I am an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University. I am from rural Southeast Michigan, where corn and soy farms have caused landscapes to become increasingly fragmented. I always loved being outside but never really imagined a career in science and conservation growing up. My trajectory changed due to doing an internship in the Bird Department at The Toledo Zoo while earning my BS at Siena Heights University. Having found my passion for birds, I decided I wanted to go into conservation so did an MS at The Ohio State University where I began to see the landscapes I grew up in as not normal, but highly degraded and a threat to biodiversity. This led me to conduct a PhD at Washington State University where I focused on how biodiversity and its benefits to people are shaped by broader regions, landscapes, and smaller-scale farm management. My research program has broadened over time and includes aspects of avian biology and conservation, insect ecology, ecosystem services, crop production, and farmer wellbeing. I also conduct research on how to reduce inequities in science. Besides research, I enjoy walking around in nature, to find birds alone and with others, and enjoy making art.
Our lab values the opportunity to help undergraduates gain research experience to help them achieve their career goals. We are currently recruiting 2-3 students to assist with our summer field work. As our lab grows, we will have more opportunities for undergraduate students to assist with ongoing lab projects and for them to develop projects on their own.
We highly recommend that MSU students interested in careers in ornithology apply for internships through the Michigan State Bird Observatory and Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center. These internships offer unparalleled opportunities for paid field research experience, and you can work with Dr. Smith there!
We can advise MS or PhD students through the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University. Students can get a dual degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior and/or a graduate specialization in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems.
If you’re interested in the lab, please send an email to Dr. Smith ([email protected]) that includes:
– Your C.V.
– A description of what research questions interest you
– A summary of your prior experience as it pertains to the lab’s research
We receive inquiries from many, many more talented prospective students than we can take. Therefore, it is essential in an initial inquiry to Dr. Smith to make it clear why the lab is a good fit for you and why you’re a good fit for the lab.
Check out some of the excellent resources available to help you make your initial email to Dr. Smith successful. For example, see this blog, this blog, and this brief guide.
If we are not a good fit for you, we still want you to succeed! We recommend checking for funded graduate assistantships, such as those posted on the Texas A&M Jobs Board, Ornithology Exchange, ECOLOG, and Entomological Society of America jobs boards.
If you’re a soon-to-graduate student seeking a postdoc or an existing postdoc who is passionate about bird conservation, sustainable agriculture, and equity in science, we’d love to hear from you!
If you’re interested in inquiring about positions in the lab, please send an email to Olivia ([email protected]) that includes:
– Your C.V.
– A description of what research questions interest you
– A summary of your prior experience as it pertains to the lab’s research
There is always less funding than talented people to hire. We believe that postdocs are experts in their fields and should have room to design projects that interest them. Therefore, we encourage postdocs to generate novel ideas to bring to the lab, and applying for your own funding is an excellent way to do so. Some options for funding that we have experience with are the USDA Postdoctoral Fellowship, typically due in summer/early fall, and the MSU Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, due in November.
Other possibilities for funding would be the NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology (PRFB), the Smith Fellowship, or others.
We will post any open positions that we have existing funding for on all of the major ecology jobs boards (e.g., ecoevojobs.net, Texas A&M Jobs Board, Ornithology Exchange, ECOLOG).
