Prospective Students

I can advise PhD students through several programs: ESPM, Computational Biology, Statistics (through co-advising) and Biostatistics. Students who work with me have a lot of freedom to develop their own research topics. I also end up advising and collaborating with students in other labs on modeling components of their dissertations.

Application Process

Graduate admissions in ESPM typically involve a specific match between advisor and student, whereas admissions through Computational Biology and Biostatistics are made for a general pool of students who will seek a match with an advisor after coming to Berkeley. Therefore students interested in working with me towards a PhD through ESPM should contact me during the fall of their application year.

What I Look For

Students who thrive in my research group typically have:

  • Strong quantitative background: Comfort with mathematics, statistics, and/or programming
  • Interest in ecological questions: Passion for understanding ecology and environmental science
  • Independence and initiative: Ability to develop and pursue research questions
  • Collaborative spirit: Willingness to work with ecologists, statisticians, and other researchers

Current Research Opportunities

Potential research areas include:

Statistical Methods Development

  • Bayesian hierarchical modeling
  • MCMC algorithm development
  • Spatial capture-recapture methods
  • Sequential Monte Carlo (particle filtering)

Ecological Applications

  • Population dynamics modeling
  • Species distribution modeling
  • Analysis of citizen science data
  • Agricultural ecology and biodiversity

Software Development

  • Contributing to NIMBLE
  • Developing specialized R packages
  • Computational statistics tools

Getting Started

If you’re interested in working with me:

  1. Email me during the fall of your application year
  2. Include: Your research interests, background, and why you want to work in my group
  3. Attach: CV and unofficial transcripts
  4. Consider: Taking ESPM 173 or 215 if you’re already at Berkeley

Funding

Graduate students in my group are typically supported through:

  • Research assistantships on NSF grants
  • Teaching assistantships in ESPM
  • Fellowship competitions (NSF GRFP, etc.)
  • UC Berkeley fellowships

I encourage all students to apply for external fellowships to support their research.