Typically, each faculty member in the Zoology Department serves as advisor for 1-4 graduate students, depending on their level of external support. I always try to have 2-4 graduate students and 2-3 undergraduates working in my laboratory. This makes for a "family" atmosphere and if you enjoy coming to work, you will do that much better. Furthermore, you end up learning as much from your peers as you do from your professors.
We make it a policy to offer financial support of some type to all our graduate students, which helps us provide the highest quality experience possible for the students we accept. Therefore, if you are interested in working with a certain faculty member, your chances of being accepted into our program depend both on your qualifications and our ability to provide you with either a teaching or research assistantship.
When you apply to the Department of Zoology make sure to be as specific as possible about your interests and the faculty members who would best serve as your advisor. It also helps to contact those faculty members so you can learn more about their programs and so they can be aware of your intention to apply.
If you email the Zoology Department they will send you a detailed brochure about our Department and faculty and it will also contain information about applying to our Graduate School. We also strongly encourage you to visit our campus and talk to both faculty and current graduate students. You might also email some of my former students if you are interested in working under my supervision. They will give you the real deal.
I encourage undergraduates to gain some research experience during their career at UNH. It makes a huge difference when applying to graduate schools and landing jobs after you graduate. It also provides you with the opportunity to determine what kind of science you want to pursue for a career. Finally, if you are involved with a group of other students in someone's laboratory you become part of an extended family and you gain a whole new group of colleagues to go to when you need advice.
Sometimes the competition to do research in someone's laboratory is fierce. Professors have a limited amount of time and money to distribute amongst 100's of undergraduates. I am usually looking for students with a good academic record who are reliable and hard-working. Often the tasks you will need to perform are boring and tedious. However, if you stick with it, and prove yourself, new opportunities will arise and soon you will be directly involved in the more creative, discovery-based, aspects of doing research. If you want to learn more about this experience, email some of the undergraduates who have working in my laboratory (see addresses in student section).
Many undergraduates fund their own research through the UNH UROP Program. I strongly encourage you to try this. In order to write a good proposal you will need to gain a little experience, read up on the subject and try a few things in the laboratory. Typically, you can apply for grants in the fall and in the spring, for summer work. Plan ahead.
The UNH Ocean Projects course (Tech 697) is designed for undergraduates who wish carry out research on real-world problems involving the ocean. The course lasts for a full year, for 4 credits. You work in teams of 2-4 on a project developed by a member of the faculty. It is truly one of the best educational experiences you can have at UNH. In fact, it was part of an article in Science Magazine a few years ago!
I have supervised a number of Ocean Projects over the years. Some are listed below, along with the names of the students who were involved:
Every May COLSA sponsors a conference for undergraduates to present the results of their efforts during the academic year. It provides an opportunity to wrap up your work and practice your presentation skills. It is also a nice thing to be able to put on your resume.
Currently I am interested in hiring a poctdoctoral student to assist me with my CICEET grant. This project, which is described in more detail under Current Funded Projects, involves using lobsters and mussels as bioindicators of estuarine pollution, particularly heavy metals. Interested students should have a PhD, have strong technical skills (computers, electronics) and be familiar with working with marine invertebrates. The opportunity to become involved in teaching Neurobiology, Comparative Physiology or Animal Physiology is also something to consider.
My ability to hire research assistants and technicians depends upon my current funding. When I write grants I put students in the budget and I am eager to hire ambitious, hard-working and responsible students. I am especially interested in work-study students, simply because it costs me less for the same amount of work. If you are interested in a job in my laboratory, come visit or email me. Please bring an informal transcript and/or resume.