomatics (GIS, GPS, remote sensing), languages (especially Arabic), international experience. Candidates should have a strong science background and an interest in human evolutionary ecology. For more information please contact: Professor Joy McCorriston (mccorriston.1@osu.edu), Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University

Agent-Based Models in Behavioral Ecology Graduate Studentship. Candidates should bring a background in research and coursework in behavioral ecology, resource ecology, applied mathematics or complexity science to this project. Experience in computational behavioral or ecological modeling (particularly individual- or agent-based modeling) or foraging behavior (particularly resource defense and habitat use) is desired. Candidates will need to be competitive applicants to the OSU Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology PhD program. For more information please contact: Professor Ian Hamilton,(hamilton.598@osu.edu), Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Organismal Biology, Department of Mathematics, The Ohio State University. Please include the phrase “Agent-Based Models in Behavioral Ecology – YOUR NAME” in the subject of your message.

These positions will remain open until filled. Please send us a preliminary cover letter by email and if asked, be prepared to follow up with a CV, references, and a university transcript (unofficial is acceptable).