To help you with your decision about applying to work with me, below I have listed answers to some frequently asked questions:
1. Am I taking students this year?
At this point, I am interested in accepting one or two students for the coming academic year. This may change depending upon the number of current students that are graduating and the level of funding available to support students.
2. How many students do I currently have working under my direction?
One Ph.D. student and one M.S. student. Hopefully, both of these students will be graduating this academic year.
3. What characteristics am I looking for in students?
I look for highly motivated, inquisitive, creative and intelligent students that can work independently. I use a number of criteria to assess potential students (in rough order of importance):
A. Personal interactions with the prospective graduate student. Interviews are beneficial to both of us and I do not accept students without meeting them.
B. Strong letters of recommendation.
C. Previous research experience.
D. GRE scores – general examination only
E. GPA (last two undergraduate years) and performance in quantitatively-oriented science courses
F. Undergraduate institution.
4. What are my expectations of graduate students?
Graduate students working under my direction are expected to work independently and responsibly toward timely completion of their degrees. M.S. students should complete their degrees in 2-3 years and should begin their research projects as soon as possible (i.e., no later than the second semester). Ph.D. students normally take 5-6 years, depending upon previous experience and academic credentials. I have relatively broad research interests and support most projects under the topic of marine benthic ecology, invertebrate larval ecology and ecology of marine invasive species. Students are strongly encouraged to develop their own projects, but given the time constraints involved (especially for M.S. students) it is common for a project to be suggested by me (usually during the second semester).
Other expectations:
A. Work ethic.
The transition from an undergraduate to graduate ‘life style’ can be a difficult one and requires a high degree of discipline coupled with independence and creativity. Graduate Research Assistants are paid for 20 hours of work each week, but are also expected to put in 40+ hours per week working on their own projects. Being a graduate student is a full-time job.
B. Degree requirements.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the requirements for their degree are fulfilled; including all the paperwork required by the Graduate School. The Marine Sciences Graduate Student Association’s “Graduate Student Handbook” gives important guidance for completion of degree requirements on a timely basis.
C. Analysis and presentation of research results.
Graduate students are expected to analyze their data and regularly present their results for discussion. These conferences are key to developing problem-solving skills and generating new ideas. Graduate students are also expected to present their research results at regional or national scientific meetings (e.g., NEERS, ASLO, BEM).
D. Obtaining external or institutional funding.
Graduate students are strongly encouraged to apply for funding from institutional sources to support travel to scientific meetings, augment summer salaries, or for fellowships and scholarships. These applications are important for the student’s resume as well as developing proposal writing skills. Some award opportunities include: Department Feng Fund for travel grants, University pre-doctoral fellowships, travel awards and small research grants, Lerner Gray Fund for Marine Research, Sigma Xi research/travel grants, Sounds Conservancy research grants, NSF pre- doctoral fellowships.
E. Completing the thesis/dissertation.
Support for my research program is highly dependent on the timely appearance for high-quality publications in peer-review international scientific journals. Students are strongly encouraged to begin writing manuscripts for publication as soon as possible, and not to write a whole thesis/dissertation. This is very important for M.S. students who intend to apply for Ph.D. programs elsewhere, or Ph.D. students who want to apply for post-doctoral positions or academic positions. If the process of publication is not completed before graduation, it is expected that the student will submit their work for publication even after the degree is completed and the student has moved to another institution or job.
5. What about funding support?
I do not accept students without funding. Support comes from many different sources: Graduate Assistantships working on a specific research project, Teaching Assistantships, Fellowships provided either from the University or an external source.
6. What types of projects am I interested in conducting?
Look at Team Benthos current projects for brief summaries of the projects currently being conducted.
