Positions Available
MS Positions
MS / PhD Graduate Assistantships available: The Simulation and Terrain-based River Elevation Advanced Mapping (STREAM) project
DzԲپ: The student(s) working on this project will develop mapped floodplains in rural and low-population areas of Maine, where detailed hydrologic and hydraulic studies have not yet been conducted. Gaps in flood hazard data limit the ability of state and local agencies to assess flood risk, plan mitigation strategies, and support emergency management. Student(s) will use high resolution elevation data and advanced modeling techniques to calculate 100-year floodplain surfaces, building upon previously successful approaches used in other New England watersheds. Community engagement and participatory research activities will include outreach, facilitation of community meetings, and a diversity of science communications. Projects are co-supervised by University of Maine Faculty in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology; the School of Food and Agriculture; and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. The student(s) will also work closely with scientists at the USGS New England Water Science Center. Good communication skills are essential as the student will be responsible for frequent coordination and reporting.
Qualifications and experience: For M.S. and Ph.D. applicants, a B.S. in biology, agricultural sciences, or equivalent is required. For Ph.D. students, an M.S. in similar fields is strongly preferred. Prior field and laboratory experience, and an interest in socio-ecological systems are essential. Must have a desire to contribute to a collaborative and supportive graduate student community. Prior experience in data management and GIS is desirable but not required.
Compensation and benefits: Minimum $28,000 MS/$31,333.33 PhD per year paid bi-weekly, minimum 65% of medical insurance premium for students and up to 50% for one dependent, minimum of 50% of dental insurance premium for students, and minimum of 13 credit hours of tuition. Funding is renewed annually, dependent upon funding availability and student performance. For Ph.D. students, 4 years of research assistantship is anticipated, for M.S. students, 2 years of research assistantship is anticipated.
How to apply: Please send a cover letter, CV, transcripts, three references (names and contact only) via . Please title your submission documents using the following naming convention: “LASTNAME_FILETYPE_STREAM”, for example: “Smith_coverletter_STREAM”.
Application deadline: September 30, 2026
Notification date: November 15, 2026
Desired position start date: January 19, 2027, or as arranged.
Degree options: One student will be co-advised by Drs. Rachel Schattman and Christina Murphy, the other will be advised by Drs. Noah Charney and Christina Murphy; there is flexibility to take a graduate degree in either Biology (with concentration in Ecology), Wildlife Ecology, Plant Soil and Environmental Sciences, or Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Preference for a program should be stated in applicants’ cover letters.
Location: Students will be based at the University of Maine, in Orono, a flagship R-1 institution and friendly community in the small and bike-able town of Orono, near the City of Bangor. The campus is surrounded by forests, bogs, rivers, and lakes set in the famous Hundred-Mile Wilderness of the Appalachian Trail and the spectacular coastline of Acadia National Park. Waterways, and hiking, biking and ski-trails on the campus doorstep provide opportunities for four seasons of outdoor recreation.
Contact: Please direct questions to Rachel Schattman (rachel.schattman@maine.edu) and Christina Murphy (christina.murphy@maine.edu) with heading “STREAM Assistantship”.
Additional information: Assistantships cover 20/hrs week; desktop computers will be provided for work; this position is covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the University of Maine System and UMGWU‑UAW. Additional information available at:
Employment nondiscrimination statement: In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207-581-1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).
Links: /wle/, /foodandagriculture/, , /mainecoopunit/,/graduate/
MS / PhD Graduate Assistantship: Effects of fish passage improvement on stream food webs
Responsibilities: The student will develop a collaborative project aimed at understanding how the replacement of the Cherryfield ice dam with a rock-ramp fish way influences the incorporation of marine derived nutrients in the food webs of the Narraguagus River. The project will use a combination of field sampling of macroinvertebrates and fish, stable isotope processing and analysis, and a range of quantitative analyses. The research is in collaboration with student-led projects on diadromous fish movement and responses of upstream fish communities and involves working closely federal & state agency and NGO partners. Good communication skills are essential as the student will be responsible for frequent coordination and reporting.
