The Forest Biometrics Lab at University of Tennessee is now accepting applications for a 2-year MS research assistantship under the supervision of Dr. Sheng-I Yang. The position is part of the Timber Products Output (TPO) Studies in the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) national program. Tree utilization information collected from harvest sites is used to characterize harvest operations and to estimate the amount of timber volume harvested and utilized. The objective of the project for this position is to explore new methodology which provides more reliable estimates of tree utilization and low-grade wood material availability in order to accurately assess carbon pools and carbon fluxes at finer geographical scales in the US. The project will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Consuelo Brandeis at USDA Forest Service FIA. The incumbent will be responsible to present research results in professional meetings and to publish relevant work in peer-reviewed journals.