KZ lab - Grad Info

GRADUATE STUDIES IN THE ZAMUDIO LAB

Yes, I may be accepting one graduate student to work in my lab beginning Fall of 2005.

Here is some information about my lab, my expectations for graduate students, and contacts for the application process at Cornell University.

Graduate work in my lab:

My interests are pretty varied (KZ research), so graduate student projects in my lab can potentially span a whole range of topics. For the most part, I expect students will work on some question about the evolution, mating system, or conservation of reptiles and amphibians. This could include anything from molecular systematics to a population-based demographic study. Although I am not limited taxonomically, most of the work in my lab involves reptiles and amphibians.

Expectations:

It is highly unlikely that grad students in my lab will work on my research projects or systems for their doctoral thesis. Although I am happy to collaborate with students on side projects, I believe that finding your own niche and carving out your own research program is a critical part of your grad school experience (almost as critical as the thesis itself!). My job is to help you achieve that by providing the context for your learning. Your job is to bring with you the motivation and the independence to get it done.

Related to this is the issue of funding for graduate work. Students in our department are guaranteed funding (in the form of salary support) for 5 years of doctoral research and the 4 intervening summers. Although College and Department Fellowships do exist, they are few and far between, so what this departmental support often amounts to is 4-5 years of TAships in classes taught by faculty in our department. This is good support, but teaching every semester can cut into research time and make field-based projects difficult, so I encourage every student to seek and apply for fellowships for salary support (e.g. NSF pre-doctoral fellowships, EPA STAR Fellowships, or the Ford Pre-doctoral Fellowships), as well as funds for research support.

What to do if you want to apply:

First: drop me a note (krz2@cornell.edu) - tell me what you are interested in, what you've done in the past, and how you fit in to my lab.

Second: check out the forms and deadlines for Cornell Graduate School applications (http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/). The deadline for the field of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is relatively early- so don't miss it.

If you need assistance with anything to do with your application, please contact Patty Jordan (pj17@cornell.edu). Patty is the graduate field assistant for E&EB and knows the answers to most questions about the application process.

		Yes, I may be accepting one graduate student to work in my lab beginning Fall of 2005. Here is some information about my lab, my expectations for graduate students, and contacts for the application process at Cornell University.
		Graduate work in my lab: My interests are pretty varied (KZ research), so graduate student projects in my lab can potentially span a whole range of topics. For the most part, I expect students will work on some question about the evolution, mating system, or conservation of reptiles and amphibians. This could include anything from molecular systematics to a population-based demographic study. Although I am not limited taxonomically, most of the work in my lab involves reptiles and amphibians. Expectations: It is highly unlikely that grad students in my lab will work on my research projects or systems for their doctoral thesis. Although I am happy to collaborate with students on side projects, I believe that finding your own niche and carving out your own research program is a critical part of your grad school experience (almost as critical as the thesis itself!). My job is to help you achieve that by providing the context for your learning. Your job is to bring with you the motivation and the independence to get it done. Related to this is the issue of funding for graduate work. Students in our department are guaranteed funding (in the form of salary support) for 5 years of doctoral research and the 4 intervening summers. Although College and Department Fellowships do exist, they are few and far between, so what this departmental support often amounts to is 4-5 years of TAships in classes taught by faculty in our department. This is good support, but teaching every semester can cut into research time and make field-based projects difficult, so I encourage every student to seek and apply for fellowships for salary support (e.g. NSF pre-doctoral fellowships, EPA STAR Fellowships, or the Ford Pre-doctoral Fellowships), as well as funds for research support. What to do if you want to apply: First: drop me a note (krz2@cornell.edu) - tell me what you are interested in, what you've done in the past, and how you fit in to my lab. Second: check out the forms and deadlines for Cornell Graduate School applications (http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/). The deadline for the field of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is relatively early- so don't miss it. If you need assistance with anything to do with your application, please contact Patty Jordan (pj17@cornell.edu). Patty is the graduate field assistant for E&EB and knows the answers to most questions about the application process.