Graduate Students

Thank you for your interest in joining our research team! The Smiley Lab is always looking for independent, highly motivated colleagues who are fascinated by studying biodiversity and ecology across spatial and temporal scales, past and present. Our lab uses a variety of tools to address a wide range of research topics. Our present foci are on (1) integrating the formation of complex topography and landscapes with diversification dynamics in the fossil record, and (2) stable isotope applications to understanding species ecology across environmental gradients. While our current research is primarily centered on mammals, our lab is integrative and question-driven, and we welcome PhD and Masters students enthusiastic about the exploration of topics related to broad research themes found here.

 

Of note: In affiliation with the Turkana Basin Institute, we are expanding research and field programs in the Turkana Basin in northern Kenya, so we encourage applicants interested in the diversity and paleoecology of Miocene mammals of East Africa.

​

If interested in applying to SBU's Ecology and Evolution Department to work with me, please send an email with (1) a brief description of your research interests and background, (2) types of research questions you would like to address in graduate school, (3) why you are interested in working with me, and (4) your current CV to tara.smiley@stonybrook.edu. 

 

The deadline for PhD applications to SBU Ecology and Evolution is December 1st. Information about the department can be found here, with instructions for applying to the graduate program found here.

​

Undergraduate Students

I am excited to involve motivated undergraduates in our lab! We usually have opportunities through honors research projects, work-study positions, and on a volunteer basis. If you have a research idea you would like to pursue, please email me at tara.smiley@stonybrook.edu and include a description of your project idea, your resume with classes and any past research experience. New to research or not sure what you would like to do in the Smiley Lab? No problem, informal inquires are also welcome!

​

Postdoctoral Researchers

If you are interested in becoming a postdoc in the lab, please contact me directly with your research interests, project idea(s), and your current CV. We welcome requests to collaborate on proposals.