Statements of purpose

I earned my PhD in Ecology at Duke University in 2023. With Jean Gibert, I studied how warming and rising CO₂ alter the microbial food webs of peatlands, which store upwards of 25 percent of all terrestrial carbon.

Unlike a college essay, a statement of purpose has to show that you can do the work and that you know what you want to work on. It also has to explain why this program is the right place to do it.

I look for a research question stated more precisely than a general interest, and for evidence from what you did, including what failed. A list of faculty names does not establish fit, so I look for how your questions connect to their work.

My subject knowledge is deepest in ecology, environmental science, conservation, and climate. In those fields I can respond to the science as well as the writing. In other fields I respond to structure and evidence.

Many PhD programs close in December, so leave time to revise after my feedback and to share the result with your recommenders.

Words/Price

Deadlines

Only the University of California date is specific. The others are common dates for this cycle, and each institution sets its own.