DERT

I am always happy to talk with prospective undergraduate and graduate students who are interesting in joining the Dryland Ecosystems Research Team. Please see guidelines below to learn more about how to join our research group.

- Heather Throop

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For undergraduate students at ASU:

Our interdisciplinary team includes undergraduate researchers from both the School of Earth and Space Exploration and the School of Life Sciences. We support undergraduate research in the lab through several different mechanisms including volunteer opportunities, academic credit, senior/honors theses, and paid positions. There are several formal undergraduate research programs on campus that you may be eligible to apply for (e.g., Arizona Space Grant, School of Life Sciences Undergraduate Research, or check with your undergraduate advisor for an up-to-date list of research programs).

 

If you are interested in exploring opportunities to work with us, please email me to discuss your interests. It is most helpful if your email contains:

• A clear statement about your academic background, research interests, and why you’re interested in joining the lab

• A copy of your transcript (unofficial is ok)

• A copy of your CV

 

For prospective graduate students:

Thanks for your interest in graduate studies with DERT! I currently advise graduate students through programs in the School of Earth and Space Exploration (Geological Sciences MS and PhD programs), the School of Life Sciences (Biology MS and PhD, Plant Biology and Conservation MS, Biology 4+1), and the interdisciplinary Environmental Life Sciences PhD program. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of my appointment at ASU, students in my lab tend to interface with both SESE and SOLS. Graduate students in these programs typically receive financial support through a combination of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and competitive fellowships (e.g., NSF GRFP). Successful applicants have relevant prior research experience and clearly articulated research interests that align well with our ongoing research.

 

All graduate programs through which I accept students use similar admissions procedures. The graduate admissions committee will assess your suitability for the program (e.g., transcripts and prior academic coursework, prior research experience, fit with prospective ASU faculty advisors). Prospective advisors will then be asked to evaluate your application and assess whether they would like to support your application. Taking on a new graduate student is a substantial time and funding commitment for prospective advisors. As such, I am most likely to support applications of students who have clear evidence of prior independent research success (enthusiastic letters of recommendation are important!), demonstrated ability to think independently and creatively, and those who have clear alignment of research interests to ongoing work in the Drylands Ecosystem Research Team. 

 

Note that for international applicants, graduate admission may require successful satisfaction of English language proficiency (depending on country of citizenship or the language of your prior institution).

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Please carefully review the DERT webpage and my publications to assess how well your research interests fit with our current work. If you think that these are exciting areas and that you envision interfacing well with one or more of these projects, I encourage you to send me an email detailing your interests. This email should include:

• A description of your academic background, and research experience and motivation for graduate studies

• A description of specific projects or questions that you are interested in for graduate research

• A copy of your CV

The best time to contact me with graduate inquiries is between mid-August and early November each year, as I typically have a good sense at this time whether there will be openings for new students and what projects might be available. I review research statements that I receive by 1 November each year. I arrange informational interviews in early November with prospective students who appear to be a strong fit for my lab. Admissions deadlines for most ASU graduate programs are in December for graduate programs that begin the following August.