Thanks for your interest in graduate work in the QCons Lab. Mentoring graduate students is one of the best parts of my job, so I’m always happy that people are interested in working with me.
I look for students with an interest in ecology and applied science who have excellent quantitative skills and abilities. I accept graduate students through the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, and the Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management graduate program, depending on the student and the research project. I strongly suggest reading the information on these pages if you are interested in applying for graduate school at UW.
All members of the QCons lab are committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. I am especially interested in supporting graduate students who will contribute to a diverse student body and ultimately increase the diversity of professionals in our field, such as those who are first-generation college students or students from low-income backgrounds, those who are members of a racial or ethnic minority, those who identify as women or as LGBTQ, or those with a disability. UW has many support resources across campus, and the QCons lab is a deeply supportive environment committed to the academic success and personal well-being of all its members.
Whether I will be accepting students in any given year is dependent on funding availability and space in my lab group. I only admit students to my lab for whom funding has been secured. Sometimes funding comes from my research projects, and when I have research support for a graduate student I will advertise the project on my website (check the bottom of this page). Alternatively, sometimes funding comes from fellowships awarded directly to students. Funding sources like the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the Nancy Foster Scholarship, the Ford Foundation Fellowship, and others are therefore definitely worth checking out if you are interested in graduate school.
As much as I would like to meet with all of the prospective students who contact me, I get many more such requests than I can accommodate, so generally I don’t take these meetings. However, for students interested in working with me, and if I have indicated (see below) that I will be accepting students, what you can do is provide me, via email, with your research statement, a CV, and unofficial copies of your transcripts. These materials will also be required if you officially apply for graduate school. Graduate school applications are due in December each year.
Best of luck in your search for a graduate program!
Current opportunities: I will consider applications from highly qualified prospective students for admittance to my graduate lab in autumn 2025. I am most interested in applicants to the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.