I take on students and postdocs who want to develop ecological theory. I also take on students and postdocs who want to work more with data, and perhaps get a bit of experience going into the field with some of my collaborators, but aim for their work to be carefully informed by, and rigorously test, theory.
I expect good quantitative skills, and a desire to understand models and theory deeply, even from my more empirically-focused students and postdocs.
I also expect interest in what is going on in the real world from my more theoretically-focused students and postdocs. A physics or math major combined with some classes or other exposure to biology can be a good background for students who want to focus on theoretical ecology. A biology major with additional classes or other exposure in math and modeling can also be a good background.
I advise graduate students in the Ecology, Evolutionary and Behavior (EEB) , Plant Biology (PB), and Computational Science, Engineering, and Mathematics (CSEM) graduate programs at UT Austin.
Potential postdocs should also look into the Stengl-Wyer Scholars Program and Peter O'Donnell Jr. Postdoc Fellowship, both at UT Austin, as well as NSF Fellowships such as the Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology and the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowships.
If you are interested in joining the lab, please, when you contact me via email, include 1) a CV, 2) info about what math, programming, or other quantitative classes or experiences you have under your belt and preferably an unofficial transcript, and 3) some specific information on why you are interested in my lab that reflects that you have put in some time actually reading about the research interests and approaches of the lab (read at least the web pages, but preferably also at least skim a paper or two), and how you see your own interests fitting in with them.
I also enjoy working with undergraduates if they have either some mathematical skills, or some skills in programming to analyze data or simulate models. If you are contacting me about undergraduate research, please also try to include enough relevant info about your background and interests for me to tell if you are a good candidate.