GRASS
E3B Graduate Resource Association of Student Scientists
Outreach Committee
The E3B Graduate Student Outreach Committee seeks to build community between the graduate and undergraduate students in the E3B department. We offer resources and professional development workshops for undergraduates to help them pursue graduate school and/or careers in Ecology/Evolution. We additionally organize community development events where grads and undergrads can mingle, explore nature, and have fun!
General resources:
How to find a good project: https://cool.barnard.edu/envsci/index.php/how-to/find-a-good-project/
How to work with a mentor:
https://cool.barnard.edu/envsci/index.php/student-mentor-advisor-relationships/
Interested in research opportunities outside E3B?
The E3B Outreach Committee Compiled a list of research opportunities outside E3B
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Last updated:
3/5/24
Monitoring behavioral and spatiotemporal space use change of deer population in public parks in response to baiting
Computational work
Do you enjoy watching wildlife? 🦌🦝🐿️
This project focuses on understanding behavioral and spatiotemporal space use change of deer population in public parks in Long Islands in response to the installation of 4-poster, a topical acaricide self-applicator that treats white-tailed deer while they are feeding on baits for tick population control. The hypothesis here is that providing supplementary resources makes the nearby deer population aggregate near the treatment device.
Deer population has been monitored for around 6 months by installing ~13 wildlife cameras within the park throughout the gradient of distance from 4-posters. We are in search of students who can work on photo identifications (going through photos and IDing species)!
Skills or knowledge required:
Basic computer and excel skills, but I can also teach them
Funding for Undergraduates:
No funding
Additional Information
This will be work from home
Start:
2/28/24
End:
5/31/24
Time Commitment:
5-10 hours/ week
Professor:
Maria Diuk-Wasser
The eco-epidemiology of vector-borne diseases throughout New York City and Long Island
Field work
The overall goal of the project is to evaluate human exposure to vectors and the risk of disease in urban, suburban, and exurban areas. The RA will assist our team with one or more of the following activities depending on their experience: online and in-person epidemiological surveys in greenspaces, public outreach and promotion of The Tick App, and tick dragging and tick host trapping/sampling on private and public properties. This position will provide strong training in conducting epidemiological assessments in a variety of settings, vector collection and identification, small mammal trapping, data management skills, and science communication. Position is paid.
Skills or knowledge required:
This will be a fieldwork-intensive position, so RAs should be capable of working in challenging environmental conditions (e.g. rain, heat, overgrowth, steep slopes, fog, vector-infested habitat, etc.). No specific skills required.
Funding for Undergraduates:
This is a paid position, see our website at https://ecoepidemiologylab.e3b.columbia.edu/ or reach out for more details! Start/end date is approximate.
Additional Information
Rolling application review until April-15-2024
Start:
5/13/24
End:
9/30/24
Time Commitment:
full-time (40 hr./wk)
Professor:
Maria Diuk-Wasser
Connecting Red Oaks through Mycorrhizal Networks
Greenhouse work
Love to play with dirt and watch plants grow?
Work includes assisting in the growth and care of acorns and inoculation of the seeds with mycorrhizal fungi, as well as an engineering component of plant pot design and creation.
Possibility to continue into the summer.
Skills or knowledge required:
Willingness to do hands-on tasks & work with dirt
Funding for Undergraduates:
No funding
Additional Information
Hours are flexible depending on availability- minimum is 5 hours and can be up to 15 hours depending on project).
Link for more information about me: https://kacarreraspereira.wixsite.com/my-site
Start:
2/5/24
End:
5/13/24
Time Commitment:
5-10 hours/week
Professor:
Duncan Menge
Tree Cores from Black Rock Forest, NY
Lab work
Learn how to prepare tree core samples for dendrochronological analysis. Work includes sanding, microscopy, and digital scanning for each wood sample.
Core prep will take place in the Tree Ring Lab at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and core dating can be done from laptop.
Potential to continue over summer and fall in tree ring analysis and dating.
