The faculty of the Evolutionary Biology group in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina are recruiting graduate students (M.S. and Ph.D.) to start in Fall 2024.

We seek applicants who are highly motivated and enthusiastic, keenly interested in evolutionary biology, and looking to join a dynamic group of evolutionary scientists.  Our department also has strengths in ecology, marine biology, neurobiology, and plant biology, and many of the evolution faculty participate in those groups as well.  More information about our Department can be found at https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.biol.sc.edu%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7C5482a53de543463efd1c08dbcbd59c31%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638327890536092811%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bMWZQcfL7bB3s1S5r4WIVXt7Uc5pBFFhruRLEyJYNmw%3D&reserved=0.

Graduate students in our program are guaranteed financial support through TA and RA appointments for five years, including tuition and health insurance.  Outstanding applicants will be nominated for a variety of university fellowships.

Applications should be submitted by December 1st to ensure full consideration for all funding opportunities.  Potential applicants should contact one or more of our faculty before the deadline to discuss their interests; students are admitted only with the endorsement of a faculty member.  This year, the USC Graduate School has waived application fees.  Additional information on our graduate program, including instructions on how to apply, can be found at https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsc.edu%2Fstudy%2Fcolleges_schools%2Fartsandsciences%2Fbiological_sciences%2Fstudy%2Fgraduate%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7C5482a53de543463efd1c08dbcbd59c31%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638327890536092811%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Jf0WnWZOpaEFJi4LKvdxBE58%2FQx%2Bg5Rid6JZbVoIMcc%3D&reserved=0.

The members of the Evolution Group, their areas of interest, and links to websites are below.

Labs potentially considering applicants this year include:

Carol Boggs (boggscl@mailbox.sc.edu) (Considering M.S. candidates only)

Evolutionary ecology & genetics; physiology, resource allocation, invasions, small populations.  See https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fboggslab.org%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7C5482a53de543463efd1c08dbcbd59c31%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638327890536092811%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=OBjMKXcImhHB17jbOptvIIt%2BXFxddihGu1ErcS8SdFE%3D&reserved=0

Jeff Dudycha (dudycha@biol.sc.edu)

Evolutionary ecology & genetics; life history, phenotypic plasticity, diversification, vision/eyes, mutation.  See https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tangledbank.org%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7C5482a53de543463efd1c08dbcbd59c31%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638327890536092811%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=TuI4UsGV3iQw8IqRL%2FZJyLuRR%2F4X6Sypl4o5B1ruM1A%3D&reserved=0

Bert Ely (ely@biol.sc.edu)

Evolutionary microbiology & genomics.  See https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fresearch.cas.sc.edu%2Fely%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7C5482a53de543463efd1c08dbcbd59c31%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638327890536092811%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=94SWvDO%2FLD%2BGtPrYS1vP%2FPBWw%2BSFfmV6Ai57zmyMxXU%3D&reserved=0

Brian Hollis (brian.hollis@sc.edu)

Evolutionary genetics; sexual selection and sexual conflict, experimental evolution.  See https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexperimentalevolution.org%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7C5482a53de543463efd1c08dbcbd59c31%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638327890536092811%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=i5cVKEsctx0pkti%2F285%2FLi5RamwJmE8IzciiLkNr8G8%3D&reserved=0

Tim Mousseau (mousseau@sc.edu)

Evolutionary ecology & genetics; ecological and
evolutionary consequences of radioactive contaminants.   See
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsc.edu%2Fstudy%2Fcolleges_schools%2Fartsandsciences%2Fbiological_sciences%2Four_people%2Fdirectory%2Fmousseau_timothy.php&data=05%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7C5482a53de543463efd1c08dbcbd59c31%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638327890536092811%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=JEHlkyI6ix18biG8uZ92XnBF9CvBRfwMrj%2BcyvBF56M%3D&reserved=0

Dan Speiser (speiser@mailbox.sc.edu),

Sensory ecology, neuroethology, physiology, and macroevolution.
See https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.speiserlab.com%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7C5482a53de543463efd1c08dbcbd59c31%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638327890536092811%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wByIWobmL8ic%2Ffy2uWsZU7E4kFyCDavEqPIAJVLzEvI%3D&reserved=0

…and joining our faculty in January 2024,

Kathy Toll (ktoll@mailbox.sc.edu)

Evolutionary ecology & genetics; local adaptation, habitat segregation, plant ecology.  See https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscholar.google.com%2Fcitations%3Fuser%3DgjxiWO4AAAAJ%26hl%3Den&data=05%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7C5482a53de543463efd1c08dbcbd59c31%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638327890536092811%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=rC%2B1sSAeFwnxGUoi%2BpqTsHy6UZ3nkBctabMGGTT3l00%3D&reserved=0.

Additional Labs in the Evolutionary Biology Group are not considering new grad students this year, but contribute to the educational environment for graduate students in evolutionary biology.  These labs include:

Jerry Hilbish: Evolutionary ecology & genetics; hybrid zones & speciation, species ranges, climate change

Joe Quattro: Evolutionary genetics; population & conservation genetics of rare/threatened aquatic animals

Carrie Wessinger:  Genetics/genomics of adaptation, parallel evolution, plant speciation.

Our department is located in the heart of Columbia, South Carolina, a metropolitan area of 750,000 people (and 186,000 dogs!).  Columbia (“Cola”
or “Soda City” to locals) enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine annually and has ready access to clean beaches, lakes, rivers, and mountains.
Congaree National Park, Sesquicentennial State Park, Lake Murray, and Harbison State Forest offer excellent wilderness areas nearby, along with several greenways on the city’s three rivers.  The Famously Hot/Surprisingly Cool city hosts historical and cultural attractions, performing arts and sporting events, and many annual festivals including the Rosewood Crawfish Festival, the Indie Grits Film Festival, the Famously Hot SC Pride Festival, and Reggaetronic, a floating music festival on Lake Murray.  See https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.experiencecolumbiasc.com%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cmiranda.l.davis%40uconn.edu%7C5482a53de543463efd1c08dbcbd59c31%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638327890536092811%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=p%2B6A%2BZ2oRR2NIwogBLb3nk5IORSlZH1YZfEGaymipj8%3D&reserved=0
for more information.

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