Wilson Lab @ Kearney Ag. Center

Interested in Research and Extension Opportunities?

WE ARE HIRING LAB ASSISTANTS FOR 2024!! Click here to learn more!

Our lab has many project opportunities and we're always in search of new grad students (M.S./Ph.D) and postdocs. Below I've provided some info on the lab, my approach to academic mentorship and expectations for all parties involved. If this doesn't entirely scare you away :) and you're still interested in pursuing an M.S., Ph.D. or postdoc opportunity with our group, then feel free to reach out to me with a CV and brief statement of interest. You can reach me at: houston.wilson@ucr.edu

• Overview of the Wilson Lab

  Our grad students and postdocs hail from a range of academic backgrounds and have projects that cover topics from the molecular to the landscape-scale. We're an agroecology lab that tends to do applied entomology research/extension in orchards/vineyards. Our current projects focus on topics that include biological control, landscape ecology, organic agriculture, gut-content analysis, mating disruption, insect movement and dispersal, plant-insect interactions, sterile insect technique, cover crops and hedgerows, and decision-making for area-wide integrated pest management. Our focal crops currently include almonds, pistachios, walnuts, wine grapes, figs, olives and cannabis/hemp. We should also start work in stone fruit soon.

  Note that our lab is based off-campus at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, so the lab group is mostly based out of Fresno, CA. Due to these logistics, my M.S. students typically earn their degree through CSU Fresno, while my Ph.D. students will of course earn their degree through UC Riverside. For Ph.D. students, the typical plan requires 2 years on the UC Riverside campus to complete coursework and qualifying exams, at which point you can then relocate to the Central Valley to conduct your field work with us.

• My Approach to Mentorship

  So, you want to be an applied agricultural extension entomologist in the Wilson Lab? Choosing the right academic program and advisor is critical to your success as an academic. What do you want to do with your life? Where do you want to go with your career? What sort of training/experience is necessary and who are the best people to help you to achieve these goals? These are the sort of questions I ask all incoming academics to consider when discussing opportunities to work in our lab, and knowing the answers requires a lot of self-awareness on your part. Speaking of self-awareness, I’ll acknowledge up front that everyone has a unique style of mentorship, so regardless of how closely my focal organisms/systems/questions align with your interests, it’s important that we mutually agree on how to go about this process together.

  Graduate students and postdocs are all “scientists in training” that require guidance and mentorship (faculty are too, see below). I take my role as advisor/mentor seriously and ask that all students/postdocs do the same. Like any relationship, the student/PI relationship is one that takes time to develop, evolves over time, and requires consistent, earnest and genuine effort from both parties. It is not always an easy process, but if done well can be incredibly rewarding – and fun – for both parties. Through our work together, my goal is to develop you into a mature scientist, and ultimately a colleague to continue collaborating with once you land your dream job. I emphasize that this is a two-way process, and in what follows I hope to outline some of the key tenets of how I approach academic mentorship.

  Being a scientist entails so much more than just designing experiments, collecting/analyzing data and reporting results. Sure, scientific skills and a deep understanding of the literature and theory are critical, but science also has to do with relationships, social awareness, public service, fundraising, budgeting, writing, logistics, politics, and people management. Being a brilliant entomologist, running an efficient research laboratory and effectively communicating science to the public all require very different and unique skillsets.

  Keep this in mind as you go about your training and seek out mentorship opportunities. I’m not claiming to be anywhere close to perfect in any of these areas, but simply pointing out the range of features that I think are required for a scientist to be successful. I’m constantly striving to improve my abilities in all of these areas, even after many years of “being a scientist”. On some level, you’re forever in training, and that requires some humility.

• Why Are You Doing This? What Motivates You?

  I expect all grad students and postdocs to be excited, engaged, passionate and motivated by their field of study, as well as take ownership of their thesis/dissertation/postdoctoral project. Everyone needs to have an idea about why they are pursuing this degree/postdoc and have some notion of their end-goal. I’m always happy to discuss your career path with you, and will likely bring it up in our very first meetings. Remember, you are choosing to be here, so I expect you to be proactive throughout this process and lead more than follow.

  Your motivation for study will of course likely be related to where you want to end up once you receive your graduate degree or complete your postdoc. I’m probably best equipped to mentor you about career opportunities in academia, extension and an applied agricultural setting -- not that other careers out of my lab aren’t possible though. Working in this lab will most effectively position you to work in agricultural research and extension.

• If You're Interested, Then Don’t Hold Back – Go For It!!

  Academia is by no means a regular job. It is low paying, the hours are insane, much of it you spend working alone, and it feels like whenever you pop your head out to share your data/ideas you’re inherently under heavy scrutiny from other scientists, many of whom are competing with you for faculty jobs. The upside is that many of your mentors are aware of this and want to help you navigate this process. We’re like coaches who can guide an athlete towards success, but can only do so if the player is willing and able to put in A LOT of time and hard work. There are mechanisms to motivate you, but they are useless if you are not first motivated within, and willing to persevere to achieve your goals.

