Open opportunities
Funded M.Sc. position in Invasive Plant Ecology and Invasion Risk Assessment
Position Description: The Flory Lab and the IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas (UF/IFAS Assessment) at the University of Florida are recruiting a M.Sc. student to conduct research on invasive plant ecology and invasion risk assessment. The student will assist the UF/IFAS Assessment Coordinator in using literature, GIS, and expert-based assessment tools to evaluate the invasion risk of non-native species that occur in the state, new species proposed for introduction, and novel agricultural and horticultural selections, hybrids, and cultivars in Florida. In these pursuits, the student will likely collaborate with experts from various organizations including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida Invasive Species Council, and the UF Invasive Species Council. The student’s M.Sc. thesis could focus on a wide range of topics related to the invasion risk of non-native plant species, and could incorporate field studies and/or field, greenhouse, and growth chamber experiments.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in ecology, forestry, biology, botany, natural resources, environmental science, or a closely related field, and interest in plant ecology is required. Preferred qualifications include interest in assessing plant invasion risk, quantitative and qualitative skills, previous research experience, ability to work independently and on a team, strong work ethic, communication skills, and leadership experience or potential.
Funding: The position is fully funded for a period of up to 2.5 years, including tuition, stipend, and benefits.
Mentorship and program information: The student will be co-mentored/co-advised by Professor Luke Flory (flory@ufl.edu) and Postdoc and Coordinator of the UF/IFAS Assessment Seokmin Kim (kimseokmin@ufl.edu). The student may enroll as part of the UF School of Natural Resources and the Environment (SNRE) Interdisciplinary Ecology program or in the UF Agronomy Department.
To apply: Expressions of interest should be emailed to Dr. Kim with the subject heading: “UF/IFAS Assessment MSc application”. Please provide 1) your resume/CV, 2) a brief (~500 words) statement of purpose, including why you are interested in working as part of this research team. The deadline to apply for the UF SNRE is January 31, 2025. Therefore, we ask that you submit your application materials to us by 11:59pm on January 12th, 2025.
Questions about the position can be directed to Dr. Kim or to Dr. Flory.
Postdoc position in Ecology
The Flory Lab at the University of Florida (UF) is recruiting a postdoctoral research associate for a project that examines the role of invasive plants in the eco-evolutionary dynamics of pathogen transmission across ecosystems boundaries, from natural areas to agro-ecosystems (Goss et al. 2020 Annu Rev Phytopath). More information here: https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/532068/
More Information
Prospective graduate students
I am often looking for new graduate students to join the lab, and I’m most interested in advising Ph.D. students, although we regularly host M.Sc. students. Our lab does research on a wide range of topics in ecology, and some in agroecology (see home page and recent publications), but we do not conduct research on strictly agronomy or weed science topics. Interested students should carefully consider if their research interests and experiences overlap with what we do in our lab, and then should send a brief email of inquiry that outlines 1) motivation for pursuing graduate education, 2) previous research experience and how it relates to work in our lab, and 3) general ideas of the research you’d like to conduct for your graduate degree, especially if interested in a Ph.D.
Funding for graduate studies in our lab usually comes from fellowships at UF, externally-funded grants (e.g., NSF, state agencies), or fellowships/funding received directly by incoming students. For internal fellowship and grant-funded positions, I will work with students to secure funding (i.e., students do not need to separately apply for UF-based fellowships) once it is mutually agreed that pursuing a graduate degree in the lab is likely a good fit.
Postdoc positions
Open funded postdoc positions in the lab will be advertised on this page and via Twitter and Ecolog. I’m also interested in hosting postdocs who have postdoc funding from their home countries or external or UF funded fellowships (e.g., the Ewel Fellowship).
Mentoring style
We are committed to providing a supportive, inclusive, and welcoming atmosphere in the lab. Graduate studies are often complicated and can be incredibly stressful, so I meet and communicate very regularly with students and provide all types of support as needed. However, students, especially those pursuing a Ph.D., are expected to develop their research ideas and methods independently, with my guidance. My goal is to mentor students to be broad, critical thinkers who know how to do science from start to finish, including conceiving ecological questions that need to be answered, development of research approaches, synthesis and analysis of data, and preparation of compelling written and oral presentations. I place a very high value on production of top-quality papers, which is important for communicating science well and also an important metric in academia, so writing well is a primary focus in the lab. The current academic and non-academic job markets are incredibly competitive for ecologists, thus I mentor students from the very beginning based on their intended career path.