Hi Andy, I second the recommendation of the Odum School. It's a great place to study and has a very active and friendly bunch of graduate students. In particular, look up Cathy Pringle, Alan Covich and Amy Rosemond.
As an undergrad, I once heard one of my professors complain about students applying to him without having read any of his papers, so when I was applying to grad school, I looked up articles by the people I was emailing and worked that fact into the initial email. Asking a question or briefly connecting your interests to their work is good. Hope that helps! Jane Shevtsov Odum School of Ecology Ph.D. Candidate On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 12:09 PM, Christopher Blair<[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Andy, > If your interests are in community/stream ecology I would definitely > check-out the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia. It is an > excellent, but quite competitive program, but I think you would find what > you're looking for. > > As far as an initial email goes, it is always a good idea to briefly discuss > your research interests along with any relevant experience you may have. > Remember that the more experience you can get the better. It is also > important to be professional in any email you send to potential supervisors. > Also try not to get discouraged if finding a program takes a year or two. > Hope this helps a little? > > Chris > > On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 2:32 PM, Andrew Oguma <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I recently earned a BA biology concentration in ecology, minor in chemistry >> from Western CT State University, graduating magna cum laude with some >> academic awards. I have also been invited to speak at the North American >> Lake Management Society International Symposium in Hartford, CT on October >> 30th about my undergraduate research project. Although my research project >> focussed on using herbivorous weevils to control Eurasian watermilfoil in >> Candlewood Lake, my interest in pursuing a PhD is in stream >> community/ecosystem ecology especially invertebrate communities. I am >> looking for suggestions on professors and schools that may be suited to my >> interests within the United States and preferably east of the Mississippi >> River. I am also looking for any suggestions on what to include in an >> initial e-mail and in general on how to "put my best foot forward," so to >> speak. Finally, any suggestions from those who have been in my shoes are >> welcome. I >> intend to be accepted into a program for fall of 2010. Thankyou for your >> time. Please feel free to contact me personally. My name is Andy Oguma and >> my e-mail is as follows: >> >> [email protected] >> > > > > -- > Christopher Blair, Ph.D. Candidate > Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology > University of Toronto and > Department of Natural History > Royal Ontario Museum > 100 Queen's Park > Toronto, ON M5S 2C6 > Canada > (416) 333-2236 (cell) > (416) 586-8094 (office) > http://individual.utoronto.ca/chrisblair/index.html > -- ------------- Jane Shevtsov Ecology Ph.D. candidate, University of Georgia co-founder, <www.worldbeyondborders.org> Check out my blog, <http://perceivingwholes.blogspot.com>Perceiving Wholes "The whole person must have both the humility to nurture the Earth and the pride to go to Mars." --Wyn Wachhorst, The Dream of Spaceflight
