Information For Prospective Students

Graduate (PhD and MSc):  I am comfortable advising graduate students on a wide range of topics in ecology.  The design of a research program is of great importance to the success of any graduate career, and I encourage students to discuss ideas with anyone who will listen as early and as often as possible.

I believe the the graduate program is much more rewarding when a collaborative and collegial atmosphere exists among all lab members.  To help facilitate this, students in the lab regularly collaborate on projects of interest outside of their own thesis work. These collaborations have resulted in publications in several outstanding journals such as The American Naturalist, Journal of Ecology, Ecology, and Functional Ecology.

PhD students are given substantial freedom in the development of a thesis topic. Though I enjoy talking about ideas and helping as needed, I do not hand out canned projects.

For MSc students, the research expectations are more modest, and research is generally targeted to specific projects.  However, I still prefer students that are self-motivated and creative in their research ideas.

Students coming from my lab are broadly trained, with substantial experience in experimental design, statistical anlayses, and scientific writing.  Students are expected to aggressively pursue funding opportunities while they are in graduate school.  This experience is particularly valuable for PhD students who face a competitive job market upon graduation.

Students interested in graduate work in my lab should feel free to contact me and other lab members, and to explore the departmental web page for general information. Funding at UA is very generous, and opportunities are available to both Canadian and non-Canadian citizens.

Undergraduate:  I regularly have positions for smart, motivated undergraduate students in my lab, either through honours projects or as summer students.  These positions fill up very quickly, and I encourage interested students to contact me early.  As a general rule, if you are working in the lab/field, I want you to do some sort of independent project rather than just washing roots (you will get to do that too!).

... science is only fun when you get to discover, not just follow directions.