UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Undergrads form the backbone of most research labs at Cal State LA, and I am very happy to work with motivated students that share similar interests. I typically have 3-5 undergrads working in the lab helping out with graduate student research projects. Please contact me (either by email, or stop by my office to learn more about projects), especially if you have an interest in helping with (1) field projects, and/or (2) remote sensing and GIS, and/or (3) computer programming, including acquiring and manipulating data.
There are a handful of prerequisites for students who would like to join the lab. (1) Students must have taken BIOL 1200 (Diversity of Life), BIOL 3800 (Evolution and Ecology), and/or BIOL 4510 (Ornithology) (preferably from me) and earned a B grade or higher. (2) Further - and this is really important - it is critical for me to have established a good working relationship with a student prior to joining the lab. It is possible to build the relationship through classes that I have taught, by joining our student naturalist club, or by joining lab events that are open (e.g., Christmas Bird Count). (3) Additionally, it is critical for me to have a clear picture about a student's interests, their plans after graduation, and what they hope to gain from working in the lab. The purpose of all of this is to make sure that students are engaged and have a clear understanding of what working in the lab entails, and for me to have all the information that I need to be an effective mentor.