GRADUATE STUDIES IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION AT VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH
UNIVERSITY
The Department of Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University invites
applications from prospective graduate students for Fall 2009. We have
an active, well-supported, and diverse Ecology and Evolution faculty,
that are engaged in research in Virginia and around the world. Graduate
students may apply through our Biology Masters in Science or Integrative
Life Sciences Ph.D. programs. Competitive funding and tuition waivers
are available to qualified students in both programs, and may include
fellowships, and research/teaching assistantships. Please visit
www.has.vcu.edu/bio/ to find information about both programs.
VCU is the largest public university in Virginia. We are located in
Richmond, within easy reach of the Virginia coastal plain, Chesapeake
Bay, James River, Virginia barrier islands and Blue Ridge Mountains,
providing excellent opportunities for research in diverse natural
systems. On campus research facilities include the Trani Center
greenhouse, aquatics facility, and IACUC approved animal facility. A
satellite lab of the Nucleic Acids Core Facility provides a broad range
of support for molecular approaches. The Environmental Analyses
Laboratory provides state-of-the-art analytical services to support
research in the environmental sciences. The Bioinformatics Computational
Core Laboratory supports several supercomputing clusters and a research
laboratory with access to state-of-the-art genomics and proteomics
software and databases for research applications. In addition, VCU’s
Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences, located 30 minutes from
campus, encompasses 342 acres of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
along the James River. It provides an outstanding resource for
field-based research by both faculty and graduate students in the
department. Facilities include new office and lab space, conference
center, and boat house. For more information, see www.vcu.edu/rice/.
Our graduate faculty in Ecology and Evolution include:
John E. Anderson, Remote Sensing and Environmental Biology
Bonnie L. Brown, Ecological and Conservation Genetics
Paul Bukaveckas, River and Ecosystems Ecology
Rodney J. Dyer, Population Genetics and Phylogeography
Michael Fine, Sensory Physiology and Ecology of Fishes
Rima B. Franklin, Microbial Ecology and Environmental Microbiology
Gregory C. Garman, Fish Ecology
Christopher M. Gough, Forest Ecophysiology and Ecosystem Ecology
Karen Kester, Insect Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology
Ghislaine Mayer, Parasitology, Microbiology and Cell Biology
Leigh McCallister. Aquatic Ecology and Oceanography
Stephen McIninch, Fish Ecology
Maria C. Rivera, Computational Evolutionary Biology and Phylogenetics
Leonard A. Smock, Stream Ecology and Aquatic Entomology
J. “Clint” Turbeville, Animal Systematics and Evolution
James R. Vonesh, Population and Community Ecology
Donald R. Young, Plant Physiological Ecology
Competitive students have GPAs >3.0 and GRE scores >50th percentile.
Experience, reference letters, and rationale for applying to the program
are important elements of the application. Prospective students must
apply through VCU's graduate school
(http://www.vcu.edu/graduate/ps/admission.html) or through the Office of
International Education (http://www.vcu.edu/oie/). For full financial
consideration, applications must be received by February 1. Applicants
that have identified faculty sponsors are more likely to be accepted and
to receive financial support.
Interested students are encouraged to contact prospective mentors
directly for more information, or graduate studies directors Dr.
Jennifer K. Stewart (Biology MSc; www.has.vcu.edu/bio/graduate/,
[EMAIL PROTECTED]) or Dr. Robert Tombes (Integrative LS PhD;
www.vcu.edu/lifesci/phd/, [EMAIL PROTECTED]).
