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Overview: graduate studies with Geoffrey Poole |
Dr. Geoffrey Poole currently mentors graduate students at the University of Georgia as an adjunct faculty and graduate faculty member. In September 2008, he will begin his tenure-track faculty appointment in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences at Montana State University, and is now accepting students to work in his Montana research lab starting in August of 2008. Interested students are strongly encouraged to contact Geoff. Ideally, such inquiries occur six months to a year before a student is ready to commence graduate study, although with some luck, arrangements can sometimes be made on shorter notice for especially well-qualified students.
If you are considering graduate school, especially a Ph.D., you will benefit from thinking through this decision carefully. Ph.D. students may spend 5 years where every waking hour is consumed by education and research. When finished, Ph.D.s somtimes find they are not qualified to do much except spend virtually every waking hour consumed by education and research! Either that, or take a job outside their field of study. (Admittedly, this is something of an oversimplification... But it is a reality faced by some people who have chosen to pursue a Ph.D.)
The following links (lifted directly from Dr. Emily Bernhardt's lab page at Duke University) may be useful for helping you think through this decision:
Questions To Ask When Thinking About Pursuing a Ph.D.
"Some Modest Advice to Grad Students" (by S.C. Stearns) & "Reply to Sterns: Some acynical advice for grad students" (by R.B. Huey)
If you want to pursue an advanced degree and think you may be interested in studying under Geoff's direction, please review his scientific publications to gain a deeper understanding of the type of research he conducts. If you just can't imagine anything (?!?) more appealing than spending 5 years working as part of an interdisciplinary collaborative research team that conducts similar research, consider the following points:
Above all, Geoff looks for students who are strong conceptual thinkers with outstanding creativity. His students also tend to share other characteristics, including:
- Interest in the spatial ecology and eco-hydrology of rivers, including research on the interactions among physical dynamics and biological processes in streams;
- Experience in ecological applications of spatial analysis (especially GIS and remote sensing);
- Excellent quantitative skills (e.g., in computer programming or statistics);
- Interest in answering scientific questions that advance our understanding of ecological dynamics yet are immediately applicable to pressing environmental issues;
- Outstanding communication skills, especially in writing;
- Self motivation and a desire for a career in research;
- A sense of humor and of joy in life.
Geoff views mentoring as a process of giving and receiving wisdom. In that context, he strives to provide students with:
- A supportive learning environment in which students have the freedom and responsibility to seek creative solutions to research challenges;
- An engaged advisor who collaborates closely with his students;
- Financial support for the duration of graduate study.
In return, Geoff expects from his students:
- Dedication and intellectual investment in research projects;
- Professionalism and self-imposed high standards for quality of work;
- Active participation in grant writing, especially in seeking continuing support for the student's own research;
- Student-lead publication of research results in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
- Good humor and good fun in the pursuit of ecological research.
If you are interested in earning a graduate degree under Geoff's direction but have questions about topics not covered on this web page, please feel free to contact Geoff via this web page or email him directly (his e-mail address is gpoole at eco-metrics.com).
Geoff will gladly respond to any qualified student who sends a sincere,
individualized, and candid request for information on graduate student
opportunities. However, you should expect to be judged on the quality
of your initial contact. (Hint: recall bullet #2 listed under Geoff's
expectations from his students.) Whether you are contacting Geoff or
any other research scientist about opportunities for graduate
education, the likelihood and quality of the responses you receive are
apt to be proportional to the time and thought you invest in your
initial communications.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
If you are ready to apply for graduate study in the Poole lab, please e-mail the following information to Geoff (gpoole at eco-metrics.com):
- a cover letter (typically about 2 pages in length) summarizing:
- your prior research experience,
- your intended future research directions,
- how your career goals would be furthered by earning a degree under Geoff's direction;
- your curriculum vitae (here are some tips for compiling your C.V.);
- copies of any publications, manuscripts, or reports that summarize results from your prior research.
- transcripts or a similar summary of your education to date, including your grade point average;
- GRE scores (official copies of GRE scores are NOT needed for the initial application);
Thanks for your interest and good luck with your graduate degree program!
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Opportunities 
