Graduate Research in the Belden Laboratory

Hi!  Thanks for checking out my website and for your interest in potentially joining our lab group here at Virginia Tech.  I’ve compiled here some general information about graduate studies in my laboratory.  I will be recruiting a Ph.D. student to start in fall, 2010 who is interested in examining trematode dynamics in natural systems in Virginia.

I expect master’s students to develop projects that are closely aligned with my own research interests.  That way I can provide more assistance and oversight and ensure that students design a reasonable project that can be accomplished in 2-3 years.

I expect Ph.D. students to design their own projects, which may or may not be closely aligned with my own interests, but which must fall within the scope of ability in our lab (i.e., I can’t accept students to work on preying mantis neurobiology because we don’t have equipment, expertise, space, or funding for that type of research).

I run a very collaborative research group and am looking for bright students with broad interests and a passion for biology.  I expect all my students to be interested and involved in all the projects in the lab, regardless of whether or not they are directly in line with their own research priorities.  I also look for students who have good social skills, a sense of humor and are likely to interact very well with other members of the lab.  During interviews, potential students meet with all of the graduate students.  The opinions of my students that are developed during those meetings are weighted heavily in the decisions I make regarding who I accept into the lab.  

What I ask of students interested in the lab is the following: (1) a copy of your CV with GRE scores (the GRE scores are for the University to make sure you meet the minimum requirements) and (2) a one-two page outline of a few project ideas that you would be interested in if you were to join the lab, a summary of your past research experience and a little bit about your career goals, etc.  I use that to gauge where your specific interests and skills fit with both my interests and with other students already in the lab.

Links to check out if you are interested in the Virginia Tech graduate program in Biological Sciences:

• Virginia Tech Graduate School
• Biological Sciences Graduate Program