In my mind, the goal of graduate school is to learn how to be a researcher. This means that you are going to make a lot of mistakes, and that is OK. All that I ask is that you learn from the mistakes.
Grad school is emotionally and physically difficult. I've been there, I know how stressful it can be. See above about taking care of yourself and a healthy work-life balance. The links below (and many others) are well worth a read about surviving grad school:
Steve Stearn's Modest advice for Grad Students
Ray Huey's Response to the Stearns Piece Above
Binkley's Advice to Grad Advisors
A Hybridization of the Above Links (plus more) from Brian Witz
"Should I apply to graduate school?" If you are applying because you'd like a few more years to figure out what you want to do in your life, I'd say that the answer is actually no. A better thing to do would be to try and find a technician position somewhere to get experience for what it's like to work in a lab. Alternatively, try to find a Masters program and learn what you are interested in researching. If you're still gung-ho on graduate school, keep reading.
It's important to understand that not everyone that gets a PhD will get a job in academia. The reality of the situation is that there are many more PhDs produced than tenure track jobs at R1 institutions. That being said, there are many jobs at "other" places such as primarily undergraduate institutions and in industry. I want to work with you to find the best path forward, regardless of where that might be. Please feel free to discuss your career goals with me whenever possible, and we'll work to give you the skills you need to succeed (whether they be techniques, mentoring, teaching, and whatever industry contacts I can find).
"Do my undergraduate grades matter?" Yes and no. In my opinion there is no solid correlation between undergraduate grades and success as a researcher. Some of the best scientists had really low GPAs and some of the worst scientists had high GPAs. That being said, most if not all competitive predoctoral fellowship opportunities are inherently based on undergraduate GPA and so poor grades limit your chances of getting independent funding. Many graduate schools also have minimum GPAs for admission. These are slightly slightly flexible, and I'll go to bat for you if you give me reasons, but it's not the best first impression.
"Where do I apply?" It's actually more complicated of a question than I'd like. I'm currently faculty in the School of Plant Sciences. There are two graduate degrees within this school, Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology. Applying for grad school through this program to work in my lab means that you'll have to abide by the Plant Sciences or Plant Pathology graduate school rules (in terms of exams, core courses, etc...) but doesn't explicitly mean that you have to work on things related to plants. Many of the ongoing projects involve microbe-microbe interactions but are theoretically placed in the context of plant microbiomes. Other ongoing projects investigate basic questions about microbial genetics and evolution and are effectively plant-agnostic. You can also apply to graduate school through an umbrella program on campus called ABBS. Lastly, I can also accept grad students through the microbiology program although I'd strongly suggest mentioning me within your application. In either case, it would be really good to contact me beforehand so that you're on my radar. Email me, I love talking shop. Get to know me as an advisor and see if this is the place for you. Attending grad school is a big decision and not every advisor is right for every student (and vice versa).
I will do everything I can to help you prepare predoctoral fellowship applications. Being awarded one of these fellowships is great for your CV, and often provides a bit of wiggle room for you to explore research topics that are outside the current scope of the lab. A reliable funding source independent of me or the University of Arizona is never a bad thing. The following opportunities are worth looking into, but are not a comprehensive list:
NSF GRFP
ASM Watkins Fellowship
Ford Foundation Fellowships
EPA
Grad school is emotionally and physically difficult. I've been there, I know how stressful it can be. See above about taking care of yourself and a healthy work-life balance. The links below (and many others) are well worth a read about surviving grad school:
Steve Stearn's Modest advice for Grad Students
Ray Huey's Response to the Stearns Piece Above
Binkley's Advice to Grad Advisors
A Hybridization of the Above Links (plus more) from Brian Witz
"Should I apply to graduate school?" If you are applying because you'd like a few more years to figure out what you want to do in your life, I'd say that the answer is actually no. A better thing to do would be to try and find a technician position somewhere to get experience for what it's like to work in a lab. Alternatively, try to find a Masters program and learn what you are interested in researching. If you're still gung-ho on graduate school, keep reading.
It's important to understand that not everyone that gets a PhD will get a job in academia. The reality of the situation is that there are many more PhDs produced than tenure track jobs at R1 institutions. That being said, there are many jobs at "other" places such as primarily undergraduate institutions and in industry. I want to work with you to find the best path forward, regardless of where that might be. Please feel free to discuss your career goals with me whenever possible, and we'll work to give you the skills you need to succeed (whether they be techniques, mentoring, teaching, and whatever industry contacts I can find).
"Do my undergraduate grades matter?" Yes and no. In my opinion there is no solid correlation between undergraduate grades and success as a researcher. Some of the best scientists had really low GPAs and some of the worst scientists had high GPAs. That being said, most if not all competitive predoctoral fellowship opportunities are inherently based on undergraduate GPA and so poor grades limit your chances of getting independent funding. Many graduate schools also have minimum GPAs for admission. These are slightly slightly flexible, and I'll go to bat for you if you give me reasons, but it's not the best first impression.
"Where do I apply?" It's actually more complicated of a question than I'd like. I'm currently faculty in the School of Plant Sciences. There are two graduate degrees within this school, Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology. Applying for grad school through this program to work in my lab means that you'll have to abide by the Plant Sciences or Plant Pathology graduate school rules (in terms of exams, core courses, etc...) but doesn't explicitly mean that you have to work on things related to plants. Many of the ongoing projects involve microbe-microbe interactions but are theoretically placed in the context of plant microbiomes. Other ongoing projects investigate basic questions about microbial genetics and evolution and are effectively plant-agnostic. You can also apply to graduate school through an umbrella program on campus called ABBS. Lastly, I can also accept grad students through the microbiology program although I'd strongly suggest mentioning me within your application. In either case, it would be really good to contact me beforehand so that you're on my radar. Email me, I love talking shop. Get to know me as an advisor and see if this is the place for you. Attending grad school is a big decision and not every advisor is right for every student (and vice versa).
I will do everything I can to help you prepare predoctoral fellowship applications. Being awarded one of these fellowships is great for your CV, and often provides a bit of wiggle room for you to explore research topics that are outside the current scope of the lab. A reliable funding source independent of me or the University of Arizona is never a bad thing. The following opportunities are worth looking into, but are not a comprehensive list:
NSF GRFP
ASM Watkins Fellowship
Ford Foundation Fellowships
EPA
