Hello Prospective Graduate Student,

Thank you for your interest in working in my lab.  I am looking for graduate students who are excited about spending 4-7 years exploring exciting questions in plant ecology.  I would like to have students in my lab that are interactive, but are also able to work independently.  Students may work on a variety of topics including but not limited to invasive plant ecology, tropical forest dynamics, and plant-insect interactions.  Both population and community-level studies are fair game.  I expect Ph.D. students to develop their own projects, with strategic help from me, while I expect Master’s students to work on aspects of my research.

I believe that statistical skills are extremely important for ecologists, therefore I encourage students to become statistical wizards through courses and conducting their own analyses.  Some students choose to obtain a minor in Statistics while in graduate school.  I strongly support this choice. I also think that good writing is critical no matter the discipline and require that students devote the time and effort it takes to become a good writer. 

Graduate students in the Department of Biological Sciences at Clemson are primarily funded through departmental teaching assistantships.  Students who need to spend time away from campus (e.g. in the tropics) may double up their teaching commitments into one semester per year or one semester plus a summer session.  Top Masters and Ph.D. prospective students are eligible for university fellowships.  I encourage students to apply for NSF and other fellowships to support their research.

The Department of Biological Sciences at Clemson is a growing department with a strong program in ecology and evolution.  Students working in my lab would be part of a friendly and interactive graduate student group.  Two reading groups meet weekly during the school year to discuss current literature in ecology or evolution. These reading groups involve biologists from across campus including faculty and students in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Department of Horticulture, and Department of Entomology, Soils and Plant Sciences.

If you are interested in working in my lab, please send me an e-mail with your resume (or curriculum vitae) including research experience and publications (if any); your GRE scores; your  grade point average; and a letter detailing the types of projects you would be interested in conducting, why you want to attend graduate school, and why my lab is of interest to you.  I am happy to answer any questions you have that are not answered in this letter or on this website. 

Please visit the department’s website for information on how to apply to the graduate degree program in Biological Sciences:http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/departments/biosci/graduates/. For general advice about applying to graduate school, see these tips from Walt Carson: http://www.pitt.edu/~biohome/Dept/Frame/applytograduateschool.htm.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Saara DeWalt

Phone: (864) 656-1429

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updated 7 October 2008