For evolutionary ecology, conservation biology, or
tropical
ecology, I believe the University of Illinois has one of the best
programs around. My current research activities are located in
the Midwest U.S.
and in the Republic of Panama. The North American research has
emphasized the conservation and population-community biology of birds
with respect
to periodic disturbance, fragmentation,
and ecosystem restoration. Research on the ecology of West Nile Virus
has also developed recently. The tropical research deals with the
demography/reproductive ecology and community ecology of resident
birds. Many students in my lab have not worked on birds, however,
and developed independent questions ranging from sexual selection
in
amphibians to the phylogeography of butterflies. Good
questions are more important than the type of study organism or system.
My lab is rather full at this time, but if you are
interested, please contact me and we can discuss possibilities.
My philosophy towards the training and mentoring of graduate students
is that there should be a serious mutual commitment. I expect students
to maintain a strong commitment to their work and they should expect
the
same from me. I do my level best to ensure that students are supported
while they are here and that they are well prepared for whatever comes
next. Students in my lab must publish their research and seek their own
(additional) funding when possible. I do not micro-manage and try
to foster a
“semi-autonomous” relationship with students. At the risk
of sounding
strident, I am not interested in students who lack a deep commitment to
their work or those who enter graduate school simply for lack of a
better option. I
am especially interested in students who have at least some field
experience and who know their area well enough to ask innovative
questions.
Two basic options for graduate study are available here. The graduate
Program in Ecology and Evolution (PEEB) is ideal for those interested
in relatively “basic” questions in ecology and evolutionary
ecology (this is not to say, however, that conservation research is not
welcome or encouraged…it is!!). Note that PEEB is a standalone graduate program and is
not part of any one department or college. The second option is the
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies. This
department is ideal for those interested in comparatively applied
questions (M.S. and Ph.D). Again, both units have activity in
conservation research. For the M.S. degree, I
believe NRES is an ideal choice. Both options are excellent for a Ph.D and links for both are on my webpage.
I currently have students in both PEEB and NRES and we can determine
which unit is the most appropriate for you. Applications are generally
due around 15 January. It is a real good idea to visit the programs that
interest you. PEEB and NRES do require GRE scores, so you should take
those if you have not already done so (the Biology test is not
required).
Good luck in your efforts and, again, please do not hesitate to contact me with questions.
