The Department of Biological Sciences offers an interactive environment for training graduate students in Ecology and Evolution.
- About the Program
In addition to our dynamic group of faculty, our graduate program offers a number of less tangible features that can strongly influence the training of scientists:
- We have a highly interactive group of faculty and students. Opportunities for informal discussions and socialization between graduate students and faculty abound at weekly meetings of the E & E Journal Club and our Ecology and Evolution Seminar, as well as other informal journal clubs. By limiting the graduate program to a select group of students, our program offers a low graduate student to faculty ratio which ensures students one-on-one interaction with all members of their dissertation committees, as well as with scientists in the Ecology and Evolution community at large.
- Facilities useful for members of the Ecology and Evolution group include a modern greenhouse complex, growth chambers for conducting controlled environment experiments, a molecular ecology laboratory, GIS equipment, a microscopy and imaging facility, and an animal care facility.
- Our campus facilities are greatly enhanced by the laboratories, field sites and research facilities at our department’s field station, The Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology. In the summer months, the vibrant community of Ecologists and Evolutionary biologists from our university is joined by faulty and students from many other institutions. Scientists conducting research and/or teaching at PLE come from both regional and national universities and colleges. Finally, PLE’s Summer Seminar Series and Summer Courses attract high caliber scientists and students from other institutions, thus providing a large network of intellectual resources for our graduate students.
- We are imbedded in a matrix of like-minded Institutions within the Pittsburgh community including, The Carnegie Museum of Natural History, The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, The National Aviary, The West Penn Conservancy, The Pittsburgh Zoo, and others. Thus, graduate students in the Ecology and Evolution Program may draw on the wealth of expertise in ecology, conservation and biodiversity afforded by this rich local community.
- The size and interactive nature of our graduate program fosters close working relationships between our students and their mentors; this interaction is best served when the students and their mentors begin their association before the student has been admitted to the program. This process ensures that the student has found the best possible mentor for her/his graduate career. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you establish a dialog with a potential graduate advisor in Ecology or Evolution during the application process.
- Program Timeline
So, how do courses and rotations and teaching experiences add up to a successful graduate career? Below we show a sample timeline of what a typical graduate student may experience in our EE graduate program.
Year One
- Three 10-week research rotations; two may be in the same laboratory
- Begin coursework, typically taking two of the four formal courses you need to complete
- Participate in at least one semester of a literature review course
- Attend weekly research seminars given by graduate students
- Attend weekly Departmental seminars and associated journal club
- Participate in one or two Communications workshops
- Participate in the research ethics workshop
- Choose a mentor in April, at the end of the third rotation
Year Two
- Begin dissertation research
- Complete your remaining formal coursework
- Complete the two semesters of literature review, if needed
- Take your comprehensive exam at the end of the spring semester
- Attend weekly research seminars given by graduate students
- Present a seminar in the graduate student seminar series
- Attend weekly Departmental seminars
- Participate in annual mentoring and advising meetings
- Possibly serve as a teaching assistant for one semester
Year Three and Beyond
- Finish dissertation research, ideally in year 5
- Participate in annual mentoring and advising meetings
- Participate in seminar series
- Complete teaching requirement (if needed)
- Finish teaching minor (if chosen)
- Write thesis and defend it
- Mentors
In the Ecology and Evolution program, a mentor is typically chosen by incoming graduate students prior to matriculation. Individuals interested in our graduate program in Ecology and Evolution are urged to contact a potential thesis advisor early in the application process. Although students are not formally asked to declare a thesis advisor until the end of their first year, nearly all students establish this relationship upon arrival. Since research in our fields commonly involves a high degree of cooperation and interaction between the mentor and student, and a good working relationship is key to a rewarding experience in graduate school.
Students interested in our graduate program in Ecology and Evolution should examine the research interests of faculty in the following broad areas of investigation:
- Teaching
Why teaching? We ask graduate students to serve as teaching assistants because teaching reinforces a critical portion of your graduate education. And don't be fooled into thinking only graduates who go on in Academia need these skills. All of our graduates go on to become public biologists in some way, and must present information to others. In this way, the Teaching Assistantship provides valuable skills to the professional scientist. These skills are reinforced in graduate courses and seminars.
- Convey complex ideas. Teachers must be able to summarize large amounts of complex information and present it to an audience. T.A.'s learn to present information logically, in an organized fashion. This skill comes in handy when writing up your research results for publication.
- Know your audience It's easy to discuss any topic with fellow experts; you all know the language. Unlike presentations to peers (like in the Friday Noon Seminars), T.A.'s must learn to speak the language of their audience. This skill comes in handy when its time to write a research proposal, or summarize your project to the head of your Biotech company.
- Presentation skills. Students must learn to speak clearly and calmly to a group of people. That's true in the class room or in the seminar room.
How much do I teach? Students in all programs are required to teach for one term as a Teaching Assistant. We find this to be sufficient for learning the skills described above. However, a second T.A.-ship allows for different approaches to be explored, like classroom vs. laboratory settings. A second TA-ship is required if students are planning on pursuing a teaching minor.
When do I teach? Students usually teach in the second or third years. Students typically DO NOT teach in the first year; a fellowship provided by the Department allows them to focus on their research and preliminary course work. Moreover, students typically do not teach during the second semester of their second year when preparing for their comprehensive exams.
What do I teach? We provide students with a broad spectrum of courses to teach, usually in one's area of expertise. Students are assigned to courses by the Assistant Chair, after soliciting TA requests from interim and thesis advisors. However, just about any course can provide the training described above for any student. Students concerned about their teaching assignments should discuss them with their thesis advisor; assignments may be appealed to GAAC in consultation with the Graduate Program Director.
What about field courses? Because field experience is usually an integral component of a career within Ecology and Evolution, it is desirable that Ph.D. students in the EE graduate program elect to assist in teaching a field course at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology. There are almost always enough field course teaching assistantships available to EE graduate students who need this experience.
Some students, particularly those whose native language is not English, may need additional formal preparation for their teaching assignments. Those students must pass an oral examination administered by the English Language Institute before serving as a Teaching Assistant.
Graduate students preparing to teach should consult our detailed guide of TA policies before starting.