The Contina Lab is looking for undergraduate and graduate students to join our research program. We welcome new students and collaborators with a strong interest in avian ecology, movement ecology, and wildlife conservation. Please read below for more info and get in touch if you are interested in joining the lab. Questions are welcome!
Undergraduate Students
We encourage undergraduates with interests in wildlife conservation, avian research, and movement ecology to reach out and discuss potential research projects (i.e., internships). Our lab offers several opportunities to develop projects related to avian ecology and migration, field biology, biostatistics, stable isotope analysis, and more... Preference will be given to undergraduate students that are able to commit at least 3 hours per week, but we are flexible. We encourage students to submit the lab Prospective Student Form outlining research interests and level of experience in ecology. This form is not a College Application, but simply a few informal questions to understand your research interests. Students should always feel free to reach out by email or schedule a meeting (click here) to discuss research opportunities.
Graduate Students (MS)
Prospective graduate students will need to apply through the School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences at UTRGV. Please be mindful of the admission requirements and deadlines. Research in the lab is centered on avian ecology and migration, but students should develop their own research questions and, ideally, integrate field, computational, and molecular approaches. We encourage our graduate students to explore opportunities involving stable isotopes, molecular ecology, modeling, and R programming. Prospective graduate students interested in joining the lab are encouraged to provide: 1) a one-page cover letter that addresses your experiences and goals with respect to this position as well as how you meet the required and desired qualifications; 2) curriculum vitae; 3) contact information for three references. All materials should be compiled as a single PDF document and submitted to Dr. Andrea Contina (andrea.contina@utrgv.edu). Additionally, we encourage students to fill out the lab Graduate Student Form. This form is not a Graduate School Application, but simply a few informal questions to share your research interests and academic background. Students should always feel free to reach out by email or schedule a meeting (click here) to discuss research opportunities. Please see the News page for current Graduate Assistantships (click here)
Resources:
Carson et al. "Advice on applying to graduate school in ecology and evolutionary biology: How to Prepare and a Step-By-Step Guide" The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 102.4 (2021): 1-20.
Estien et al. "Demystifying the graduate school application process." The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 104.1 (2023): e02029.
Postdoctoral Research Associates
Prospective postdoctoral researchers are always encouraged to get in touch and discuss funding opportunities and research proposals aligned to our current research efforts. Postdoctoral Research Associates and Postdoctoral Fellows will be expected to develop innovative research in the form of peer-reviewed manuscripts and grant proposals while pursuing their own career goals. Please feel free to get in touch by email and ask any questions you may have about the lab.