Starts as soon as possible
Skills or knowledge required:
Basic computer skills, willingness to perform manual tasks (i.e. sanding)
Funding for Undergraduates:
No funding
Additional Information
Start:
1/22/24
End:
5/13/24
Time Commitment:
6-8 hours/week
Professor:
Duncan Menge
Biogeochemistry in Black Rock Forest
Field work
Join our team in the forest to gather soil cores (which will be used to measure nitrogen pools and fluxes), measure pH and soil moisture. The team will go out once every 6 weeks on a Friday or Saturday. Great intro into field work!
Possibility to continue through summer and fall
Skills or knowledge required:
No knowledge prereqs since everything can be learned in situ; however willingness to work in nature (i.e. bugs, dirt, in rain/shine, etc) and ability to perform manual labor (i.e. digging, soil coring, and some hiking)
Funding for Undergraduates:
No funding
Additional Information
Start:
3/1/24
End:
5/13/24
Time Commitment:
8 hours/week
Professor:
Duncan Menge
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory REU Program
Field work
The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory is now accepting applications for the 2024 summer research program. Go to www.rmbl.org and follow the tab for 'students'.
Each summer, the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) offers a 10 week program, where approximately 40 undergraduate and postbacc students are matched with mentors from across the country to conduct independent research. Students work on a wide array of ecological and evolutionary field projects. Additionally, students have the opportunity to supplement their research project with training in field ecology or wildlife biology.
RMBL is located in Gothic, Colorado, a stunningly beautiful location in the Rockies. Because we host more than 200 graduate students and senior scientists, undergraduates have an opportunity to learn about graduate programs from around the world. Many students end up as co-authors on scientific papers and start building professional networks that foster their career across a lifetime. We have had many undergraduates turn their summer research into a senior thesis project.
Skills or knowledge required:
No
Funding for Undergraduates:
Yes. Applicants who need financial support need to submit their online application by Feb. 15.
(Dates for work finalize after acceptance into the program)
Additional Information
I have led work at RMBL as a graduate student for the past two years and am happy to answer questions about the research and field station!
I am not in charge of applications, so any application questions should be sent to RMBL directly. See contact information here.
Start:
6/1/24
End:
8/15/24
Time Commitment:
40 hours/week over the summer
Professor:
N/A
Investigating patterns of urban wildlife distribution and tickborne disease
Both lab work and computational work
Help us to understand how wildlife in the New York City metropolitan area contributes to the movement and spread of ticks and their pathogens. Learn how to 1) use entomological keys to identify tick species under a microscope, and/or 2) identify wildlife species from camera trap photographs and contribute to an international network of urban wildlife research. Work from Columbia’s Morningside campus or from home with opportunities to develop an independent research / thesis project.
Skills or knowledge required:
Basic computer knowledge and experience using excel; an interest in disease ecology, wildlife biology, and/or entomology :)
Funding for Undergraduates:
No funding
Additional Information
Start and end dates are flexible! Students able to commit 10+ hours/week could be hired as employees for compensation or receive research credit.
Start:
1/16/24
End:
5/6/24
Time Commitment:
5-10 hours/week
Professor:
Maria Diuk-Wasser
Historic patterns of bee diversity in Taiwan
Photo editing and annotating
Learn how to edit photos of museum specimens to explore historic patterns of bee diversity in Taiwan! Work from home or AMNH with potential to lead to independent research/ thesis project.
Skills or knowledge required:
Basic computer knowledge, bonus if insect identification skills or has worked in a museum, but not required
Funding for Undergraduates:
No funding
Additional Information
Start:
12/11/23
End:
5/31/24
Time Commitment:
10 hours/week
Professor:
Jessica Ware (AMNH)
External Funding
For opportunities that don't come with funding, you may be able to get support through the Federal Work-Study Program, which provides funds for part-time employment to help needy students to finance the costs of postsecondary education.
If you are interested, please reach out to the graduate student and/or professor sponsoring the research opportunity, who will help you with the application. The FWS program is a US government-sponsored program, and funding decisions are made by the Department of Education. Funding through FWS for research opportunities posted here are not guaranteed.