Interested in pursuing a Masters Degree in my lab?

Choosing an advisor and a graduate program is a difficult decision.  Below are some things to consider when making your choice.  Careful consideration of these factors will help you decide if I am the right advisor for you, and it will help me decide if you are the right student for me.

One of the reasons you may be attracted to the Biology Department  at CSUC is their multidisciplinary approach to biology.  One of my goals as an advisor is to help you become a masters level ecologist within this context.  This means you must have a sound background in biology or ecology.  This background must include a year of basic biology as well as upper-level courses in ecology, evolution and statistics (I can't stress enough how important it is to have a good stats background).  Preferably you will have obtained an undergraduate degree in biology, ecology, zoology, natural resource management or related disciplines.  In addition, to be in my lab you must have at least a 3.0 for your biology coursework (this is in addition to the Departmental and University GPA requirements).  

Once accepted in my lab, you will  be required to participate in lab activities/cleanups/maintenance etc. Also I expect graduate students to become active members within the biology graduate group.   In addition I require that all students in my lab have a research proposal by the end of their first semester.  The proposal/project must be of sufficient scientific rigor that the thesis you eventually produce will be published (jointly). If it is not worth publishing, its not worth doing. 

Your research interests should be closely allied to my own.  You will be expected to combine two aspects of ecology in your research:  1) field work 2) statistical analyses.  Field work most likely would include fishes, but can also include amphibians, aquatic insects and other aquatic organisms.  Statistical analyses are the backbone to answering many ecological questions.  By combining these two areas, you ensure yourself a more grounded education, better employability, and minimal intellectual floundering.




Please be sure and read some of my research papers and then think carefully about what areas you may want to pursue.  Write those ideas down.  If after doing this, and reading the above, you still want to be a part of my lab; please send me a copy of your CV (or resume), transcripts, GRE scores and a letter of interest (including the ideas you wrote down).  The address is:  Dept. of Biology, CSU Chico, Chico CA. 95929

Good luck in your search for the right graduate school, and please let me know if you have any further questions.