For prospective students

I am accepting graduate students. If you think you might be interested, here are some things to consider.

• My work is exclusively mathematical. If you'd like to include a field or lab component to your work, all is not lost: we may be able to arrange for you to be co-advised. However, if you'd like me as your primary advisor, your focus should be on theoretical ecology. (Not sure what theoretical ecology is? At its broadest, theoretical ecology uses mathematical models (which can require computers to find solutions) and computer simulations to answer questions about ecological dynamics.

• Because my work is exclusively mathematical, I am looking for students with strong mathematical backgrounds. Math majors and physics majors, I'm definitely interested if you're thinking of switching fields. (This is, after all, how I came to theoretical ecology.) If you don't have all the math background you'll need, you can take courses when you get here, but you should have taken differential equations and/or linear algebra at a minimum.

General advice: If you think you might be interested in being someone's student, contact them before you apply and make it clear that you're read one of their papers or at least have read their website carefully. Ask questions about their research. Many of us see applications in which a student says they want to work with us but it's clear that they haven't taken the time to find out what we do. Making it clear that you know someone's work and could be a good fit for them makes a much better impression.