Prospective Students

Thanks for your interest in working in our group. My laboratory typically comprises one faculty assistant and 3-4 graduate students. We are part of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, a venerable 85 year-old marine laboratory, which since the early 1970s has been a member of a consortium of three research laboratories: The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Graduate degrees are awarded through the University of Maryland (College Park campus) Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Sciences Graduate Program - the MEES Program. This program administers admissions, curriculum, matriculation, and graduation requirements. The MEES Program supports several Areas of Specialization. I am affiliated with the Fisheries Area of Specialization.

MEES campuses span the breadth of the State, from the Horn Point Laboratory on the Eastern Shore, to CBL at the mouth of the Patuxent River, and the Appalachian Laboratory in the foothills of W. Maryland

Joining our laboratory requires several steps, which are reviewed below:

1.   Initial MEES Application: All applicants seeking to work in my laboratory must initially apply to the MEES Program and should specify the Fisheries Area of Specialization. Pre-requisites for admissions are given on the Fisheries AOS web-page. You should also indicate that you have contacted me (and perhaps others in our program) when you apply. Your application will be reviewed and evaluated by an Admissions Committee within the Fisheries AOS, as well as the Director of the MEES Program.

2.   Accepted - Awaiting an Advisor: After initial acceptance into the MEES Program and Fisheries AOS, a specific laboratory may accept applicants. At this point, the MEES Director will contact faculty whom the applicant has indicated in their original application, or may seek out other faculty with allied interests to the applicant. Acceptance into an individual laboratory is based on additional considerations of qualifications, interests, and communication between the faculty member and prospective student. Unfortunately, we see more qualified applicants than we can accept due to a limited ability to fund and support students. Because I cannot support all students who apply to work with me each year, students are encouraged to identify other faculty in the MEES program, particularly those with allied interests in fisheries science here at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory such as Drs. T. Miller, M. Wilberg, and H. Bi.
3.   Funding Sources: Typically, I can bring in one student per year based upon research grants. In addition, competitive students (in general, GPA > 3.3; GRE > 1200) and students well matched with faculty interests can qualify for Chesapeake Biological Laboratory Graduate Research Fellowships (2-3 each year). Faculty can submit a single application for these Fellowships and Assistantships early in the spring semester (usually by January / February) of each year, so it is important to apply to our laboratory early if you would like to be considered for one of these competitive Fellowships. All students receive health insurance, and in most instances graduate students working in our laboratory have tuition paid for.

4.   Matriculation Under Fisheries AOS at CBL: Course requirements and course descriptions can be found on the MEES / Fisheries AOS web-page. Most of the faculty with specializations in fisheries science and management are located at Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. Fisheries AOS faculty interests and course offerings at CBL center on estuarine and marine fisheries science, management, and ecology. There is a strong curriculum centered at CBL comprising Fisheries Science and Management, Fisheries Ecology, Fisheries Techniques, and Population Dynamics. In addition, yearly seminars are offered on topical themes in fisheries science. The MEES Program offers a wide selection of courses in statistics, oceanography, ecology and ecosystem studies, aquaculture, marine chemistry, etc., many of which are offered over a State-wide Interactive Video Network.

5.   After Graduate School: Past students have an exceptionally strong record of converting their theses into high impact publications.  I am strongly committed to helping students find positions in government and/or academic posts following graduation. Past students are now employed in science, policy, and management positions at state and federal departments and laboratories.  For records of past student achievements and employment click here.