Experience has taught me that curious, eager, and self-directed individuals typically are most successful in research, so people with those attributes are the type of people I look for as members of my lab group. That means that successful applicants for lab positions will have a strong work ethic, be able to solve problems independently, undertake work using a task-oriented approach, and be motivated by their desire to learn about the natural world. It's also important that lab members are fun people to be around and enjoy being part of a dynamic research group.

Undergraduate students

Undergraduate students play a key role in our lab group, and we often seek to hire students to work on our field crews and in the lab. For those students who lack research experience, there are several university-wide programs at OSU that provide paid research opportunities such as the URSA Engage Program and the STEM Leaders Program, as well as program-specific opportunities such as the Mentored Employment Program and the SUGAR Program within the College of Forestry.
 

Graduate students

Potential graduate students should first read the FAEL Lab Handbook to get a sense of my mentoring style and my expectations for graduate students, in addition to reading through the lab's recent publications. If it seems like our interests match, the next step would be to send me an email with an updated copy of your CV/resume and a cover letter outlining the research topic(s) that you are interested in studying, how working in my lab fits into your long-term career goals, and why you think you are a good candidate based on my mentoring approach. Inquiries that lack this information are unlikely to get a response from me.

NOTE: I AM NOT PLANNING TO TAKE ON ANY NEW GRADUATE STUDENTS UNTIL AFTER FALL 2025.

Postdoctoral researchers

Current postdocs or graduate students near the end of their degree programs who are interested in the lab are encouraged to contact me to discuss the possibility of obtaining funding for a postdoc position in the lab. I also have funding for postdocs to join the lab periodically, most of which are focused on applied topics within the areas of animal ecology and forest management.