Thank you for your interest in joining our research group!
Opportunities for undergraduate students: We typically hire 2 students to work on campus during the winter terms through the Work Learn program and 2-3 students during summer to work either on campus (UBC students only) or on Vancouver Island living near our field site. For opportunities for May - August 2026, please reach out in January - we anticipate having at least one full-time opportunity to assist with field research. Send an email that includes a short statement about why you are interested, what skills you would bring and those you want to learn, and attach an unofficial transcript and your CV.
Opportunities for graduate students: I am looking for 1 MSc and 1 - 2 PhD students to join our group in 2026. I am looking for graduate students who are curious about population and community ecology, with at least some relevant undergraduate coursework and/or research experience. Specifically, for MSc students, there is an opportunity to lead a project in the Coast Range mountains investigating how trampling from hikers affects the plant community (led by Dr. Nina Hewitt, and co-supervised by the Williams lab). PhD students will have more flexibility in project development, with the goal of one student leading a project on Vancouver Island, and a second leading a project exploring range expansion of invasive plants into higher elevations in the Coast Range and/or Interior mountains. In the Garry oak ecosystem, we have a 10-year (and counting) dataset on demography and community composition that can be harnessed in combination with experiments and/or further data collection. For the mountain invasion project, we have scouted a suite of candidate species and potential field sites, with much opportunity to develop the scope and particular questions of the project.
Students in the group will develop strong quantitative skills (statistical and/or modeling) and do reproducible research. Prospective students should be in interested in becoming more quantitative, and we will help them get there. Prospective students have experience identifying plants, an introduction to R and statistics course, and a valid driver’s license. For students who wish to work in the mountains, backcountry hiking and camping experience is advised, and the ability to carry a backpack.
The Williams Lab is committed to creating a safe and supportive lab environment. Our group interacts with a diverse group of geographers interested in the environment, and with ecologists and evolutionary biologists from across UBC, who are brought together by the Biodiversity Research Centre for classes, seminars and discussion groups. We have ties with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Metro Vancouver, and land managers at native prairie sites across the Pacific Northwest.
Applications for MSc students are due December 15 and for Ph.D. students on January 10. Curious if you might fit into the group? Send an email ([email protected]) telling a little about your research interests. Already know you’d like to be considered? Please fill out this webform. We will begin reviewing responses in mid to late October. For questions about the MSc position, email [email protected] and you can read more about the alpine trampling project here.
A note about funding: All graduate students admitted to Geography are guaranteed a stable income ($28,000 - $35,000/year depending on degree program and fellowships) that comes from a combination of teaching assistantships and UBC fellowships. I am happy to assist Canadian students with their NSERC fellowship applications.
Opportunities for postdocs: I am happy to work with prospective postdocs to apply for funding through the UBC Killam Fellowship, NSERC postdoc fellowship, or other opportunities available to you through your home country.
Opportunities for undergraduate students: We typically hire 2 students to work on campus during the winter terms through the Work Learn program and 2-3 students during summer to work either on campus (UBC students only) or on Vancouver Island living near our field site. For opportunities for May - August 2026, please reach out in January - we anticipate having at least one full-time opportunity to assist with field research. Send an email that includes a short statement about why you are interested, what skills you would bring and those you want to learn, and attach an unofficial transcript and your CV.
Opportunities for graduate students: I am looking for 1 MSc and 1 - 2 PhD students to join our group in 2026. I am looking for graduate students who are curious about population and community ecology, with at least some relevant undergraduate coursework and/or research experience. Specifically, for MSc students, there is an opportunity to lead a project in the Coast Range mountains investigating how trampling from hikers affects the plant community (led by Dr. Nina Hewitt, and co-supervised by the Williams lab). PhD students will have more flexibility in project development, with the goal of one student leading a project on Vancouver Island, and a second leading a project exploring range expansion of invasive plants into higher elevations in the Coast Range and/or Interior mountains. In the Garry oak ecosystem, we have a 10-year (and counting) dataset on demography and community composition that can be harnessed in combination with experiments and/or further data collection. For the mountain invasion project, we have scouted a suite of candidate species and potential field sites, with much opportunity to develop the scope and particular questions of the project.
Students in the group will develop strong quantitative skills (statistical and/or modeling) and do reproducible research. Prospective students should be in interested in becoming more quantitative, and we will help them get there. Prospective students have experience identifying plants, an introduction to R and statistics course, and a valid driver’s license. For students who wish to work in the mountains, backcountry hiking and camping experience is advised, and the ability to carry a backpack.
The Williams Lab is committed to creating a safe and supportive lab environment. Our group interacts with a diverse group of geographers interested in the environment, and with ecologists and evolutionary biologists from across UBC, who are brought together by the Biodiversity Research Centre for classes, seminars and discussion groups. We have ties with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Metro Vancouver, and land managers at native prairie sites across the Pacific Northwest.
Applications for MSc students are due December 15 and for Ph.D. students on January 10. Curious if you might fit into the group? Send an email ([email protected]) telling a little about your research interests. Already know you’d like to be considered? Please fill out this webform. We will begin reviewing responses in mid to late October. For questions about the MSc position, email [email protected] and you can read more about the alpine trampling project here.
A note about funding: All graduate students admitted to Geography are guaranteed a stable income ($28,000 - $35,000/year depending on degree program and fellowships) that comes from a combination of teaching assistantships and UBC fellowships. I am happy to assist Canadian students with their NSERC fellowship applications.
Opportunities for postdocs: I am happy to work with prospective postdocs to apply for funding through the UBC Killam Fellowship, NSERC postdoc fellowship, or other opportunities available to you through your home country.
