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PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

Want to help understand one of society’s wicked problems and find solutions?

Research ecology and/or interdisciplinary fire science at San José State University. Improve basic understanding of fire ecology, and help managers and regulators understand tradeoffs for treatments. 

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Current SJSU students should complete an interest survey and send email to Kate.Wilkin@sjsu.edu.

 

Potential MS ecology students would be in the Biological Sciences Department’s Ecology and Evolution program, and participate in the new Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center, which was recently awarded a NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC). WIRC provides potential internal research funding and interdisciplinary collaborations between ecology and social scientists, climatologists, fire weather, fire behavior modeling, combustion engineer, fire behavior monitoring, and remote sensing. 

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Prescribed fire research topics:

Evaluate efficacy of novel field-based and remote sensing-based monitoring methods

Coastal prairie restoration

Chaparral fire management

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Other research and projects in the lab includes:

Home Ignition Zone (HIZ)

Fuel breaks and evacuation route clearance

Pyrodiversity

Youth fire education

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Application Process: 

  • Applicants should email Kate Wilkin (kate.wilkin@sjsu.edu) well in advance, and include some off the items needed for a formal application to SJSU:

    • Email subject: Prospective Graduate Student

    • Your interests in fire ecology, research interests and long-term career goals in a cover letter

    • CV with software, lab and field methods and equipment, language (especially Spanish), and other skills, and publications and presentations listed

    • Scores: GPA, GRE (not required, but share if taken)

    • One writing sample (report, published paper, technical report, or class research I

    • If you have one, one code example (R, Python, etc.) and product (analysis, figure, map)

    • Funding needs: Do you have a grant in-and? What are your needs?

    • Contact information for 3+ references

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Interested applicants must apply to the graduate school at San Jose State University with their application, AND email additional letters of support to the Graduate Coordinator.  Applications for January 2025 applicants are due by October 1, 2024 and August 2025 applicants must apply by March 1, 2025. You will send your letter of interest, list of references, and name(s) of faculty that you want to work with AND your references send letters directly to the Graduate Coordinator October 15, 2024 for spring applicants and March 15, 2025 for fall applicants. 

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Funding: 

1st year funds available through existing grants. We will apply for 2nd year funds together. Summer 2025 funding and internship may be available through a SJSU-NASA FireSage internship program (https://www.nasa.gov/firesage-program/). Students are expected to seek additional funding and tuition stipends may be available through competitive Biology Department teaching positions. Competitive internal research funding available through the new Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center, which is a NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center. Students are expected to apply to CalFire, Joint Fire Science Program, California Native Grasslands Association, Association for Fire Ecology, CSUBIOTECH, SJSU Biology Department Scholarships, and other student grant programs. Total funding is dependent on the project, and students will be trained in internal and external grant writing. 

Start date: Start as student in January 2025 OR Start as technician April 2025, and as student in August 2025. 

 

Application Process: 

  • Applicants should also email Kate Wilkin (kate.wilkin@sjsu.edu) well in advance, and include some of the items needed for a formal application to SJSU. 

    • Your research interests and long-term career goals in a cover letter

    • CV with software, lab and field methods and equipment (especially botanical identification and vegetation monitoring), language (especially Spanish), and other skills, and publications and presentations listed

    • Scores:GPA, transcript, GRE if taken

    • One writing sample (report, published paper, technical report, or class research project)

    • Funding needs: Do you have a grant in-hand? What are your needs?

    • Contact information for 3+ references

 

Interested applicants must apply to the graduate school at San Jose State University using their application.

  • Spring 2025 applicants must apply by October 1, 2024.  

  • Fall 2025 applicants must apply by March 1, 2025.

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