Description

M.S. Graduate Assistantship in Urban Wildlife Ecology

A funded M.S. Graduate Assistantship is available in the Surasinghe Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences, Bridgewater State University, MA. The masters student will contribute to an NSF EEID-funded project examining urban wildlife ecology, host–vector interactions, and tick-borne disease risk across urbanization gradients in southeastern Massachusetts.

The student will develop an M.S. thesis focused on urban wildlife ecology, with emphasis on modeling wildlife occurrence, relative abundance, habitat use, and community patterns across urban and peri-urban landscapes. The project will use camera-trap and ARU (audiomoth) data, environmental and landscape covariates, and quantitative ecological models to evaluate how urbanization influences wildlife activity and distribution. The student will also contribute to the broader project by helping integrate wildlife monitoring with tick, landscape, and disease-risk datasets.

Responsibilities will include fieldwork in the Greater Boston region, deployment and maintenance of trail cameras, data organization and quality control, camera-image processing, GIS/spatial data preparation, statistical modeling in R, and preparation of a masters thesis, manuscripts, and conference presentations. The student will also collaborate with undergraduate and other graduate students in the lab, the postdoctoral researcher, and project collaborators (Columbia Uni, Boston Uni, Tuft Uni, Uni of Sussex/Bath).

Applicants should have a strong academic background in wildlife ecology, urban ecology, quantitative ecology, landscape ecology, or a related field. Prior experience with fieldwork, camera traps, ARUs, GIS, R, or statistical modeling is desirable. Strong applicants will be organized, reliable, willing to conduct fieldwork under variable conditions, and interested in developing both field and analytical skills.

The assistantship is expected to begin in January 2027 (Thru Dec 2028, for two years) in Biology M.S. program. 

Interested students should send a single PDF containing:

a brief statement of interest describing research interests, relevant experience, and career goals;
a CV;
unofficial transcripts; and
contact information for two or three references.
Please send materials or questions to:

Dr. Thilina Surasinghe
Department of Biological Sciences
Bridgewater State University
Email: [email protected]

Review of inquiries will begin in early Oct and continue until the position is filled. Prospective students are encouraged to contact Dr. Surasinghe before submitting a formal application to the BSU Biology M.S. program.

Requirements

Applicants must:

• Hold a bachelor's degree (or complete one before enrollment) in Biology, Ecology, Wildlife Biology, Environmental Science, Geography, or a closely related field.
• Meet the admission requirements for the M.S. in Biology program at Bridgewater State University.
• Be eligible for appointment as a Graduate Assistant under Bridgewater State University policies.
• Commit to a two-year M.S. program beginning January 2028.
• Be willing to conduct fieldwork in southeastern Massachusetts under variable weather conditions and travel to field sites as required.
• Demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.