Let's build something together!

I am starting a brand new lab at UCR in southern California and am currently recruiting 1-2 graduate students for the fall 2025. See below for more information on how to join the lab.

Graduate Students:

I am interested in creative and motivated individuals joining our group to pursue Ph.D. research at UCR. The Catano Lab seeks to build linkages between basic ecology and its applications to solve pressing environmental issues at the interface of ecology, global change biology, and biodiversity conservation. Look at some of the lab’s recent publications and research projects to gain a sense of the sort of research we do. A good match in general research interests is important, though I do not require nor expect students to work on the same questions or systems as me (but of course they can if they are interested!). The lab is a collective of us all and I believe diverse perspectives and ideas enrich all of us. My primary objectives are to help you define your goals and create a plan that best positions you to be successful in graduate school and prepare for the career that most interests you. I believe in a flexible mentorship approach that centers you to be in control and respects the approach that works best for you. I will provide advice, encouragement, and a respectful collaborative environment for each student to develop their research questions, build a professional network, develop important skillsets, and gain important experience to lay the foundation for their careers in ecology.

If you are interested, send me an email (ccatano[@]ucr.edu) describing why you are interested in my lab specifically and UCR generally, what research questions are you most excited to pursue, why you want a PhD and how you see it helping you reach your career goals, and anything else you think is relevant about your background. Also, please provide a copy of your CV.

I can accept students through either the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences or the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. To determine which might be a better fit for you, please see each department's information about their graduate programs and details for how to apply.

Postdocs:

Individuals interested in conducting postdoctoral research with the Catano Lab should either apply to advertised positions (posted here and on ECOLOG). I am always happy to work with individuals to develop a proposal if they are interested in pursuing their own funding (e.g. Smith Fellows Program, USDA AFRI Postdoctoral Fellowship, NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology). In this case please email me with a copy of your CV and a brief summary of a research proposal). Please see this database of other postdoc fellowships in biology.

Undergraduate Students:

UCR undergraduates interested in gaining experience in ecology should contact my via email to discuss opportunities. There are two general ways to become involved: 1) By conducting undergraduate research or 2) by becoming a research technician in the Catano Lab. During the academic year, technician opportunities might include various laboratory and data processing tasks, whereas during summer months, work will likely be in assisting with field data collection at research sites. Note, the lab does not provide volunteer opportunities because they create inequitable opportunities across individuals of differing socioeconomic status; all work in the lab is either paid or for course credit.