Joining the LabCurrently recruiting for a Postdoc (to join Feb-March) and PhD student (to join in the fall). See below!
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Postdoctoral Researchers
I am currently recruiting a Postdoctoral Researcher, starting in February-March, to develop antivirulence strategies to protect algae crops from predation in the field. The researcher will work on a DOE-funded project focused on developing and testing antivirulence strategies to protect algal crops from predation in the field. They will develop a database of antivirulence compounds that can be tested against pathogenic bacteria and annotate this database for compounds that can feasibly be deployed at commercial scale levels. Then, relying on pest models as well as mixed bacterial assemblages from field cultures, they will test compounds, combinations of compounds, and combinations of in iterative lab-field experiments to refine treatment strategies. For more information on the project, see: https://bit.ly/3tdO3hr. The researcher will work both independently and collaboratively with PIs, researchers, and students at NMSU and Arizona State University. Additional collaborative opportunities exist with researchers at Sandia National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
We are seeking a candidate who can collaborate to develop innovative solutions to technical challenges. The minimum qualifications for the position include:
We are especially interested in researchers with:
This is a full-time position with benefits (health, dental, life, disability, and retirement plan). Continuing education opportunities are available in the lab and at the university. The postdoctoral researcher will be supported at least annually to travel to team meetings, academic conferences, and/or industrial conferences. The planned start date for the position is between February 1, 2024, and March 1, 2024, with support possible for 3 years. Although there are no citizenship requirements, the planned start date of the position may preclude international applicants that require visa sponsorship. If you are an international candidate who requires a visa, please check J1 visa appointment wait times at your local US embassy before applying, assuming that an offer may go out from NMSU during January.
This position will be posted at https://jobs.nmsu.edu/ in late November 2023. To apply, please upload a single PDF that includes a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please email acor@nmsu.edu with questions.
We are seeking a candidate who can collaborate to develop innovative solutions to technical challenges. The minimum qualifications for the position include:
- a Ph.D. in biology, chemistry, or other relevant discipline,
- experience in experimental design and execution, and
- the ability to work effectively as a part of a team.
We are especially interested in researchers with:
- experience cultivating microalgae and/or bacteria,
- experience in bioinformatics and/or in working with large datasets,
- a strong working knowledge of algal-bacteria interactions, and
- experience with anti-virulence approaches.
This is a full-time position with benefits (health, dental, life, disability, and retirement plan). Continuing education opportunities are available in the lab and at the university. The postdoctoral researcher will be supported at least annually to travel to team meetings, academic conferences, and/or industrial conferences. The planned start date for the position is between February 1, 2024, and March 1, 2024, with support possible for 3 years. Although there are no citizenship requirements, the planned start date of the position may preclude international applicants that require visa sponsorship. If you are an international candidate who requires a visa, please check J1 visa appointment wait times at your local US embassy before applying, assuming that an offer may go out from NMSU during January.
This position will be posted at https://jobs.nmsu.edu/ in late November 2023. To apply, please upload a single PDF that includes a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please email acor@nmsu.edu with questions.
MS and PhD Students
I am currently recruiting 1-2 graduate students for August 2024 enrollment in the NMSU Biology Department (which I will join in January 2024). I will consider MS (2-3 years) and PhD students (5-6 years) who are interested in working on the major research themes of the lab, or who have questions that can be addressed using algae as a model system. The successful applicant will conduct hypothesis-driven research, with opportunities to conduct experiments in the laboratory and field. The Corcoran Lab maintains over twenty 300L outdoor cultivation ponds at the nearby Fabian Garcia Science Center, offering a unique opportunity to ask cultivation-relevant questions. Exact research topics are flexible but should build on the group’s resources and/or previous work.
The minimum qualifications for the position include:
(1) a B.S. or M.S. in biology, marine science, microbiology, or related field
(2) basic knowledge of algal or plant biology, molecular biology, and microbiology
(3) a minimum GPA of 3.25
(4) laboratory experience (experience with algal and bacterial cultures is a plus)
(5) the ability to work independently as well as with a diverse research group
For consideration, please email (1) a one-page cover letter describing your research interests and career goals, (2) your CV, (3) unofficial transcripts, and (4) contact information for three professional references (all compiled into a single PDF) to Dr. Corcoran at acor@nmsu.edu. If there is a good fit, applicants will be required to apply to the Graduate School (deadline: January 15, 2024). For more information on the application process in the Biology Department, please see the department's webpage.
Before you contact me about completing your PhD in my lab, please ask yourself the following questions:
All students admitted to the program will be supported by a combination of teaching and research assistantships. Please note that NMSU does not offer tuition waivers to graduate students. For more information on graduate school at NMSU, including tuition structure, please visit: https://gradschool.nmsu.edu/index.html. Tuition support can be sought through NSF GRFP applications or similar support structures. Moreover, tuition may be provided if extramural funding allows.