• How to "Go For It" – My Expectations for You
  Become an Expert 

  This means being an expert not only in the specific thing you’re studying about your target organism in a single crop, but the broader ecology, geography, behavior, and systematics of your focal organism. This also extends to the cropping system(s) that you’re working in. Know how these systems operate agronomically and economically. Growers and scientists alike don’t just think about one dimension of a single insect problem, and neither should you. This means not only reading A LOT of literature, but also staying current as new studies are published.

   

  Work Hard/Efficiently

  This is obvious but needs to be clarified a bit. Academia is not a regular 9-5 job, but rather a labor of love that requires the utmost dedication and enthusiasm. There will be many long days and long weeks that demand you go the extra mile to collect that last set of samples before the field season ends, meet a grant deadline, or finalize your slides the night before a big talk. In some cases this does simply require some degree of brute force to power through, but also the awareness that becoming a good scientist means learning to prioritize and be efficient with your time.

   

  Manage Priorities, Be Organized

  Academia requires a lot of autonomy, logistical planning, proactive behavior and most of all self-control. You are inevitably responsible for your own success, and project management begins with managing yourself and your time. One major dimension of this is personal organization – that means developing systematic ways of taking notes, organizing references, tracking deadlines, using a calendar, prioritizing research, writing, email and other tasks. Your methods will likely change over time as you find what works best for you. These habits help you to catch approaching problems earlier, and in that way become a more proactive scholar and project manager.

   

  Situational Awareness

  You need to understand the broader context around your area of study. As applied researchers in Cooperative Extension we simultaneously operate in multiple realms of the world and regularly liaison amongst scientists, regulators, growers and the broader public. We are boundary-spanning intermediaries. I expect you to strive to understand the perspectives and interests of all these parties, and be able to speak fluently about your work with all of these groups. 

   

  Humility and Accountability

  You will never know everything, it is simply impossible, and many times you will be wrong (as will I). Mistakes are part of the training process, and I expect you to make them. In these moments, I try to provide constructive criticism and clarity. You must be willing to trust in my advice and take my feedback seriously. These are teachable moments rather than opportunities to berate you or make you feel inadequate.

   

  Grasp Historical Context

  Science is inherently an incremental process and we're constantly building upon the work of others. As such, it is critical that you approach your project with humility and work to understand the contributions of those that came before you. 

   

  Regularly Communicate

  This means not only providing me with regular updates on your work, but also letting me know when you need help. My preference is regularly scheduled weekly meetings with all grad students and postdocs. During these meetings, please arrive prepared with an agenda for updates and questions you’d like me to weigh in on. As we go through the meeting and I provide input, make sure to take notes and leave with a “to do” list for our next steps. These type of meetings should be led by you, not me.

   

  Build Relationships

  Collaboration is one of the keys to scientific success. This allows you to learn from others and forge partnerships for interesting projects. Consider reaching out to others in your field to learn about their work, attend their talks at conferences and regional meetings, and interact with them during social hours. This is especially important with fellow students and early career scientists. Classes, graduate seminars, and scientific conferences are all an opportunity to build relationships with your peers around the University and around the country – you’ll likely find that you keep running into these people down the road. In some instances, these relations can be the basis for multi-state collaborative projects once you both become PIs with your own amazing labs.
• Helping You Achieve Your Goals – My Commitment to You
  Clarity of Expectations, Communication, and Availability 

  As much as possible I try to operate from a position of transparency with my lab team. I expect a lot of grad students/postdocs, but also strive to ensure that what I am asking of them is fair, that it is communicated clearly and in a timely manner, and that they have the necessary resources to achieve what I am asking of them. Communication is paramount in this process, and the foundation of healthy mentorship, and so I make myself available to grad students and postdocs as much as needed.

   

  Respect, Autonomy, Space to Learn

  There is some continuum between “total control” and “total autonomy” of PIs over their grad students and postdocs – and the best is somewhere in between. My approach generally is to “hold on loosely”, although I’ll probably “hold on a bit tighter” in the first year of our work together as I get to know you, assess your strengths/weaknesses and determine the best ways to mentor you. In this mentorship process, I will always approach you with the respect deserved of a serious young scholar, and provide you with the necessary space to develop your ideas and grow as a scientist.

   

  Support and Promotion

  As the hard work of grad students and postdocs begins to bear fruit, I try to provide opportunities for them to share their work and gain exposure in the scientific community, as well as with other relevant stakeholders. This does not simply mean paying their fees to give a talk at the Annual ESA Meeting, but rather facilitating access to unique opportunities, such as speaking with the media, participating in faculty or industry events, and co-authoring articles for popular press.