Are you interested in attending graduate school but are unsure where to start? Do you want advice on how to make a competitive graduate school application? The ATBC Early Career Scientist committee organized a panel discussion on how to apply to graduate school in the United States. They discussed how to identify good programs and advisors based on your interests, what materials you will need to apply, and how to put yourself in the best position to be accepted into graduate school.
Laura Toro
Ph.D. candidate University of Minnesota
Laura is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate at the University of Minnesota originally from Colombia. Her interests span understanding the basic ways that species use to access important resources like soil phosphorus and to see how we can apply this information to design better, more cost-effective restoration projects. Laura works under the guidance of Dr. Jennifer S. Powers and has been involved in multiple restoration and conservation projects in Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama.
Paul Camilo Zalamea
Assistant Professor University of South Florida
Paul Camilo is a tropical plant community ecologist working at the interface of plant-microbial dynamics. His research integrates large-scale field, greenhouse, and laboratory experiments with molecular techniques to address questions fundamental to understanding the distribution and maintenance of biodiversity in tropical forests. Paul Camilo completed his undergraduate degree in Biology at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, I did a Masters at the same university and then obtained his Ph.D. in a joint program between Université Montpellier in France, and Universidad de Los Andes. He joined the scientific community at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama as a postdoctoral researcher. Currently, Paul Camilo is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida, and a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Email: paulcamiloz@usf.edu
Marcel Vaz
Ph.D. candidate UCLA
Marcel is a biologist from Brazil and a current Ph.D. candidate at the Kraft Lab, UCLA. He completed his Bachelors of Science in Biosciences and his Master’s of Science in Ecology, both at the University of São Paulo. His main goal in life is to advance our understanding of how tropical forests grow and thrive, with an emphasis on the ecological mechanisms that promote plant diversity.
Kristy Ferraro
Ph.D. candidate Yale University
Kristy Ferraro is a Ph.D. Candidate at Yale School of the Environment. She completed her Bachelors of Science in Environmental Geoscience and Philosophy at Boston College and her Master’s of Science in Environmental Science at Vanderbilt. Her research is focused on how large mammals impact carbon and nitrogen cycles as well as how philosophical ethical frameworks can be applied to help guide conservation.
Mickey Boakye
Ph.D. candidate University of California-Berkley
Mickey is a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley at the department of Environmental Science Policy and Management. He is an international student from Ghana interested in plant physiological responses to climate change (drought stress). He focuses on plant hydraulics, leaf venation architecture, leaf mechanics, and how they affect plant form and function across a framework of different environmental gradients. He likes mentoring students and participating in events that motivate diversity and inclusion in STEM. In his leisure hours, he likes to connect with nature by hiking nature trails and visiting nature reserves. He is an avid soccer fan and loves playing the sport too. Email: mickeyboakye@berkeley.edu | Twitter: @mykki_boh
Ignacio Escalante Meza
Postdoc University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Ignacio is a behavioral ecologist interested in how the mechanisms of animal behavior are shaped by ecological and evolutionary pressures. His work in tropical environments includes studying the biomechanics of locomotion, habitat use, cognition, and sexual behavior in arachnids, particularly spiders and harvestmen. Ignacio obtained a BS and an MS from the Universidad de Costa Rica, and a Ph.D. from the University of California - Berkeley. Currently, as a postdoc at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Ignacio studies communication in treehoppers. Email: escalan3@uwm.edu