NSF GRFP applications are due October 16, 2023. See: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23605/nsf23605.htm. If you are interested in joining my lab and will be submitting a GRFP, please reach out with that in the subject line.
The minimum qualifications for the position include:
(1) a B.S. or M.S. in biology, marine science, microbiology, or related field
(2) basic knowledge of algal or plant biology, molecular biology, and microbiology
(3) a minimum GPA of 3.25
(4) laboratory experience (experience with algal and bacterial cultures is a plus)
(5) the ability to work independently as well as with a diverse research group
For consideration, please email (1) a one-page cover letter describing your research interests and career goals, (2) your CV, (3) unofficial transcripts, and (4) contact information for three professional references (all compiled into a single PDF) to Dr. Corcoran at acor@nmsu.edu. If there is a good fit, applicants will be required to apply to the Graduate School (deadline: January 15, 2024). For more information on the application process in the Biology Department, please see the department's webpage.
Before you contact me about completing your PhD in my lab, please ask yourself the following questions:
- Why are you interested in pursuing a PhD?
- What research questions do you want to address? Why?
- What are your long-term career objectives? How will a position in my lab help you meet those objectives?
- What fellowships have you applied for or will you apply for?
All students admitted to the program will be supported by a combination of teaching and research assistantships. Please note that NMSU does not offer tuition waivers to graduate students. For more information on graduate school at NMSU, including tuition structure, please visit: https://gradschool.nmsu.edu/index.html. Tuition support can be sought through NSF GRFP applications or similar support structures. Moreover, tuition may be provided if extramural funding allows.
NSF GRFP applications are due October 16, 2023. See: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2023/nsf23605/nsf23605.htm. If you are interested in joining my lab and will be submitting a GRFP, please reach out with that in the subject line.
Expectations
If you are considering joining my laboratory, please review this paragraph and reflect on your expectations of an advisor/mentor. If you are joining the lab as a PhD student, I expect that you: come up with your own research questions; design and lead your experiments; analyze data as experiments are conducted; and work on publications as you conduct research. If you are joining the lab as a MS student, we can develop questions and experimental plans collaboratively; you will still conduct research and analyses independently, but with more support and oversight than if you were a PhD student. I expect professionalism and a good work ethic of all students. Throughout your tenure in my lab, I will provide guidance, constructive criticism, and suggestions to help you develop professionally. I expect you are open to that mentoring. We will meet weekly for mandatory (1) one on one meetings and (2) team meetings. Prior to one on one meetings, you will provide updates via this template. This will help guide our discussion during the time we have each week. You will also provide updates, with supporting slides, to teams during team meetings. I will be available for additional conversations about publications, professional development, or to go through data, as needed.
More specific expectations are outlined in this agreement that we will sign upon your arrival. Please note that prior to work in the laboratory, you will proceed through a two-week onboarding process in which you complete institution and lab-specific safety training, as well as instrument training. You will not be able to work in the lab until you have been signed off on this onboarding. For both safety and science reasons, we work normal or close-to-normal business hours (i.e., within the hours of 8 am – 6 pm) in the lab and field. Work outside of these hours must be approved.
More specific expectations are outlined in this agreement that we will sign upon your arrival. Please note that prior to work in the laboratory, you will proceed through a two-week onboarding process in which you complete institution and lab-specific safety training, as well as instrument training. You will not be able to work in the lab until you have been signed off on this onboarding. For both safety and science reasons, we work normal or close-to-normal business hours (i.e., within the hours of 8 am – 6 pm) in the lab and field. Work outside of these hours must be approved.
Diversity
We recognize the value of diversity on project teams. Diversity fosters different kinds of inquiry and approaches to problem solving, generating innovations that have the power to solve some of the most pressing challenges facing our society today. The link between demographic diversity and innovation is well founded; yet, the novel contributions by individuals from diverse demographic groups are devalued and discounted, in part from the lack of underrepresented groups in certain career roles. Increasing diversity and inclusion is a complex, multifaceted aim that we believe needs to be addressed honestly and openly and as our team evolves. The Corcoran Lab commits to:
● making the lab a trusting place to have complex and sometimes difficult conversations about diversity and inclusion
● to implement education on unconscious bias
● take specific actions to promote diversity and equity on our teams, including multidimensional mentoring
We welcome all members regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, orientation, age, or belief -- and we work to provide opportunities to those from groups that have historically been excluded.
● making the lab a trusting place to have complex and sometimes difficult conversations about diversity and inclusion
● to implement education on unconscious bias
● take specific actions to promote diversity and equity on our teams, including multidimensional mentoring
We welcome all members regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, orientation, age, or belief -- and we work to provide opportunities to those from groups that have historically been excluded.