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PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

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GRADUATE STUDENTS
 

We are interested in accepting graduate students who want to broadly pursue any of the research topics in the lab. Preferred candidates have a strong background in natural history to be able to apply that skill to collecting field data particular to our questions and approaches. While many students join the lab wanting to have field experiences, embracing a holistic approach to developing and learning new skillsets is essential for your success.

 

These skills include: reading the scientific literature to enrich your work, coding, understanding and applying basic statistical approaches for your research, writing and being able to present your results to both colleagues and the public. If 1) this sounds like you 2) you have read over some of the papers from our lab (see Research/Publications pages) and the topics interest you, then please reach out about potential graduate opportunities in the lab!.

 

Please read the following expectations of conduct and what to expect from me as a mentor here. When reaching out please send me an email with:

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  1. A cover letter outlining who you are, your basic and applied interests, the kind of project you might want to do in graduate school, and your short- and long-term career goals.

  2. A CV summarizing work and academic experience, including your GPA.

  3. A writing sample (~250 words) describing the type of project that you would like to pursue based on the research topics that our lab pursues. This does not mean you will be bound to said project, but would allow us to see how well you assimilate ideas based upon our labs research focus. 

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Funding:

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At UC Santa Cruz, graduate students are primarily supported through a combination of Teaching Assistantships (TAs), Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) positions, and competitive campus fellowships. Funding packages vary by student, but most students receive multi-year support through a mix of these sources.

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UCSC offers a range of prestigious fellowships for incoming and continuing students, including Cota-Robles Fellowships, Chancellor’s Fellowships, Graduate Division Fellowships, and other merit-based awards. Students are also encouraged to apply for external funding sources such as the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP) and other national or international fellowships.

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Overall, graduate students in our lab typically receive support through a combination of departmental TAs, GSRs funded by grants, and internal or external fellowships.

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Come to learn with Us in the forest! 

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

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We have undergraduate research opportunities both locally and internationally in the lab and are happy to talk with any interested students. In most cases if you are just trying to get your feet wet, we will plug you in to help with an existing project run by a graduate student.

 

For students who want to continue on, we can offer independently run projects under lab supervision. You can get in touch with Ari Martínez or any other member of the lab. When reaching out to me by email please send:

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  1. A cover letter describing yourself, your basic and applied interests, the level of involvement you might want in the lab (just hands on experience or independent study), your short- and long-term career goals, and how the research our lab pursues will help you achieve these goals

  2. A CV summarizing work and academic experience (including relevant coursework and your GPA)

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Funding 

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At UC Santa Cruz, undergraduate students can participate in research in several ways. While most positions in our lab begin as volunteer or for-credit experiences, UCSC offers multiple programs that provide stipends, scholarships, or paid research opportunities for students who wish to deepen their involvement.

 

The campus supports undergraduate researchers through competitive programs such as the Undergraduate Research Fellowships (URF), STARS, McNair Scholars, CAMINO, and various summer research opportunities across departments and research units. These programs can provide financial support while students work on projects aligned with our lab’s research.

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Overall, UCSC offers a robust structure for undergraduates to grow as researchers, whether they are seeking their first field experience or aiming to develop an independent project.

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