- Grassland ecology. One of the major strengths
of the Division of Biology
at Kansas
State University is our research program in grassland ecology.
Research
scientists within the Division have considerable expertise in working
with grassland ecosystems, both in North America and abroad.
Studies
of grassland ecosystems are particularly timely because declines in
tallgrass
prairie is a serious conservation issue, and grasslands are under
pressure.
The recent book Grassland
Dynamics: Long-Term Ecological Research in Tallgrass Prairie gives
a nice overview of ongoing research in the Division of Biology.
- Konza Prairie and other field sites. One
incredible resource available to students working at Kansas State
University is Konza Prairie
Biological Station. Konza Prairie is a ca. 3,400 ha tallgrass
prairie reserve that is a short 20 min drive south of Manhattan.
It is part of a network of Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) sites funded by the National Science Foundation. The
biological
resources of the site are remarkable, it supports good numbers of
grassland
vertebrates and invertebrates. The infrastructure is also superb with lab facilities,
project
vehicles, and funding for undergraduate field assistants. A
considerable
amount of background data on weather, habitat sampling and bird surveys
is archived on the Konza website. Two other nearby sites that
could be
used for research include the Fort Riley Military Reservation (40,500
ha), and the newly created Tallgrass
Prairie National Reserve (4,500 ha).
- Excellent
Working Environment. We have a highly coherent group of
graduate students and faculty who's primary aim is to do the best
science possible. this includes facilitating the work of our
graduate students.
- Great faculty. The Division of Biology is the home
department for a
diverse group of scientists with a wide range of research
interests. In other departments on campus (e.g. Agronomy, Entomology), there are a number of
other faculty members conducting
interesting ecological research. The Division of
Biology also houses the Kansas
Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, a research partnership
supported by the university, Kansas
Dept. of Wildlife and Parks and the Biological Resources Division of
the
US Geological Service.
- Journal clubs. Examples
include: Avian Ecology
Discussion Group, Evolutionary Ecology Journal Club, Aquatic
Ecology (LAB) Journal Club.
- Quantitative statistics. The Department of Statistics at
Kansas State is particularly strong in applied statistics and graduate
students have the option of including a statistician on their
supervisory committee.
- Natural history. In Kansas, there are a
number
of conservation groups with an interest in the natural history of the
state. These groups include the Kansas Ornithological Society,
Northern Flint Hills Audubon
Society, and the KSU Chapter of
the
Wildlife Society. All offer regular seminar series, field
trips and
social activities. For keen birders, the avifauna of Kansas is an
interesting
mix of western and eastern species. See the Checklist for Kansas (PDF file, 27 KB)
and the recently published Kansas Breeding Bird
Atlas.
- Guaranteed financial support. The
Division of
Biology guarantees full financial support for all students that are
accepted into the graduate program. Support is offered through
teaching and research assistantships, and the level of support is the
same for both foreign and domestic students (ca. $20,000 per year, including
tuition). If you are accepted for admission into the
program, you will receive financial support as long as you are making
reasonable progress towards a degree.
- Excellent peer group. Graduate students in this
program are hard-working, productive, and friendly. Our
Biology Graduate Student Association
has had excellent leadership in recent years, and sponsors several social and
scientific functions each year. Recent graduates have gone on to high-quality
post-doctoral positions and faculty positions at prestigious universities
- Low cost of living. Not only is salary
guaranteed by the Division of Biology but your dollar goes a long way
in Manhattan. Shared accommodations at $250-300 per month is easy
to find, and groceries are inexpensive. Manhattan is a college
town of ca. 45,000 people with good services and recreational
opportunities. See official websites of the City of Manhattan and the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.