5  Recruitment

Welcome to the Quantitative Marine Ecology Lab at UNH!

Please explore this lab manual and the lab website. If you are still interested in joining the lab, read details below submit an interest form.

5.1 All members

All lab members must:

  • Be decent human beings (we don’t work with jerks)
  • Have an interest in ecological systems and using quantitative tools (e.g., mathematical models, statistics, R)
  • Want to change the world

Members of the lab are strongly committed to anti-racist practices, real diversity and inclusion efforts, and moving science beyond the ivory tower. One of my main commitments as a faculty member is promoting and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM. Please consider applying for a position in my lab if you are a first-generation college student, a student from a low-income background, a member of a racial or ethnic minority group, if you identify as a woman or as LGBTQ+, and/or if you have a disability.

5.2 Undergraduate students

We are not currently actively recruiting undergraduate students. However, you can still put in a general inquiry below.

The lab often has openings for undergraduate students to contribute to projects or design a project for an undergraduate thesis/research experience. All students are paid or receive course credits. These projects are typically co-designed by the student, QMEL graduate students, and Professor Easton White. The undergraduate researcher role in the lab is more detailed in the lab handbook.

We take applications at any time, but interns typically start in January, June, or August. There are UNH student specific opportunities, but we also have openings for non-UNH students and recent graduates. The students most likely to be accepted for a position are those with a keen interest in developing quantitative skills in the context of marine systems.

If you are interested in joining the lab, head to link to complete an interest survey and send a brief email to qmel.admin@unh.edu.

5.3 Graduate students

I am accepting applications for 2027. I will not be accepting new students in 2028.

5.3.1 Priority recruitment (PhD in quantitative ecology)

See below for positions more generally. The priority for graduate student recruitment is for a PhD student to start in 2027. This position is part of NSF’s new industry-university partnership program. Fellows will work collaboratively with QMEL and Coastal Measures Inc. to build and deploy affordable, scalable environmental sensors enhanced by AI/ML pipelines for quality assurance, quality control (QA/QC), and trend detection. Research will have direct applications for coastal resource managers, aquaculture operators, fisheries agencies, and government stakeholders, with the potential to scale from local to national deployment.

5.3.1.1 Research Areas

Research areas may include:

  • Software development for environmental sensor systems and data pipelines
  • AI/ML for environmental data QA/QC and trend assessment
  • Shellfish aquaculture and fisheries monitoring (including the use of shellfish as biosensors of water quality)
  • Water quality sensing, calibration, and assessment
  • Coastal habitat restoration tracking
  • Field deployment, testing, and commercialization of sensor technologies
  • Environmental data science and quantitative ecology

5.3.1.2 Qualifications

We are seeking motivated, collaborative, and technically skilled individuals. A background in software engineering or strong computational skills are required, as fellows will be developing software tools and data pipelines in direct collaboration with Coastal Measures Inc.

5.3.1.2.1 Required
  • Bachelor’s in computer science, software engineering, data science, marine science, environmental science, applied mathematics, ocean engineering, or a closely related field
  • Strong programming skills (e.g., Python, R, or similar) and experience with software development
  • Interest in environmental monitoring, ecological data, or coastal systems
  • Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident (NSF program requirement)
  • Must be in the first (starting in Fall 2027) or second year (started in Fall 2026) of doctoral study at time of program entry

5.3.1.3 Preferred

  • Master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, data science, marine science, environmental science, applied mathematics, ocean engineering, or a closely related field
  • Experience with machine learning, AI, or data pipeline development
  • Familiarity with sensor systems, embedded systems, or IoT technologies
  • Interest in or experience with field-based coastal or marine research
  • Strong written and oral communication skills and ability to work across disciplinary and organizational boundaries

5.3.2 Grad positions more broadly

Upcoming funding is focused on the following projects:

  1. mathematical modeling of aquaculture,
  2. decision science and time series analysis related to how to optimize ecological monitoring programs, and
  3. how biologists learn quantitative skills (student would be co-advised with Dr. Melissa Aikens).

Topic (3) would be for a PhD student (who already has a MS) and would involve a dissertation split between biology education research and an ecological topic.

For all positions, applicants would be expected to have a strong data science or mathematical modeling background. Applicants that will be the most competitive for a position will have experience (and willingness to learn more) with R and quantitative skills (e.g., mathematical modeling, statistics). After completing this, head to this link to complete an interest survey and send a brief email to qmel.admin@unh.edu. It is important to emphasize why you are interested in working in my lab specifically. I am also open to chatting about the topics above or potential projects related to other areas of my research program.

Our lab handbook is a living document and lays out expectations of lab members.

I can accept students through UNH’s Biological Sciences MS and PhD programs. There are specific programs in Integrative Biology (IB) and Marine Biology (MB). The priority deadline for Fall admission is January 15th each year. Although less common, I can also accept student through the Oceanography, Natural Resources & Earth Systems Science, and Integrated Applied Mathematics programs at UNH. If you are interested in working with me, I strongly recommended that you reach out to me before applying for graduate study. Graduate work is typically funded through a combination of fellowships, research positions, and teaching assistantships. For students starting in Fall 2025, the minimum yearly salary is $31,520 per year (including summer). The salary increases each year and is higher if you already have a MS degree. Health insurance and tuition are also covered by the lab/university. When we make an offer to a graduate student, their funding is described in detail in an offer letter.

I encourage my own students and applicants to apply for various grants and fellowships. I can help applicants apply for these opportunities.

