If you are interested in my lab:
My lab has students I advise, students I co-advise, and students advised by others but who have overlapping interests. Research in the lab includes genomics, computational evolutionary biology, molecular evolution, phylogenetics, population genetics, and behavior. While much of the research in the lab is on birds, the lab is not exclusively a bird lab. I feel that the students that fit best into my lab are those that enjoy being in a diverse group where they can interact with students doing many different things. Some students are more comfortable in a lab that is more focused on the specific questions they want to ask (e.g., phylogenetics or behavior, where they get to really immerse themselves in a particular question), and if this describes you, then you may not be the best fit for my lab.
If you are interested in research in my lab, I recommend you first look at my Research and People pages (if you have not already) to get an idea of what projects are going on in the lab (graduate projects are on the people page). This covers some of the main projects and should give you an idea of whether my lab would be a good fit for you. In addition, look at my publications to see what I have done, the approaches I have used, etc.
After this, if you are still interested, please email me. Include your research experiences, a c.v., and feel free to attach publications if you have them. I would also like some specifics on what you are interested in doing for a PhD project (and why you feel my lab would be a good place for you). While I do not expect you to have a fully developed project, an idea of the type(s) of questions you would like to ask is helpful (e.g., I am interested in understanding the evolution of mating systems by mapping various traits on a phylogeny). This helps me get an idea of what you want to do and how you would fit into the lab. If you are particularly interested in some specific studies I have done, indicate that (it is more helpful if you say “I was really interested in paper X” rather than saying “I am interested in your research” which doesn’t give me much insight into your interests or what drives you in biology).
The graduate school has certain minimum requirements for GRE’s and GPA’s; for international students, additional requirements often apply as well. Check those out to make sure you have taken (or will take) the appropriate tests. If you find that your scores are below the minimum, exceptions can sometimes be made. Let me know, and I will see what can be done.
A FEW OTHER THOUGHTS
Graduate school is a lot of work for not a lot of pay. It should not be entered into lightly. Students who enter graduate school without a clear reason why (e.g., they aren’t sure what else to do after completing an undergraduate degree) do not always succeed at the highest level. Think carefully about whether this is the right step for you at this time. If you are not 100% certain, I recommend you take some time off before entering graduate school. Personally I feel the best graduate students are those that work for at least a year before entering graduate school. This gives you time away from academics to determine whether you are ready to dive in for what may be a good 6 or more years (if you go for a PhD) of hard work. If you get a job related to biology (particularly if you gain research experience), you may also get more insights into how research is done and whether this is the right path for you. Alternatively, if you are not certain you are ready to commit to a PhD, getting an MS degree is a great way to test the water and see if a PhD is right for you.
INTERESTED IN ANOTHER FACULTY IN OUR DEPARTMENT?
If you are interested in another faculty in the department, but also making contact with additional potential faculty advisors (or eventual committee members), feel free to contact me. Let me know who else you are considering – I am not offended by prospective students that indicate they are really interested with working with Dr. X, but also want to talk to several faculty with related interests. It is odd, however, to have a student email me when it is clear that my lab is not the best fit for them (but they imply they are only considering my lab in the department) – I am then uncertain whether they need a lot of guidance (and so I should direct them to the appropriate lab), or whether they are on top of things but feel uncomfortable admitting I am not their first choice (which I think is generally the case).