Thank you for your interest in joining the Kennedy lab. The opportunity to be directly involved in research is one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of a scientific career and I strive to provide a range of opportunities to students – undergrads, grads, and post-docs.
The research interests of our lab are diverse and constantly evolving, so I strongly encourage you to read some of the recent publications to see what we are currently working on. After doing so, please contact me to discuss more about your specific interests in the lab.
I seek students that are highly self-motivated, passionate about learning and sharing knowledge with others, excited to work in both field and lab settings, and broadly interested in ecology and evolution. Due the interdisciplinary nature of our research, I am also looking to work with students who strive to be as comfortable identifying mushrooms as holding a pipette or coding in R. I do not expect students to work in a particular study system and encourage them to develop their own research themes as they relate to the interests of the lab.
Having been fortunate to be the recipient of great mentorship, my goal is to provide an environment that fosters long-term success, both professionally and personally. This takes time and effort, which, by necessity, limits the numbers of students I am able to work with. That said, I welcome and encourage students from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences to apply to work in the lab.
For graduate students, my lab is directly affiliated with two Ph.D. programs at the University of Minnesota, Plant and Microbial Biology (PMB) and Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB). Please see this document for more details about my expectations of graduate students and myself in terms of mentoring and advising.
For undergraduate students, please e-mail me to discuss research opportunities. An excellent source of funding for undergraduate research at the University of Minnesota is the UROP program.