The curriculum in the biology graduate programs is flexible. Graduate students work with their advisor and committee to choose a set of courses. In my lab, it is common for students to take a mix of the following courses in their first two years (see below for a couple of examples). All incoming students take BIOL 901: Introductory Graduate Seminar. BIOL 901 is designed for you to build community within your cohort and learn about UNH.

  • BIOL 806: Data Science with R for the Life Sciences
  • BIOL 895: Theoretical Ecology
  • OE 895: Marine Ecosystem Modeling
  • NR 807: Environmental Modeling
  • BIOL 902: Scientific Writing
  • NR 905: Grant Writing
  • NR 909: Multivariate Statistics
  • NR 913: Hierarchical modeling and Bayesian Statistics
  • ANFS 933: Design, Analysis, and Interpretation of Experiments

Depending on your specific interests, I might not be the best advisor for you at UNH. You may also want to reach out to others in the Biology Department or within the College of Life Science And Agriculture.

5.4 Postdoctoral fellows

5.4.1 Environmental monitoring postdoc (currently filled, may advertise another position in 2027)

This position (1-3 years) is funded by a NSF grant focused on the optimal design of long-term monitoring programs. Head to link for the official application and send a brief email to qmel.admin@unh.edu. Preference for in-person or hybrid postdoc. Open to considering remote candidates for this or part-time roles.

Preferred qualifications include:

  • Experience working with databases of time series (e.g., eBird, BioTime)
  • Strong statistical (using R) and/or mathematical modeling experience
  • Expertise in decision science
  • Experience teaching or facilitating workshops in data science and programming
  • Experience or background in mentoring students

5.4.2 Other possibilities

I am also open to collaboratively working on proposals to help fund independent postdoctoral fellow positions through several different programs. Head to link to complete an interest survey and send a brief email to qmel.admin@unh.edu to discuss ideas.

5.5 Research scientist/project manager

5.5.1 Position Overview

The White Lab and Jellison Lab at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) are seeking a motivated and skilled Research Technician / Project Manager to support a NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy-funded project focused on developing and deploying a network of oyster biosensors to improve aquaculture yield and food safety in the Gulf of Maine. The position is a two-year, grant-funded role beginning in Fall 2026, working under the primary guidance of PI Dr. Easton White and co-PI Dr. Brittany Jellison.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the intersection of marine ecology, aquaculture technology, and data science, contributing to cutting-edge research with direct real-world impact for oyster farmers and coastal managers in New England.

Official position to be posted soon. In the meantime, head to link to complete an interest survey and send a brief email to qmel.admin@unh.edu with a cover letter and CV indicating your interest in the position.

5.5.2 About the Project

Shellfish aquaculture is a rapidly growing industry in New Hampshire and the broader Gulf of Maine region, contributing over $4.6 million in economic benefits to New Hampshire alone. However, increasing environmental stressors — including warming waters, heatwaves, hypoxia, and disease — threaten the health and productivity of farmed oysters. This project will build and deploy a network of high-frequency, non-invasive (HFNI) biosensors that use oyster valve gaping behavior as a real-time indicator of animal health and environmental stress.

5.5.2.1 The project has three core objectives:

  1. Build a field-ready network of oyster biosensors using Arduino microcontrollers, Hall effect sensors, LoRa radio modules, and solar-powered buoys.
  2. Conduct controlled laboratory experiments at the UNH Coastal Marine Lab (CML) in Rye, NH to link gaping behavior with oyster stress responses and health outcomes under various stressor scenarios (e.g., temperature extremes, handling stress, acidification).
  3. Deploy and test the biosensor network at two active oyster farms in the Gulf of Maine (Little Bay, NH and Casco Bay, ME), providing farmers with daily health check-ins and live-streamed data.

5.5.3 Key Responsibilities

  • Assist in the construction, testing, and maintenance of oyster biosensor units (electronics, solar panels, waterproof housing, and data transmission systems).
  • Lead and assist with controlled laboratory experiments at UNH CML, including oyster husbandry, experimental setup, and physiological assays (enzyme activity, antioxidant assays, condition index, oxygen consumption).
  • Conduct field deployments of biosensor units at partner oyster farms; collect, manage, and quality-control large streams of sensor data.
  • Assist with statistical analysis of biosensor and environmental data, including generalized linear models and time-series analysis.
  • Coordinate project logistics, timelines, and communication among team members, partner farmers, and collaborating organizations.
  • Mentor undergraduate interns, including students from the Minorities in Aquaculture (MIA) program.
  • Contribute to the preparation of peer-reviewed manuscripts, technical reports, and open-source code and data products.
  • Represent the project at outreach events, including NH Shellfish Alliance monthly meetings and the annual New Hampshire Oyster Week.
  • Assist with project reporting to NOAA and other stakeholders.

5.5.4 Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in marine science, biology, environmental science, engineering, or a closely related field (Master’s degree preferred).
  • Experience with field and/or laboratory research in marine or aquatic systems.
  • Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple tasks and personnel simultaneously.
  • Ability and willingness to conduct fieldwork in coastal marine environments, including work on boats and in variable weather conditions.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.

5.5.5 Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with electronics, Arduino microcontrollers, or similar embedded systems.
  • Familiarity with bivalve biology, aquaculture, or shellfish physiology.
  • Experience with data analysis in R, Python, or similar programming environments.
  • Experience with physiological assays (e.g., enzyme activity, condition index measurements).
  • Experience mentoring undergraduate students or working in a team research environment.
  • Familiarity with open-source data and code practices.

5.6 Other positions at UNH

Additional staff and faculty positions at UNH are posted to an online job platform.