The Burke lab in the Entomology department at the University of Georgia is recruiting PhD students for the Spring semester of 2015.

The Burke lab in the Entomology department at the University of Georgia
is recruiting PhD students for the Spring semester of 2015.

Research in the lab focuses upon symbiotic relationships between microbes
and animals, and uses functional and evolutionary genetics and genomics to
examine how these kinds of relationships can occur and are maintained. In
particular, we study the fascinating beneficial viruses that are harbored
by parasitic wasps. Graduate students in the lab will generally work on
the molecular genetics and genomics of microbial symbionts of animals
and are encouraged to consider projects involving viral associations
with parasitic wasps or other insects.

Graduate students accepted into the Entomology program are guaranteed
financial support for their 5-year program through Teaching Assistantships
(TAs) or Research Assistantships (RAs), which includes an out-of-state
tuition waiver. Additional funding exists for graduate student research
and travel to scientific meetings. Interested students are also strongly
encouraged to apply for graduate research fellowships, such as the
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Importantly,
students are eligible to apply for this and other fellowships in their
final year as undergraduates. Please refer to the Burke lab website
for detailed information about financial support and the University of
Georgia graduate program in Entomology.

The University of Georgia is a Tier I research university located in
Athens, Georgia. The University of Georgia Entomology department has
strong representation of faculty studying host/parasite relationships and
vector biology, creating a collaborative environment in which students
can benefit from interaction with other faculty and students. The Burke
lab has been recently renovated and is well-equipped for molecular
biology and genomics research. Athens is a city of 100,000 located in
the Piedmont basin south of the Appalachian mountains in a green and
leafy environment. The city not only has a terrific music scene, great
restaurants, nearby mountains for hiking, art, cultural and sports events,
etc., but it also has a very low cost of living index compared to many
other places in the United States. Athens is conveniently located 90
minutes to the east of Atlanta, a major city with the largest airport
in the US.

Interested candidates should contact Gaelen Burke at grburke@uga.edu with
a description of your 1) academic background, 2) research experience,
3) your general and specific interests in research in the Burke lab
at the University of Georgia and 4) contact information for three
references. Please also attach your current resume or Curriculum
Vitae. Students must have a greater than 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and
must have taken the general GRE exam.

Gaelen Burke
Assistant Professor

Department of Entomology
University of Georgia
Phone (706) 542-1863
Website: https://burkelab.wordpress.com

grburke@uga.edu