About QERM

Welcome from the Director

Welcome to the Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management program! "QERM" is an exciting interdisciplinary graduate program that promotes use of both statistical and mathematical (modeling) techniques to tackle problems in natural resource management -- fisheries, forestry, wildlife, and ecology. QERM graduates work in academia, in public agencies, and for private firms (in some cases even starting their own). Our current employment placement rate is 100%!

QERM differs from a traditional academic department in that it draws its participating faculty from a variety of areas, including statistics, applied mathematics, forestry, fisheries, biology, genetics, atmospheric sciences, and so on. (For example, I am a statistical scientist with my academic appointment in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.) The breadth of QERM faculty interests allows students to explore a variety of research areas for their thesis work.

Typical QERM students are those who come to the program with a strong quantitative background and a desire to (1) further develop their skills in statistics and mathematical modeling; and (2) apply those skills to interesting, thorny problems in ecology or natural resource management. The first year is spent taking quantitative coursework that leads to the June qualifying exams, in addition to connecting with QERM faculty to explore suitable research projects for thesis work. In that sense, QERM operates like a mathematical sciences program in that incoming students are not expected to know their thesis topics right away. Thus, the match of students to thesis advisors takes place about a year after entering.

QERM is a rigorous program with a "work hard, play hard" attitude. Students enjoy a weekly soup get-together during the academic year, with many other social events throughout the year. The Seattle and Puget Sound area offer numerous opportunities for both cultural and outdoor recreational activities.

I am pleased and proud to serve as director of a program that has produced so many graduates doing excellent quantitative work in ecology and natural resource management.

Welcome to QERM!

Loveday L. Conquest

Professor, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Director, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in
Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management
conquest@u.washington.edu, Office Phone: (206) 543-1708