Undergraduate Research Opportunities

The Department of Ecology & Evolution encourages undergraduate students to get involved in hands-on research. Below is a directory of active labs, current project availability, and application guidelines.

Important Note for Students:

Opportunities listed here include volunteer positions, independent study for credit, and paid lab assistant roles. Please review each lab’s prerequisites and application instructions carefully before contacting the listed mentor.

How to Apply

Review Openings: Check the status column in the directory to confirm the lab is accepting students for your target semester.
Prepare Your Outreach: Have a brief email ready detailing your background, relevant coursework, availability (hours per week), and why you are interested in that specific lab’s work.
Contact the Mentor: Reach out directly to the primary contact listed in the lab profile.

Ecology & Evolution Research Labs

Current & Upcoming Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Akçakaya Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. H. Resit Akçakaya Research Focus: Quantitative Conservation & Biodiversity Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Baines Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Stephen B. Baines Research Focus: Aquatic Ecosystem Ecology & Biogeochemistry Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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D'Andrea Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Rafael D'Andrea Research Focus: Theoretical Ecology & Species Coexistence Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Dávalos Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Liliana M. Dávalos Research Focus: Biodiversity, Conservation, and Phylogenetics Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Griffith Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Daniel M. Griffith Research Focus: Plant Ecophysiology & Disturbance Ecology Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Kitchen Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Sheila Kitchen Research Focus: Marine Invertebrate Genomics & Symbiosis Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Lynch Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Heather J. Lynch Research Focus: Antarctic Wildlife Dynamics & Spatial Ecology Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Nehm Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Ross H. Nehm Research Focus: Biology Education Research & Human Reasoning Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Padilla Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Dianna K. Padilla Research Focus: Marine Ecology & Invasion Biology Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Rest Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Joshua Rest Research Focus: Evolutionary Genomics & Bioinformatics Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Smiley Lab

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Sprayberry Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Jordanna Sprayberry Research Focus: Sensory Ecology, Pollinator Behavior & Neuroethology Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Thacker Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Robert Thacker Research Focus: Sponge Systematics, Evolutionary Interactions & Phylogenetics Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Title Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Pascal Title Research Focus: Macroevolution, Biodiversity Patterns & Spatial Ecology Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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True Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. John R. True Research Focus: Evolutionary Development (Evo-Devo) & Genetics Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Veeramah Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Krishna Veeramah Research Focus: Evolutionary Genomics, Human Genetics & Paleogenomics Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Vitek Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Natasha Vitek Research Focus: Vertebrate Morphology, Paleontology & Species Survival Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Watson Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Elizabeth Watson Research Focus: Coastal Wetlands, Climate Change & Ecohydrology Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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Weissman Lab

Primary Contact: Dr. Jackie Lee Weissman Research Focus: Microbial Ecology & Environmental Metagenomics Recruitment Status: 🟡 Pending Survey Response Semesters Seeking Students: TBD Position Types: Volunteer / Credit / Paid

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