Diversity and inclusion are more than just words for us. These are central in guiding how we come together as a research team, cultivate excellence, and go forth into the world to share our discoveries and our love of our work. If this sounds good to you, then please inquire about joining the lab!
Prospective graduate students & Postdoctoral researchers
If you would like to consider working as part of our research group, send an email to Dr. Christine Miller, cwmiller@ufl.edu. In this email, please include 1) a description of the kinds of research questions that you would like to pursue, 2) how these fit in with current lab research and/or priorities below, 3) a brief overview of your previous academic and research experiences, 4) a CV, and 5) why you feel you are ready for this commitment. I sort through applications and hold interviews before students apply to the UF Graduate Program (to save students time and money).
Priority research directions in the lab over the next few years: (1) We will focus on amazing insect weapons using an interdisciplinary fusion of biomechanics and sexual selection approaches to understand the evolutionary interplay of form and function. And, (2) the evolution of trade-offs in reproductive traits (see, for example, Joseph et al. 2019).
Please do contact me even if your research interests are a little outside these areas. Would you like to work abroad, such at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama doing fieldwork? Let me know what you would like to do there, and how that fits with the other research coming out of this research group. I'm open to hearing your ideas, and I'll let you know if I think we might be able to make it work. Just note that we all tackle our research questions using leaf-footed bugs, Family Coreidae (for collaboration and synergy).
Postdoctoral funding: right now NSF has some Postdoctoral Fellowships! If you are interested in writing a fellowship proposal, please contact me as far in advance of the deadline as possible.
Graduate student funding: all accepted graduate students receive UF tuition and a stipend. You may qualify for a prestigious UF Graduate Fellowship. Also, have you heard of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program? The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $34,000 and a cost of education allowance of $12,000 to the institution. If you are interested in writing a NSF GRFP proposal, contact me by the July before you plan to apply for graduate school (well over a year before starting)!
Priority research directions in the lab over the next few years: (1) We will focus on amazing insect weapons using an interdisciplinary fusion of biomechanics and sexual selection approaches to understand the evolutionary interplay of form and function. And, (2) the evolution of trade-offs in reproductive traits (see, for example, Joseph et al. 2019).
Please do contact me even if your research interests are a little outside these areas. Would you like to work abroad, such at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama doing fieldwork? Let me know what you would like to do there, and how that fits with the other research coming out of this research group. I'm open to hearing your ideas, and I'll let you know if I think we might be able to make it work. Just note that we all tackle our research questions using leaf-footed bugs, Family Coreidae (for collaboration and synergy).
Postdoctoral funding: right now NSF has some Postdoctoral Fellowships! If you are interested in writing a fellowship proposal, please contact me as far in advance of the deadline as possible.
Graduate student funding: all accepted graduate students receive UF tuition and a stipend. You may qualify for a prestigious UF Graduate Fellowship. Also, have you heard of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program? The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $34,000 and a cost of education allowance of $12,000 to the institution. If you are interested in writing a NSF GRFP proposal, contact me by the July before you plan to apply for graduate school (well over a year before starting)!
Undergraduate research positions & internships
Undergraduate research positions are available for work on behavior, morphology, and evolution in the leaf-footed bugs (Chelinidea vittiger and Narnia femorata) and many other related species. Much of this work is done in the greenhouse or the field at the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (http://www.ordway.ufl.edu/). Academic credit is available for the first semester, and then many students apply for funding through the University Scholars Program, McNair Program, and others. We have high standards for our undergraduate researchers, and the sky is the limit in terms of undergraduate successes. This lab is a great place to start your scientific research career!
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