Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.  – Amy Poehler

Life in the Lab

Students come to our lab with a variety of life experience and educational backgrounds. At first glance, some backgrounds might seem rather unconventional routes to forest entomology: physical education, business, biochemistry, virology, insect physiology, geography... The common denominator, however, is initiative and interest - whenever acquired - in forest insect ecology. Once on board, I do whatever I can to help our students pursue our common goals.

Expectations

If you are interested in joining our lab for graduate studies, you should know what I expect from my students:

Similarly, from me you may expect:

It is great to do what you love, but greater with a great team.  – Lailah Gifty Akita

The University of Minnesota

The Department of Entomology enjoys a rich tradition of research, education, and outreach going back more than 100 years: the first PhD graduate in 1921, Samuel Alexander Graham, was a forest entomologist! The Department's current focus on renewing undergraduate education provides graduate students tremendous opportunities to be leaders and role models. Students in my lab can choose from graduate programs in Entomology, Natural Resources Science & Management, or Conservation Sciences.

The Twin Cities offer big-city amenities of restaurants, sports, arts, and culture, yet the Department's location on the St. Paul campus provides a small-town feel. Off campus, there are a wealth of outdoor recreational opportunities throughout the upper Midwest.

The Midwest's diversity of ecosystems provides study opportunities from bark beetles to defoliators, both native and invasive. In addition, we are surrounded by a wealth of great colleagues and cooperating agencies: the USDA Forest Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plant and Pest Center, and more!

People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.  – Dale Carnegie

If you can laugh together, you can work together.  – Robert Orben

Interested?

I welcome serious inquiries from potential students, postdocs, interns, or collaborators at any time.
If you are interested in exploring opportunities, please send me an email.