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!
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS
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If you'd like to discuss working as part of my research group, please email me to indicate your research area(s) of interest and exactly how your interests are compatible with our research in behavioral ecology/evolutionary ecology. You must have a strong background of basic research in these areas. Everyone in my research group works on leaf-footed bugs, Family Coreidae, so that we can help each other and share ideas. With more than 2000 species globally, we likely won't have a hard time finding a species (or several) that should work for your interests.
Funding: right now NSF has some Postdoctoral Fellowships that would be quite suitable. If you are interested in writing a fellowship proposal, please contact me as far in advance of the deadline as possible. When you write, please attach to your email your CV and a PDF of a publication from your M.S. or Ph.D. research. Successful applicants will have one or more high quality publications. |
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PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE STUDENTS
My next graduate student openings will start Fall 2021. Please write me before October 31st, 2020 if you are interested. If you'd like to write an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Proposal, consider writing me in July 2020 because these proposals take serious time! When contacting me about graduate school possibilities, please send 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, and 4) whether you are looking to pursue a M.S. or Ph.D. Include a copy of your CV or resume, your GRE scores (if you have them), and an unofficial transcript. Students in my lab are routinely funded through research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and University of Florida Graduate Student Fellowships. My approach is to sort through applications and hold interviews before students apply to the UF Graduate Program (to save students some time and money).
Priority research directions over the next few years include (1) The composition and material properties of weaponry; how weapon structure influences male-male fighting behavior (2) Resource allocation priorities within the animal: how are they influenced by environmental conditions, and how do they evolve? Check out recent papers, Miller et al. 2019 and Joseph et al. 2018.
Please do contact me even if your research interests are a little outside these areas. Would you like to start an experimental evolution study? Sounds great! Fascinated by autotomy? We have several more projects planned in this area (see our publication list for recent findings). Would you like to work 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 lab research. 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 (true bugs!).
Priority research directions over the next few years include (1) The composition and material properties of weaponry; how weapon structure influences male-male fighting behavior (2) Resource allocation priorities within the animal: how are they influenced by environmental conditions, and how do they evolve? Check out recent papers, Miller et al. 2019 and Joseph et al. 2018.
Please do contact me even if your research interests are a little outside these areas. Would you like to start an experimental evolution study? Sounds great! Fascinated by autotomy? We have several more projects planned in this area (see our publication list for recent findings). Would you like to work 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 lab research. 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 (true bugs!).
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
Tropical ecology research: We are excited to be offering two fully-paid National Science Foundation REU's (Research Experience for Undergraduates) for Summer 2020 at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Have you spent years dreaming of working in the tropical rainforest? Do you love traveling or think you might? Are you comfortable handling insects? If the answer to all these questions is "yes" then please contact us! Information on applying is found HERE. Note that complete applications should be sent to Drs. Michael Forthman and Ummat Somjee, my esteemed collaborators and former lab members. You can find brief descriptions about them on my Former Lab Members page.
Local UF positions: Undergraduate research positions are available for work on behavior, morphology, and evolution in the cactus 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. Many undergraduate students have achieved great success in the lab. For example, over seventeen undergraduate students have conducted research through the University Scholars Program, two have received the UF Howard Hughes Science for Life Awards, one student received the University-wide Journal of Undergraduate Research Best Paper Award for his independent project, and five students received the prestigious Turner Award that provides all-expense-paid trips to the national Animal Behavior Conference. 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!
Successful applicants to our undergraduate research program are motivated, hard-working, and inquisitive. Those applicants with previous work experience (in any kind of job) are favored.
Local UF positions: Undergraduate research positions are available for work on behavior, morphology, and evolution in the cactus 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. Many undergraduate students have achieved great success in the lab. For example, over seventeen undergraduate students have conducted research through the University Scholars Program, two have received the UF Howard Hughes Science for Life Awards, one student received the University-wide Journal of Undergraduate Research Best Paper Award for his independent project, and five students received the prestigious Turner Award that provides all-expense-paid trips to the national Animal Behavior Conference. 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!
Successful applicants to our undergraduate research program are motivated, hard-working, and inquisitive. Those applicants with previous work experience (in any kind of job) are favored.
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