PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS: We may accept 1-2 exceptional graduate students for Fall 2024. We train graduate students & interns who are passionate about protecting biodiversity and ecosystem function. We look for students with the entrepreneurial drive, intellectual ability and social skills needed to have a significant positive impact on conservation. We are most interested in foreign students from high biodiversity countries (or others with extensive experience in those countries) with innovative ideas about how to protect biodiversity.

We strive to create an environment that fosters a commitment to something larger than oneself and facilitates the aggressive pursuit of that commitment. We honor professional honesty & integrity, intellectual rigor, respect for the animals and places we study, tolerance for our colleagues' foibles and respect for their strengths.

We expect lab members to own their projects and run hard with what the lab provides. We also expect their work to be worthy of the huge investment of time and energy everyone in the lab puts into it. Finally we expect them to invest in and support the lab’s mission and all its members.

HOW TO APPLY: We receive many inquiries into the possibility of graduate work in our laboratory, and generally take only one or two students each year (we may accept 1-2 exceptional graduate students for Fall 2024). To help us in the difficult task of selecting the best students, we ask you to send the following to Don Croll:

1 - A statement of purpose outlining your research and conservation interests, the kind of project you might want to do in our lab and your short- and long-term career goals

2 - An unofficial copy of undergraduate transcript (this can be a university-generated copy, or just a typed list of classes and grades).

3 - A sample of your writing that demonstrates your ability to assimilate complex information and research into a well-written product. This could be copies of any reports, published papers, technical reports, or class research projects.

4 - A copy of a curriculum vitae (resume) summarizing your work and academic experience.

5 - Names, telephone, and email of three references

Please keep in mind that this is our way of starting a conversation about joining the lab. If we determine there is a possible good fit, we will set up an in-person or Zoom meeting. In addition, we encourage potential students to meet with our current and past graduate students and postdocs.

Finally, you should take a look at the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Ocean Sciences websites to learn more about the graduate programs (students may be admitted to our lab in either program, but most will enter through EEB). Formal application to one of these programs will be made to UCSC Graduate Studies.

Thanks for your interest in the Conservation Action Lab! We look forward to hearing from you.