Graduate students in our department receive degrees in Wildlife Science (Ph.D.) or Range and Wildlife Management (M.S.). All students in my lab have full research assistantships (currently a minimum of $2,000/month for Ph.D. and $1,600/month for M.S.; and includes a full benefit package). Positions become available only after full project funding has been secured. Requirements for entry into our department’s graduate program include a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, and competitive GRE scores. All graduate positions are advertised and filled through a competitive process. Currently available positions are posted on the Job Positions page.
I receive many more inquiries than there are graduate opportunities, so competition for positions in our lab is typically quite high. I consider the entire application package in my decisions to accept a student, thus a well-rounded application package is competitive. Over and above skill related to specific projects, I look for enthusiastic students with a passion for birds, a proven hard work ethic, and good communication skills.
The material requested below allows me to objectively evaluate applicants based on several metrics relevant to graduate school and particularly to our lab. Formally applying to the university is only required for the successful applicant once a position has been officially offered by me.
Prospective students applying for a graduate position in our lab should send me the following in a single PDF file:
• A cover letter outlining your background, research interests, and career goals
• A detailed resume
• A copy of all transcripts
• GRE scores with verbal, quantitative, and written scores reported separately
• Also, attach PDFs of any peer-reviewed publications from scientific journals (these can be separate from the primary PDF)
Official transcripts and GRE scores are not needed in the initial application to me, but will be needed upon official application to the university should you be selected.
Because I have already developed funding proposals for all projects, I am intellectually invested in all students’ projects. Thus, there will already be a contract with specific objectives that need to be addressed. For MS students, most of their research questions will already be developed. For Ph.D. students, although there are objectives that have to be met through the contract, they are expected to develop further questions over and above contractual obligations. All students are expected to work with me to produce manuscripts from their thesis/dissertation and submit them to peer-reviewed journals.
I invest considerable effort into my students and expect an equal amount of effort in return. As much as possible, I treat my students as collaborators; therefore, effective communication between me and my students is critical. This is not only important for the students’ research projects, but for informing me on career goals so I can develop opportunities to best prepare them for such a career.
