Current Opportunities

Opportunities

The Science Scholars Opportunities page displays current undergraduate research opportunities available in various faculty labs in WSU Vancouver's School of Biological Sciences. Please check back regularly for updates.

Lab Name:	Faculty & Graduate Student Mentors:	Scientific Question:	Position Description:	Requirements:	Type:	Deadline:	Email Application To:	More info:
Lab: Piovia-Scott Lab	Mentor(s): Julianna Hoza and Jonah Piovia-Scott	Question: How do beaver dams and beaver dam analogs alter amphibian, macroinvertebrate, and fish occupancy in low-order streams?	About: I am looking for a motivated undergraduate to help me perform field surveys to evaluate beaver dam analog stream restoration in the northeast Cascades. Surveys will include visual searches for amphibians and egg masses, traps for macroinvertebrates, and environmental DNA surveys for fish. We'll start surveying on the weekends sometime in March, and then once the semester ends, I'll be surveying for up to multiple weeks at a time while camping out.	Requirements: Enthusiasm for aquatic ecosystems and a good attitude working outside in all weather for long hours. This position could pair well with a flexible part-time job, although the selected intern will need to have at least 1 week periods of time available to camp near the sites.	Type: Although my funding for an intern is limited, I will be able to pay for food/gas, and I may be able to pay an intern a small stipend (TBD whether this will be possible). I cannot provide housing, but the intern would be able to camp at various locations throughout the season if interested in not paying for housing during the summer (this is what I will be doing). There is also course credit available, and if the intern is interested in pursuing their own independent research, I would be happy to mentor them and support a project.	Deadline: Rolling. Priority is Feb. 15th, 2023.	Contact: Please email Julianna Hoza at julianna.hoza@wsu.edu
Lab: Global Change and Watershed Biogeochemistry Lab (Harrison Lab)	Mentor(s): John Harrison	Question: How do matter and energy cycle through ecosystems, and how are humans changing these cycles?	About: Looking for an undergraduate to help with lab tasks and do research relating to interactions between dam operations, greenhouse gas emissions, and water quality	Requirements: Enthusiasm and an interest in the natural world and how it works, some background in chemistry (e.g., undergraduate coursework), and a record of academic success	Type: Bio 499 – 1-3 credits (3-9 hrs./wk.)	Deadline: Rolling	Contact: john_harrison@wsu.edu
Lab: Global Change and Watershed Biogeochemistry Lab (Harrison Lab)	Mentor(s): John Harrison Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens Stephen Bollens	Question: How does the environment, society, and new knowledge interact to shape rule-following, rule-bending and rule-reformulation behaviors, and how, in- turn, do these behaviors affect reservoir ecosystem responses?	About: We are seeking undergraduate researchers to take on pieces of this project, including studies of how water level fluctuations affect aquatic greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, harmful algal blooms, and/or aquatic invasive species.	Requirements: WSUV undergraduate	Type: Students will be paid hourly for their work on this project.	Deadline: Rolling: this position starts in summer	Contact: john_harrison@wsu.edu	More info
Lab: Piovia-Scott Lab	Mentor(s): Susie Masecar and Jonah Piovia-Scott	Question: How susceptible are pet amphibians to three infectious diseases - Batrachochytrium dendrobatitidis, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, and ranavirus?	About: Multiple positions open. Tasks range from caring for amphibians and feeder invertebrates to maintaining fungal and viral cultures to DNA extraction and qPCR.	Requirements: Basic biological background, ability to work 10 hours/week, must follow strict biosecurity protocols, must be comfortable with research in which animals are euthanized.	Type: Paid, credit-earning, and volunteer intern positions available. Work-study eligible applicants preferred. Positions will start middle of Fall 2022 and extend through at least Fall 2023. Multiple year commitments not required.	Deadline: Rolling. Apply before Oct. 3 for priority consideration.	Contact: susanna.masecar@wsu.edu	More info
Lab: Schultz Lab	Mentor(s): Cheryl Schultz, Erica Henry, Kelsey King, and Samantha Bussan	Question: Assessing population trends for butterflies on a national scale	About: Looking for an undergraduate researcher to help with data entry and sleuthing data from historical reports related to butterfly ecology and conservation	Requirements: Enthusiasm, attention to detail, familiarity with Microsoft Excel	Type: Paid or Credit	Deadline: Rolling; ASAP	Contact: please fill out the internship application on our lab website	More info

Add Your Opportunity Here!

Are you currently looking to add a scholar to your lab? Please email Dr. Camille Wendlandt at camille.wendlandt@wsu.edu. In your email, include 1) the lab name, 2) name of the mentor(s), 3) scientific question being addressed, 4) description of the position, 5) requirements for the position, 6), type of position (paid/unpaid/credit-only, duration, etc.), 7) deadline for applying, 8) email address where application should be sent, and 9) any other relevant information.