Over the past two years, our lab group at Penn State has grown (see People). Now with two new USDA grants funded I will be looking to hire a new Postdoc and a Technician for Summer 2022!

Postdoc:

I recently received grant funding from USDA: “Laying the groundwork to breed for mutualisms: Tracking the long-term adaptation of nitrogen-fixing rhizobia to alfalfa in agricultural fields.” I will be hiring a postdoc to move that research forward. Official job posting link: Postdoctoral Scholar: Microbial Evolution in Agriculture

If you are serious about joining the lab, I am also happy to work with postdocs interested in securing their own funding (e.g., NSF postdoc, NIFA postdoc, or Fulbright Fellowship).

Research Technician:

I recently received grant funding from USDA: “Rhizobial cycling between diverse legumes in crop rotations: understanding the effects on soil and plant health.” I will be hiring a technician to move that research forward. Find the official job posting: Research Technologist: Plant and Microbial Interactions.

Graduate students:

While the lab has filled up fast, I am always up for speaking with curious, creative, dedicated, and interesting potential students. Students in my group can enter through several programs, including Plant Sciences, and the inter-college graduate programs in Ecology, Plant Biology, and Bioinformatics & Genomics. If you are not sure which one is right for you (and it can be very confusing), we can discuss what might be the best option for you.

Students are funded through a combination of TA- and RA-ships via a combination of PSU fellowships, my grant funds, and program/department support. There are also various ways to secure your own funding (e.g., NSF GRFP) that provide additional independence. If you intend to apply to the lab, I am happy to work with you on putting together those external funding applications.

To start a conversation about grad school, please send me a ‘pre-application’ in the late summer/early fall of the year you plan to apply to Penn State. In the email, please explain your educational background, interest in the lab, and goals for graduate school. Please also attach your CV (info on putting together a CV).