I am interested in recruiting students with interests in behavioral or population ecology of birds, seed dispersal ecology or fruit-frugivore mutualisms, or biodiversity conservation/natural resource management from an interdisciplinary perspective. My students are encouraged to be creative and develop their own projects, although working in one of “our” lab systems is also possible and would be welcomed. Here we provide a few things to consider.
Graduate students in the lab should be:
– Interested in developing and testing novel questions through use of appropriate research design and technologies
– Willing to work hard and participate in lab and department activities, such as departmental seminars, lab meetings, reading groups
– Interesting in learning outside their immediate area or discipline
– Have a positive attitude and willing to work collaboratively
– As senior students, willing to mentor their peers
– Willing to pursue fellowships, grants, and other financial sources – this will not only provide extra freedom in pursuing your interests, but are also good resume builders and great career experience
Graduate students can have their academic home in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC), the School for Natural Resources and the Environment (SNRE), or Latin American Studies (LAS) and the Tropical Conservation and Development Program (TCD). Within the TCD Program, students can obtain a graduate certificate/concentration, but receive their MA/MS or PhD from LAS, WEC or SNRE. You can learn more information about applying to these graduate programs on their web site – note that when applying to UF, you can list more than one program on the application form. There are assistantships available in each program, although they are highly competitive. So you should consider developing your own source of funds through fellowships, such as NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Fulbright, Organization for American States, government fellowships, among others.
If you believe you would be a good match for my lab and UF, please let me know more about yourself. Please send a 1) description of your research interests or questions you are interested in pursuing in grad school, 2) information on prior research experience or other professional experiences that you believe are relevant, 3) information on your academic background (e.g., CV, GPA, GREs, TOEFL).
Thank you for your interest!
Bette Loiselle
loiselleb@ufl.edu
