Dear Prospective Graduate Student for fall 2022,
Thank you for your interest in my research and the Ph.D. program in Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
My research is motivated by an interest in understanding factors limiting ecosystem recovery and using this information to restore ecosystems. I have worked in a broad array of ecosystems, including eastern hardwood forest, neotropical rain forest, and various California ecosystems (coastal prairie, riparian forest, and chaparral). Students in my lab work in tropical and California ecosystems. I am particularly interested in questions of how the surrounding landscape affects population and community processes in restored areas. I am also interested in policy issues related to implementing the results of my ecological research. Please see my list of research projects for more details.
I expect a great deal of independence from my graduate students, but also make every effort to be available for advice. I encourage students to pursue their own research questions within the realm of my interests. I expect my students to have a general prospectus for their research by the spring following their entry into the program and to begin preliminary fieldwork during that summer. Thus far, my students have been very successful in obtaining their own funding through fellowships and grants; some funding is available through the University in the form of fellowships, teaching assistantships and research assistantships. I consider taking on a graduate student as a serious time and financial commitment on my part and will work with students to obtain funding. If students chose to work in ecosystems in which I currently do not have active research then it is more difficult for me to provide funding.
I currently am the primary or co-advisor for four doctoral students at UCSC, one of whom will be finishing at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year. My past Ph.D. students are currently employed in a wide range of positions (see list under People page). My students generally take 5-6 years to complete their degrees.
I will likely accept one student to start in fall 2022. I am primarily interested in accepting a student who wants to conduct research in California, as I currently have two Ph.D. students who are working on my research project in Costa Rica. If you want to apply to work with me in the tropics then you must have prior research experience in the tropics, given the logistical obstacles to working there.
I feel that it is important to train students from tropical countries. However, because of the fee structure of the University of California, it is helpful for prospective doctoral students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents to have some of their own financial support. UCSC offers some non-resident tuition waivers for graduate students, so I encourage Latin American students with a strong educational and research background to contact me to discuss possibilities. I have also hosted visiting doctoral students from universities in Brazil, Mexico, and Costa Rica.
The graduate program in Environmental Studies at UC Santa Cruz is interdisciplinary. In order to be admitted to the program students should have completed courses in ecology, economics, policy, and statistics. Graduate coursework covers the areas of conservation biology, agroecology, and environmental policy and institutions. Personally, I require my students to have a strong background in ecology and requisite courses in other sciences and math. It is essential that my students have previous independent research experience as we only have a Ph.D. program. We interact extensively with students and faculty in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Earth Sciences, and other Departments on campus through seminars and collaborative research projects, but the Environmental Studies required coursework is distinct to our program and prospective students should seriously consider if this type of training is appropriate for their career goals. Although I am strongly committed to interdisciplinary collaborations to explore policy mechanisms to implement restoration and conservation, I am primarily qualified to train students as applied ecologists and do not serve as the primary advisor for students whose primary focus is on policy questions or environmental education.
If you are interested in applying to the Environmental Studies Program at UCSC under my sponsorship, I ask that you first send me a cv and a letter with the following information: (1) a description of your academic and work background, with particular reference to your past independent research experience; (2) what types of research questions (the more detail the better) you would like to address in graduate school; (3) why you want to do a Ph.D. and your ultimate career goals; and (4) why you are interested in the Environmental Studies Program at UCSC and working with me in particular. This information is helpful to me in determining whether I would be an appropriate advisor for you. If it seems like there is a good match between us then we can schedule a visit to UCSC. Please also indicate whether you have California residency, which would affect your tuition cost the first year of the program. In September 2021 I will start corresponding with prospective students for fall 2022, so if you are interested in working with me please contact me in September or October 2021.
I hope this answers your questions regarding working with me as a graduate student. If you have specific questions about the program or the admissions process you should contact our graduate advisor at envsgpc@ucsc.edu.
Cordially,
Karen Holl
Thank you for your interest in my research and the Ph.D. program in Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
My research is motivated by an interest in understanding factors limiting ecosystem recovery and using this information to restore ecosystems. I have worked in a broad array of ecosystems, including eastern hardwood forest, neotropical rain forest, and various California ecosystems (coastal prairie, riparian forest, and chaparral). Students in my lab work in tropical and California ecosystems. I am particularly interested in questions of how the surrounding landscape affects population and community processes in restored areas. I am also interested in policy issues related to implementing the results of my ecological research. Please see my list of research projects for more details.
I expect a great deal of independence from my graduate students, but also make every effort to be available for advice. I encourage students to pursue their own research questions within the realm of my interests. I expect my students to have a general prospectus for their research by the spring following their entry into the program and to begin preliminary fieldwork during that summer. Thus far, my students have been very successful in obtaining their own funding through fellowships and grants; some funding is available through the University in the form of fellowships, teaching assistantships and research assistantships. I consider taking on a graduate student as a serious time and financial commitment on my part and will work with students to obtain funding. If students chose to work in ecosystems in which I currently do not have active research then it is more difficult for me to provide funding.
I currently am the primary or co-advisor for four doctoral students at UCSC, one of whom will be finishing at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year. My past Ph.D. students are currently employed in a wide range of positions (see list under People page). My students generally take 5-6 years to complete their degrees.
I will likely accept one student to start in fall 2022. I am primarily interested in accepting a student who wants to conduct research in California, as I currently have two Ph.D. students who are working on my research project in Costa Rica. If you want to apply to work with me in the tropics then you must have prior research experience in the tropics, given the logistical obstacles to working there.
I feel that it is important to train students from tropical countries. However, because of the fee structure of the University of California, it is helpful for prospective doctoral students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents to have some of their own financial support. UCSC offers some non-resident tuition waivers for graduate students, so I encourage Latin American students with a strong educational and research background to contact me to discuss possibilities. I have also hosted visiting doctoral students from universities in Brazil, Mexico, and Costa Rica.
The graduate program in Environmental Studies at UC Santa Cruz is interdisciplinary. In order to be admitted to the program students should have completed courses in ecology, economics, policy, and statistics. Graduate coursework covers the areas of conservation biology, agroecology, and environmental policy and institutions. Personally, I require my students to have a strong background in ecology and requisite courses in other sciences and math. It is essential that my students have previous independent research experience as we only have a Ph.D. program. We interact extensively with students and faculty in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Earth Sciences, and other Departments on campus through seminars and collaborative research projects, but the Environmental Studies required coursework is distinct to our program and prospective students should seriously consider if this type of training is appropriate for their career goals. Although I am strongly committed to interdisciplinary collaborations to explore policy mechanisms to implement restoration and conservation, I am primarily qualified to train students as applied ecologists and do not serve as the primary advisor for students whose primary focus is on policy questions or environmental education.
If you are interested in applying to the Environmental Studies Program at UCSC under my sponsorship, I ask that you first send me a cv and a letter with the following information: (1) a description of your academic and work background, with particular reference to your past independent research experience; (2) what types of research questions (the more detail the better) you would like to address in graduate school; (3) why you want to do a Ph.D. and your ultimate career goals; and (4) why you are interested in the Environmental Studies Program at UCSC and working with me in particular. This information is helpful to me in determining whether I would be an appropriate advisor for you. If it seems like there is a good match between us then we can schedule a visit to UCSC. Please also indicate whether you have California residency, which would affect your tuition cost the first year of the program. In September 2021 I will start corresponding with prospective students for fall 2022, so if you are interested in working with me please contact me in September or October 2021.
I hope this answers your questions regarding working with me as a graduate student. If you have specific questions about the program or the admissions process you should contact our graduate advisor at envsgpc@ucsc.edu.
Cordially,
Karen Holl