If you are a highly motivated and independent student wanting to obtain a PhD in anthropology or ecology and interested in doing research on ecological anthropology, ethnobotany, ethnobiology, medical anthropology or visual anthropology then you may have found the right place. Long term fieldwork in oftentimes remote and demanding conditions is encouraged. However, students are also welcome to work locally in the Deep South or other regions of the USA, if it is the appropriate location for their research question. Students have the option of pursuing a PhD with me in the Department of Anthropology or the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE), which offers a degree in Interdisciplinary Ecology.

Please feel free to contact me. I ask that you send a CV, along with a detailed description of your research and intellectual interests. It is especially useful for me to know what work or literature has been influential to you. I would also be interested in what sort of qualities you are looking for in an advisor so we can figure out if we would work well together. I encourage my students to be free, creative and independent thinkers but also team players and good collaborators. I travel frequently and I sometimes am not able to respond to email right away. Sometimes, I take email/computer holidays as it is unhealthy and likely shortens your life span if you are on a computer every day. Please be patient and I will get back to you, if you've followed the instructions above. At certain times of the year, I receive a lot of inquiries. I ask that prior to writing me, you please take the time to look at my research and decide if we have enough common interests to work together.

Several funding opportunities exist for PhD students. The Department of Anthropology considers highly qualified applicants for a variety of fellowships. There is not a separate application process for these fellowships apart from the regular application for admission. More information about those fellowships is available here. For students applying through the School of Natural Resources and Environment, they also can provide fellowships and assistantships. Also, I am a participating faculty member on a National Science Foundation-Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) Program focused on adaptive management of water, wetlands and watersheds. This grant provides generous support for graduate students. Students interested in working with me on ethnobiology and traditonal ecological knowledge issues related to these ecosystems are encouraged to apply to the IGERT program. There are also lots of external funding opportunities available if you look in the right places.