I will be accepting Ph.D. students to begin graduate school in Fall 2011.  If you are interested in joining my lab, please contact me by email before applying.

            I encourage (but certainly do not require) my students to incorporate theoretical and empirical components in their dissertations.  Integration of this type not only produces better science, but also gives students a competitive edge in the academic job market. The degree to which this integration occurs depends on the research question, as well as the background and abilities of the student.

Students in the Lemmon lab will likely fall into one of two categories:


Primary focus is computational and/or theoretical

            Students in this category are those wishing to develop the (programming and statistical) tools necessary to 1) answer theoretical questions in evolution and 2) develop new tools for data analysis and parameter estimation.

Possible projects include:

Development of PhyloMapper 2
Development of computational tools for phylogenetic inference
Development of statistical model for female preference in frogs
Development of Bioinformatic tools
Development of EvoTutor
Other (email your ideas to me)


Primary focus is empirical

            Students in this category are those wishing to test key evolutionary hypotheses through field and lab work (examples). I will work with these students to develop new tools for data analysis, if needed/desired.

Possible projects include:

Development of markers for phylogenetics using new genomic tools.
Phylogeography using genomic data (any taxonomic group).
Integration of ecological niche modeling and phylogeography (PhyloMapper)
Testing runaway sexual selection in frogs (I have a good candidate)
Other (email your ideas to me)

Regardless of whether your focus is theoretical or empirical, interested students should apply to the graduate program in the Department of Scientific Computing. Applications are due February 1st.

*NOTE THAT ADMISSION TO THE DEPARTMENT REQUIRES SOME KNOWLEDGE OF C++, JAVA, OR FORTRAN.


Resources that will be at your disposal if you join my lab:

Top-ranked High Performance Computing Facility (1500+ cores)
State of the art genetics lab (ask me for details)
Reduced rate at University of Florida Genome Center
Certified Nimblegen Microarray Facility
State of the art equipment for behavioral experiments (ask me for details)
State of the art live animal facility
Apalachicola National Forest (minutes from campus!)