Prospective graduate students

Graduate Students- I will be accepting 1-2 PhD students to begin Fall 2024. Graduate students should expect to conduct research along the major themes of the lab (see Research and Publications), although there is flexibility for grad students to design projects that best suit their interests. Potential study topics may include evolution of plant defense across climate gradients, influence of neighboring plants on herbivory rates and population dynamics, variation in the effectiveness of biocontrol insects on invasive plants, plant-soil-insect interactions, among others.

Students can pursue a PhD through the Entomology and Nematology Department or through the Interdisciplinary Ecology program in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. Funding may be available through competitive departmental or university fellowships. Strong applicants will need to apply to the University of Florida by 15 January 2024. Applicants for a PhD degree should have a MS or equivalent experience. I encourage interested graduate students to check out fellowship opportunities that you may be eligible for (e.g., NSF GRFP, USDA-NIFA, and other opportunities on the UF-EntoNem page).

Prior to applying, please send an inquiry email and CV to Dr. Phil Hahn at hahnp@ufl.edu. For best consideration, please inquire by October 2023. In the body of the email or a separate attachment, please describe your research interests and experience, career goals, and three potential study topics you may be interested in pursuing.

Gainesville is a great place to live, with affordable cost of living, ample outdoor recreational opportunities, and more. UF has a very strong ecology program across many departments and recently ranked as one of the top universities in the world for ecology.

Postdoctoral researchers

I am always open to collaborations and working with potential postdocs on fellowship proposals. Get in touch if you have similar research interests! See here for a list of potential postdoc fellowships.

Undergraduate research opportunities

Undergraduate students play a critical role in the lab. Highly motivated students with interests in insect ecology and plant-herbivore interactions may enter the lab through various avenues: 1) research volunteers, 2) student researcher interns (for credits through the Dept. Ento/Nem), or 3) as paid research technicians. Please take a look at our Research page and list of publications for more info about our research projects. Contact Dr. Phil Hahn to inquire about working in the lab.