Qualifications & experience: A B.S. in biology or equivalent (or M.S for Ph.D. level position), prior field and laboratory experience, and an interest in food webs and ecological statistics/quantitative methods are essential. Must have a desire to contribute to a collaborative and supportive graduate student community. Prior experience in data management, sampling and identification of fish and macroinvertebrates, preparation of samples for stable isotope analysis, and Bayesian food-web analyses are desirable but not required.
Salary and benefits: Minimum $28,000 MS/$31,333.33 PhD per year, minimum 65% of medical insurance premium for student and up to 50% for one dependent, minimum of 50% of dental insurance premium for student, and minimum of 13 credit hours of tuition. Funding is renewed annually; 3 years of research assistantship and at least 1 year of teaching assistantship support is anticipated.
Closing date: Review will begin 15 July 2026; anticipated starting date of January 1, 2027 or as arranged.
Degree options: The student will be co-advised by Drs Christina Murphy and Hamish Greig, so there is flexibility to take graduate degree in either Biology (with concentration in Ecology), Wildlife Ecology, or Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
Contact: Please send cover letter, CV, transcripts, three references (names and contact only) via this . Please direct questions and applications to Hamish Greig (hamish.greig@maine.edu) and Christina Murphy (christina.murphy@maine.edu) with heading “Narraguagus River Assistantship”.
Links: /wle/, , /mainecoopunit/; /graduate/
91 91: 91, a flagship R-1 institution, is a friendly community in the small and bike-able town of Orono, just up the road from the City of Bangor. The campus is surrounded by ample forests, bogs, rivers, and lakes set in the famous Hundred-Mile Wilderness of the Appalachian Trail and the spectacular coastline of Acadia National Park. Waterways, and hiking, biking and ski-trails on the campus doorstep provide opportunities for four seasons of outdoor recreation.
MS / PhD Graduate Assistantship: Effects of fish passage improvement on upstream fish communities
Responsibilities: The student will develop a collaborative project aimed at understanding how the replacement of the Cherryfield ice dam with a rock-ramp fish way influences the community structure and dynamics of fish communities. The project will use a combination eDNA and electrofishing to qualitatively and quantitatively sample diadromous and freshwater fishes. Opportunities also exist to extend research to macroinvertebrate communities depending on student interest. The research is in collaboration with student-led projects on diadromous fish movement and the incorporation of marine-derived nutrients in stream food webs and involves working closely federal & state agency and NGO partners. Good communication skills are essential as the student will be responsible for frequent coordination and reporting.
Qualifications & experience: A B.S. in biology or equivalent (or M.S for Ph.D. level position), prior field and laboratory experience, and an interest in community ecology and ecological statistics/quantitative methods are essential. Must have a desire to contribute to a collaborative and supportive graduate student community. Prior experience with eDNA sampling, laboratory and data analyses, electrofishing, sampling and identification of fish and/or macroinvertebrates, and ecological statistics is desired but not essential.
Salary and benefits: Minimum $28,000 MS/$31,333.33 PhD per year, minimum 65% of medical insurance premium for student and up to 50% for one dependent, minimum of 50% of dental insurance premium for student, and minimum of 13 credit hours of tuition. Funding is renewed annually; 3 years of research assistantship and at least 1 year of teaching assistantship support is anticipated.
Closing date: Review will begin 15 July 2026; anticipated starting date of January 1, 2027 or as arranged.
Degree options: The student will be co-advised by Drs Christina Murphy and Hamish Greig, so there is flexibility to take graduate degree in either Biology (with concentration in Ecology), Wildlife Ecology, or Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
Contact: Please send cover letter, CV, transcripts, three references (names and contact only) via this . Please direct questions and applications to Hamish Greig (hamish.greig@maine.edu) and Christina Murphy (christina.murphy@maine.edu) with heading “Narraguagus River Assistantship”.
Links: , /wle/, /mainecoopunit/; /graduate/
91 91: 91, a flagship R-1 institution, is a friendly community in the small and bike-able town of Orono, just up the road from the City of Bangor. The campus is surrounded by ample forests, bogs, rivers, and lakes set in the famous Hundred-Mile Wilderness of the Appalachian Trail and the spectacular coastline of Acadia National Park. Waterways, and hiking, biking and ski-trails on the campus doorstep provide opportunities for four seasons of outdoor recreation.
PhD Positions
See above.
Postdoctoral Associates
none at this time
Updated 7/16/2026