Information for Prospective Students
When to Apply:
I will be looking for students for the 2010-2011 acceptance round. I seek students who will work closely with me and other members of the lab on funded projects or on projects that are closely related. Please email me directly with your interests and qualifications. Applications for the acceptance for the academic year 2011-2012 are due on December 1, 2010; see the Department of Biology’s website for detailed information: https://biology.stanford.edu/phd-program.
Required Background:
The Hadly lab is interdisciplinary. We have had members with classic biology or geology backgrounds and we value the expertise of both. Many of the biologists have strong molecular phylogenetics backgrounds, with experience in genetics labs. However, we also have had students and postdocs with backgrounds in behavior, development, systematics, statistics, morphology, isotopes and population genetics.
Philosophy and Expectations:
In general, students working in my lab will focus on the evolutionary and ecological impacts of the environment on vertebrates: past, present and future.
I encourage the application of students interested in becoming professionals and I expect students to finish their degree within 4-5 years, depending on the degree of fieldwork required. To help reach this goal, as a major advisor I will: (1) create a stimulating intellectual environment; (2) provide a physical work space that is functional and inspiring; (3) foster students as professional colleagues; and (4) challenge them to make meaningful contributions to science and the global community.
Throughout their time at Stanford, graduate students in my lab will: (1) pursue their own grant support; (2) attend professional meetings to give posters and talks; (3) collect and analyze data; (4) write manuscripts; and (5) act as professional colleagues. I expect students to contribute to the laboratory community and sense of continuity by organizing and assisting with lab functions, helping to train incoming members, and openly discussing ideas and providing feedback. Attendance and participation at lab meetings is expected.
Student Selection Criteria:
Initial review of graduate student applications at Stanford is collectively done by the Ecology and Evolution faculty in the Department of Biology. Thus all applicants to my lab will be vetted in some way by the rest of our faculty. Selection criteria include the following: undergraduate GPA, GRE Scores, letters of recommendation, and evaluation of the applicant's statement of purpose. I encourage students to contact me and/or members of my lab to ascertain whether we are a good fit, and strongly suggest that students have prepared intellectually for graduate school by applying for a National Science Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship and/or EPA STAR grant, or other fellowships as appropriate. See departmental website for more information: https://biology.stanford.edu/funding-information-phd-students
Financial Support:
Generally the Department of Biology provides financial support for graduate students for tuition and fees (not research expenses) for 4 years. Time at Stanford beyond 4 years needs to be funded by outside fellowships. Research expenses come from the student’s own grants or from funded lab projects relevant to the student’s research.