Please see below for open positions.
If interested in any of the opportunities, please email your CV and information about yourself to Dr. Shields (rshields{at}astate.edu). Students interested in joining our group for graduate studies must also apply through the Department of Biological Sciences.
Graduate positions:
The A-State Biological Sciences department has a vibrant graduate student community of approximately 50 grad students.
M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are available through the Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program (click link for details)
M.S. degrees are also available through a Biology program (click link for details)
These M.S. and Ph.D. programs have a significant research/thesis component.
For the Molecular Biosciences program applications are accepted till Feb 15th for Fall admissions, and till July 15th for Spring admissions.
Support - most M.S. or Ph.D. students are supported either as a Graduate Teaching Assistant or Graduate Research Assistant.
Staff Positions
As of now, we are not seeking postdoctoral research associates. That said, exceptional candidates who may be able to secure outside fellowships are encouraged to contact Rob.
Undergraduate student positions
We are really interested in ambitious undergraduate microbiologists who want to join the team. A typical undergraduate commitment would be 8-12 hours of lab work each week. Projects will vary depending on interest, skills and time availability but here are some typical project outlines:
Types of undergraduate projects:
1) Functional genomics screens
2) Gene mutagenesis and characterization of mutant
3) Analysis of pre-exisiting data (e.g. RNAseq, genomic sequencing, etc)
A note for prospective students:
Choosing a place to study and work is a really important decision that can have a huge impact on your happiness and career trajectory. There are many factors to consider, including technical knowledge you will gain, ability to set yourself up for the next career step, characteristics of the adviser, location, and culture of the group. The best fit is different for each person. Talk to people you respect to get their advice. Try to do your research on what life in a particular group is like. For my lab, I hope to establish a culture in the group where people care about the work, freely share ideas, work together, learn together, and respect one another.
Location and Space
Our lab is located at the following location on the Arkansas State University campus (Room 302):
Wet-lab Area
The space is being updated, reorganized, and new equipment bought as we settle in!
Arkansas Biosciences Institute
We are close (5 minute walk) to the Arkansas Biosciences Institute (ABI; https://www.astate.edu/a/abi/about/). The ABI houses multiple faculty actively involved in the following research topics Agriculture and Disease, Molecular Innovations in Food Science, Plant Metabolic Engineering, and Plant-base Protein Production. We have access to state-of-the-art science equipment and facilities that are housed at the ABI.