Join us!

I’m not actively recruiting students right now.  I lead a small and mighty team of agroecologists, and bring new folks on-board sparingly. However, when I meet prospective students with the combination of ambition, independence, courage, skill, intellect, and stamina necessary for participatory research with farmers, I will be excited to guide them (as a primary advisor or co-advisor) on regenerative agriculture-focused projects.  When I commit to mentorship, I make big investments in students’ intellectual and professional development to ensure they are legitimately prepared to thrive independently in research, education and extension careers, and are ready to face the grand challenges and “wicked” problems at our horizon, brought on by global change. I have high expectations for students based on a global standard of excellence in my field, and I recruit students who are ready to embrace a challenge, accept primary responsibility for their projects, work independently, employ problem solving skills, and practice critical thinking.  If you aren’t yet ready for the responsibility of graduate school, I am happy to work with interested students in an assistant/technician role to help them gain the confidence and experience they need.

If this hasn’t scared you off, I’m always on the lookout for exceptional students & postdocs as they make themselves known. If you love agricultural biodiversity, weed ecology, cover crops, organic fertility, and/or biological pest control, let’s chat!  I’m happy to help prospective students develop NSF or USDA fellowship proposals to support exciting research.

Please email me at blubaugh@illinois.edu with a CV and describe your interest,  experience and knowledge of sustainable agriculture and insect ecology. I require previous experience with research and field work in graduate school candidates (field work in crop systems is not for the faint of heart!), and strongly recommend working on a farm before applying for graduate school in agroecology. Check out Good Food Jobs for numerous opportunities for seasonal farm employment, or consider joining our team as a summer field assistant!