Graduate students
Depending on your experience, I am happy to have you participate in my own research initially if you wish. This will help you learn how to conduct ecological research. After that, I encourage you to find, design and execute your project on your own, which will help in the long term for you to become an independent and creative scientist. You are free to choose the system and methods as long as your questions are within the broad area of community ecology. If the specific organisms and habitats of your focus are beyond my expertise, we will make sure that you have someone who can provide expert advice on them. Stanford is excellent in this respect, with a diverse group of people in Biology Department and beyond. You will, however, receive full support from me in refining your research questions, writing grant proposals, publishing your work and making presentations at conferences.
Undergraduate students
Motivated undergraduate students are welcome to participate in our research. There are opportunities to be involved in our projects in the lab (throughout the year) and at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (mainly in spring and summer). If you are interested in field research in Hawaii, see this summer program.