Even in projects that are highly independent, we are constantly learning from, being inspired and challenged by, and exchanging ideas with our colleagues. In other words, all scientific research is collaborative. Our work gets done not in spite of who we are, but because of who we are, and how we interact with each other. Because we acknowledge these essential realities of the scientific enterprise, we strive to build a collaborative, collegial lab culture. Specifically, we want to work in a place that nurtures growth, creativity, and exploration; that fosters generative dialogue; that is inclusive, supportive, and empowering of lab members of all backgrounds and identities; and that produces high-quality scientific research that helps us and others better understand the way the natural world works.

How do we do this? There is no one recipe for success in academia (or in any workplace, for that matter), but the list below covers what I think to be some of the essential ingredients for cooking up positive lab culture.

1. We are accountable to ourselves and to each other. Substantive engagement with ideas requires time and effort. We dedicate ample time to read, think, write, and listen carefully, and show up prepared for meetings and discussions. We take ownership of our projects and take pride in the processes we employ to execute them. We hold our work, and each other’s, to the highest standards of scientific and ethical rigor.
2. We are honest, open, and respectful communicators. We ask for help when we need it. We acknowledge conflict if and when it arises, and work toward resolution as swiftly as is feasible. We acknowledge that we speak and write from our own individual perspectives, and are eager to engage with perspectives that differ from our own. When critiquing our own or each other’s work, we strive to make criticism constructive and actionable. We make sure to share praise and positive feedback, too! We advocate for ourselves while making sure that our own perspective is not the sole voice dominating a conversation.
3. We are team players. While we are primarily accountable to our individual research projects, we help out with other lab members’ projects or group projects as needed (within reason). This is good for morale, allows us to do more ambitious science than we would be able to do alone, and also is an opportunity to make tedious and/or challenging tasks more fun! We celebrate each others’ successes and avoid competition with colleagues; as the saying goes, “a rising tide lifts all boats.” We acknowledge that we all have something unique to bring to the table and are excited to learn with and from our colleagues.
4. We stay in touch with, and share, our joy. Academia has plenty of flaws, but nevertheless affords us the privilege of spending time thinking about problems that may not always have immediate “real-world” applications. Without urgent demands to apply our research, we seek to engage in projects that captivate our curiosity and bring us joy to think about and discuss. We openly share our excitement with each other and with the broader public. It is normal for levels of enthusiasm for a project to wax and wane over time, and for challenging parts of projects to generate feelings of discomfort and frustration; this is how growth happens! But at the end of the day, we aim to engage with our work and with each other in a way that is rewarding, empowering, and, yes, fun. We cultivate joy both within and outside of the workplace, and strive to live balanced and healthy lives that are not dominated by work-related stress.
5. We are thorough. We are careful, thoughtful, and attentive to detail. We keep accurate and complete records of our work, and share documentation with each other and with the broader scientific community. We resist the urge to utilize or invent shortcuts, and acknowledge that good work takes time. We see projects through to completion. We value quality over quantity. We try to do the right thing even when it’s hard, whether the thing is in the lab or in the wide world around us. We accept “failure” as an ordinary part of the scientific process, anticipate it, and are prepared to persevere through it because ideally we are already accountable to our projects (#1), are supported by our colleagues (#3), and hold onto the parts of our work that feel rewarding (#4), even when the work is hard.

Perhaps most importantly of all, we will remain reflective about the extent to which we are upholding these values, and share (and receive) feedback with each other about ways we might be able to improve. This list is a jumping off point for discussion with all lab members, and will be revised if and when consensus about lab values changes over time.

last updated January 2024

admission & logistics
For now, the most straightforward way to join my lab as a graduate student is through the Ecology & Evolution Graduate Program. Prospective students may also be interested in inter-departmental programs in the Biological Sciences Division such as the Committee on Evolutionary Biology and the Committee on Genetics, Genomics, and Systems Biology. Because I am new faculty, I am not currently affiliated as a trainer in any such committee program, although formal committee affiliation in the future is possible.

Regardless of which graduate program you are most drawn to, there is a single application process for all PhD programs in the BSD, and students may apply to up to three programs in one application cycle. Applications are due the autumn prior to the desired matriculation date; i.e., to start as a PhD student in fall of 2025, you must apply by fall of 2024. In 2023, the application deadline was November 30. For the most current list of deadlines and important dates, see here. A complete explanation of BSD admissions processes can be found here.

Pursuing a PhD is a big commitment that entails you and I working closely together for many years. As such, it is important for both of us to have a good sense of who we are, what we’re interested in, and how we work before we embark on this journey together. I encourage all interested PhD students to contact me in advance of the application deadline (ideally by September 15) so that we have time to start the conversation about fit before you formally apply.

what I’m looking for
I hope to collaborate with students who are curious about the natural world, are excited about the process of research, and are seeking an opportunity to think deeply about questions that are meaningful to them. Ideal prospective students will share a similar vision about workplace culture to the one I’ve outlined above. Prospective students should also have some research experience prior to joining the lab; exposure to evolutionary ecology projects and/or plant systems specifically is helpful, but strong interest in these fields is sufficient even if past research has focused on other topics.

For logistical reasons, right now I am primarily interested in taking on students who are enthusiastic about studying Boechera (short-lived perennial wildflowers related to Arabidopsis) or Clarkia (California annual wildflowers), although future work in other taxa is also possible. Within these study systems, I am supportive of students developing and pursuing their own academic interests, although some degree of overlap between my work and your goals is helpful. (See the research page for more information on things I am currently working on, and plan to pursue in the future.) I am best qualified to advise theses that touch on one or more of the following themes:

• • local adaptation
  • genetic variation and polymorphism
  • population ecology
  • eco-evolutionary processes
  • plant-plant interactions (competition/facilitation)
  • plant-microbe interactions
  • chemical ecology
  • drought tolerance
  • herbivory
  • etc. (this list is not exhaustive!)

If you are interested in one or more of these topics, are excited about doing empirical research with plants, and open to developing future research within one of my current study systems, please be in touch! I would love to talk with you about opportunities. I am also happy to co-advise students with other faculty in E&E, to host rotation students, and to serve on the thesis committees of students in other labs.

I welcome curious and motivated undergraduates to join the lab! There are a few ways to get involved:

• • Funding is available to support paid research assistant positions in my lab beginning as soon as fall quarter of 2024.
  • Students may pursue independent study with me for course credit, either as a reading-based tutorial or as a mentored independent research project.
  • Funding to support independent research and student travel is available through numerous opportunities in BSCD and CCRF.
  • Students may apply to pursue a thesis project with me through the BSCD Honors in Biology program. (In most cases, this should be preceded by prior involvement in the lab through one of the above mechanisms.)
  • Occasionally, I will have a specific undergrad-level job that I need to fill (e.g. field technicians). If such a position is available, a formal job ad will be posted at the top of this page.

If you’re a current student at the University of Chicago and are interested in joining the lab in any of the above capacities, please reach out to me via email and we can discuss what opportunities might be a good fit for you.

Undergraduates outside U of C may also be interested in applying for summer field research opportunities at the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab. Beginning in 2025 I will be able to host 1-2 mentees each summer through their undergraduate education program. RMBL is a residential field station that hosts dozens of researchers of all career stages from across the USA and around the globe. It is an excellent environment for students to get exposure to many different projects and methods in field biology. Applications to the summer education program are submitted directly through RMBL, but interested students are welcome to contact me with questions.