JOIN THE LAB

Thank you for your interest in the Holgerson Lab. I’m always interested in chatting with prospective students (undergraduate or PhD) as well as potential postdocs– please feel free to contact me.

Prospective Ph.D. students:

I am not recruiting students for the 2025 academic year. I do anticipate recruiting one student to start in 2026. If that interests you, read on!

I seek candidates that are enthusiastic about freshwater science, have research experience, and can work well both independently and with a team. Ph.D. students in E&EB are highly self-motivated and develop their own research projects (with advisor support and guidance), but we also partake in collaborative and interdisciplinary joint projects.

Students applying to my lab should be interested in studying freshwater community and/or ecosystem ecology. I encourage (but do not require) students to work locally, and there are wonderful resources nearby (e.g., Experimental PondsCornell Biological Field Station on Oneida Lake, and Little Moose Field Station in the Adirondacks).

Logistics:

Admission is through The Graduate Field of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and applications are due December 1stPh.D. students are guaranteed 5 years of support, including 4 years of summer support. Read more on E&EB’s website.

Still interested? Next steps:

Read some of the following resources on email inquiries to potential advisors and applying to graduate school (links herehere, and here).

Work your way through this website—look at our current research and recent publications. Figure out if (and why) we’d be a good match.

Email me with a brief summary of your interests, research experience, and your CV. I look forward to hearing from you! Please note: I plan to begin chatting with students in August/September prior to the December application deadline.

Prospective Post-Docs:

I am always interested in chatting with potential postdocs to see if we’d be a good fit. If you’re interested in applying for postdoc funding, check out:

Cornell undergraduates:

I am always looking for enthusiastic undergraduates who want to gain experience in freshwater science. Current projects in the lab focus on aquatic ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry. Much of our current research focuses on carbon cycling, ecosystem metabolism, and phytoplankton dynamics. We have both lab and field opportunities. Please email me with your CV / resume and include reasons why you’re interested in joining the lab.