GRADUATE STUDY IN THE LAB

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In academia there is no such thing as a typical year, however I usually take on one-two new graduate students each year. Because I try to interact with my graduate students on a daily basis, I like to maintain the student population of the lab at five. Philosophically, it is my belief that the most important aspect of being a major professor is mentoring graduate students. As a consequence, students in my lab are exposed to the diverse suite of responsibilities (e.g., publication, grant writing, faculty-faculty and faculty-student interactions, reviewing papers for journals) that they will have in a research/teaching career. Although I don't really have "minimum qualifications" for graduate students, I am generally looking for applicants with: 1) a minimum 3.2 overall GPA, 2) combined GRE score (verbal and math) of 1200 or above, and 3) excellent recommendations. I prefer students with these qualifications because they can frequently obtain a competitive university assistantship, which means that we can use grant money for research, student help, travel, etc. (I'm just waiting for some administrator to comment on this strategy <g>.). Nonetheless, I also frequently take on students who fall below these minima, but have other outstanding qualifications (e.g. publications in scientific journals, significant work experience, etc.), so don't hesitate to contact me because of lower grades or GRE scores.

I am primarily interested in training PhD students, however I do take on MSc students with strong qualifications. Our laboratory is a cooperative and supportive environment and students are encouraged to formulate their own projects and goals. If you would like to learn more about my views regarding graduate school and choosing a major professor see Notes From the Blackboard.

The Warnell School of Forest Resources Graduate Student Handbook contains a wealth of information on graduate studies within our program. In addition, I urge any prospective applicant to contact both former and current students regarding their experiences in the lab.