funded opportunities
MS or PhD students
We do not foresee taking on new graduate students during the 2026–2027 application cycle.
Research assistant / project manager
We are looking to hire a full-time research assistant / project manager to support our long-term studies of migratory and Neotropical bats. The position will focus on managing (1) fieldwork for monthly surveys of Mexican free-tailed bats in Oklahoma, (2) fieldwork for an annual bat survey in Belize, and (3) sample export from Belize into the United States. The ideal applicant will have experience conducting field studies of bats, working with a team, ensuring quality control of data, and managing permits and sampling logistics. In addition to participating in and coordinating bat fieldwork, the applicant will also have opportunities to engage with laboratory and data analyses. This includes but is not limited to hematology, PCR, phylogenetics, and both statistical and mathematical modeling. The applicant will also have opportunities to develop relevant projects, to present at conferences, and to produce publications.
This position is for at least three years, with possibilities for extension into more years. The ideal applicant will be able to join the group full time, although we will also consider applicants for part time (i.e., 20 hours/week) employment. The position includes a full benefits package at the University of Oklahoma. Starting salary will range from $36,000 to $39,000, depending on qualifications and experience. Higher salaries will be considered for MS/MPH degree. Please note that this position is not appropriate for individuals with a terminal degree (PhD, MD, DVM). The position can start as early as January 2027.
To apply, please fill this GoogleForm before August 1, 2026: https://forms.gle/1hHvvMHKF8TiEByz8. A shortlist of applicants will be contacted later in August for a Zoom interview (and other applicants will be notified at this point that their applications will not be moving forward in the process).
We do not foresee taking on new graduate students during the 2026–2027 application cycle.
Research assistant / project manager
We are looking to hire a full-time research assistant / project manager to support our long-term studies of migratory and Neotropical bats. The position will focus on managing (1) fieldwork for monthly surveys of Mexican free-tailed bats in Oklahoma, (2) fieldwork for an annual bat survey in Belize, and (3) sample export from Belize into the United States. The ideal applicant will have experience conducting field studies of bats, working with a team, ensuring quality control of data, and managing permits and sampling logistics. In addition to participating in and coordinating bat fieldwork, the applicant will also have opportunities to engage with laboratory and data analyses. This includes but is not limited to hematology, PCR, phylogenetics, and both statistical and mathematical modeling. The applicant will also have opportunities to develop relevant projects, to present at conferences, and to produce publications.
This position is for at least three years, with possibilities for extension into more years. The ideal applicant will be able to join the group full time, although we will also consider applicants for part time (i.e., 20 hours/week) employment. The position includes a full benefits package at the University of Oklahoma. Starting salary will range from $36,000 to $39,000, depending on qualifications and experience. Higher salaries will be considered for MS/MPH degree. Please note that this position is not appropriate for individuals with a terminal degree (PhD, MD, DVM). The position can start as early as January 2027.
To apply, please fill this GoogleForm before August 1, 2026: https://forms.gle/1hHvvMHKF8TiEByz8. A shortlist of applicants will be contacted later in August for a Zoom interview (and other applicants will be notified at this point that their applications will not be moving forward in the process).
graduate students
Prospective graduate students can be accepted into the School of Biological Sciences (MS, PhD) and EEB graduate program (PhD). Work in the lab mostly focuses on bats and birds, but students should be primarily driven by questions and an interest in integrating some combination of field, computational, and molecular approaches. Graduate students should be keen to establish independent research and will have opportunity to build skills in pathogen discovery, immunology, epidemiological modeling, machine learning, and meta-analysis. To get an idea of research directions in our group, see some core publications in Journal of Animal Ecology, Proceedings B, Lancet Microbe, mSphere, Frontiers in Immunology, and Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
When specific funded opportunities to join the lab are not advertised above, prospective students should send an email to [email protected] outlining their research experiences, interests, and possible topics of graduate study with their CV. Providing sufficient detail about possible questions you would like to ask for a MS or PhD is important, as it gives a good sense of how you think about science. The University of Oklahoma annual deadline is December 1st for students starting in August, so please get in touch well in advance. Students are encouraged to consider writing a fellowship (e.g., NSF GRFP or the Simons Foundation) to help develop their interests and maximize their independence. Otherwise, incoming graduate students can be supported by graduate teaching assistantships, though our group actively pursues foundation and federal grants to provide graduate research assistantships whenever possible.
The School of Biological Sciences at the University of Oklahoma has strong expertise in biogeography, microbiology, animal behavior, and aeroecology. Students will have access to infrastructure supporting molecular biology, proteomics, and supercomputing, alongside established field sites for bat and bird research in Oklahoma, Texas, Belize, and Panama. We also collaborate with teams across the Americas and Europe and in Kenya and Australia.
When specific funded opportunities to join the lab are not advertised above, prospective students should send an email to [email protected] outlining their research experiences, interests, and possible topics of graduate study with their CV. Providing sufficient detail about possible questions you would like to ask for a MS or PhD is important, as it gives a good sense of how you think about science. The University of Oklahoma annual deadline is December 1st for students starting in August, so please get in touch well in advance. Students are encouraged to consider writing a fellowship (e.g., NSF GRFP or the Simons Foundation) to help develop their interests and maximize their independence. Otherwise, incoming graduate students can be supported by graduate teaching assistantships, though our group actively pursues foundation and federal grants to provide graduate research assistantships whenever possible.
The School of Biological Sciences at the University of Oklahoma has strong expertise in biogeography, microbiology, animal behavior, and aeroecology. Students will have access to infrastructure supporting molecular biology, proteomics, and supercomputing, alongside established field sites for bat and bird research in Oklahoma, Texas, Belize, and Panama. We also collaborate with teams across the Americas and Europe and in Kenya and Australia.
postdoctoral researchers
Prospective postdoctoral researchers are encouraged to collaborate on funding proposals to complement work in the lab. Possible funding sources include the NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology, NIH National Research Service Award, and Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Fellowships. We are especially interested in prospective researchers with strong track records in approaches complementary to those used in the lab, such as animal tracking technologies, metagenomics and bioinformatics, and phylodynamics. Postdoctoral researchers will be expected to contribute to a collaborative lab environment while also developing their own interests and future career trajectory. Please get in touch with a CV, summary of interests, and proposal ideas.
undergraduate students
We encourage undergraduates with interests in infectious disease, wildlife ecology, computational biology, or immunology to get in touch about potential research involvement. Opportunities exist to gain experience in fieldwork, pathogen diagnostics, mathematical modeling, and data synthesis. We suggest students commit 3–4 hours per week per credit hour. Paid seasonal positions are often offered for local bird and/or bat fieldwork. Prospective undergraduates should send an email outlining their interests in the lab, their year and major, and their desired degree of involvement to [email protected].
