Join the SPEC Lab
The Spatial Ecology and Conservation (SPEC) Lab at the University of Florida welcomes inquiries from prospective graduate students, undergraduates, visiting scholars, and research collaborators.
Our research combines fieldwork, remote sensing, geographic information systems, spatial data science, ecological monitoring, and social-science methods. Topics include forest ecology, biodiversity, conservation, land-use change, ecosystem services, sustainable tourism, water quality, soundscapes, canopy biology, plant phenology, and coupled human–environment systems.
Opportunities depend on research fit, faculty availability, project needs, and funding.
Research Fit
The SPEC Lab may be a good fit if you are interested in:
- Spatial ecology and conservation science
- Forest ecology, biodiversity, carbon, biomass, and ecosystem structure
- Remote sensing using satellites, aircraft, uncrewed aerial systems, terrestrial sensors, LiDAR, or spectral imagery
- GIS, spatial analysis, ecological modeling, and data science
- Land-use and land-cover change
- Nature-based tourism and human–environment interactions
- Community-engaged and interdisciplinary conservation research
- Open, reproducible, and collaborative science
Applicants do not need experience in every area. We value intellectual curiosity, reliability, careful research practices, constructive collaboration, and a clear connection between the applicant’s interests and the lab’s work.
Before contacting us, please review the SPEC Lab website, current projects, and the publications of the faculty member whose work most closely matches your interests.
Graduate Degree Pathways
SPEC Lab graduate students may enroll through several UF programs:
- Forest Resources and Conservation: Research-oriented M.S. and Ph.D. study through the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences. Geomatics is available as a concentration within Forest Resources and Conservation.
https://gradcatalog.ufl.edu/graduate/colleges-departments/agricultural-life-sciences/forest-resources-conservation/forest-resources-conservation/
- **Interdisciplinary Ecology:** M.S. and Ph.D. study through the School of Natural Resources and Environment for research crossing ecological, social, sustainability, and data-science fields.
https://snre.ifas.ufl.edu/
- **Master of Arts in Latin American Studies:** Interdisciplinary master’s study for research with a substantial Latin American, Latinx, or Caribbean focus.
https://www.latam.ufl.edu/academics/graduate-programs/malas/
- Master of Sustainable Development Practice: Interdisciplinary professional training integrating environmental, social, health, management, and field-based approaches.
https://mdp.africa.ufl.edu/prospective-students/
The appropriate program depends on the student’s research questions, academic preparation, methods, and professional goals. Admission to a UF program does not automatically guarantee SPEC Lab membership, a particular advisor, or financial support.
Contact Us Before Applying
Prospective graduate students should contact Eben Broadbent and/or Angélica Almeyda Zambrano before submitting a formal application. Early contact allows us to discuss research fit, advising availability, possible projects, degree pathways, and funding.
A useful subject line is:
Prospective [M.S./Ph.D./MALAS/MDP] student — [research topic] — [entry term and year]**
Please include:
- The degree and UF program you are considering
- Your proposed entry term
- A concise description of your research interests
- Why your interests fit the SPEC Lab
- Relevant academic, professional, field, or technical experience
- Skills you have and skills you hope to develop
- One or two preliminary research ideas, if available
- Whether you require assistantship or fellowship support
- An up-to-date CV or résumé
Please keep the initial message concise. Do not send transcripts, recommendation letters, identification documents, or test scores unless requested. Formal application materials should be submitted through UF’s official systems.
An encouraging preliminary response does not constitute an offer of admission, advising, employment, or funding. Official commitments are made only through the appropriate UF processes and written documents.
Applying to UF
Admissions requirements, deadlines, English-language requirements, standardized-testing policies, and required materials vary by program and may change. Applicants should use the current official UF pages:
UF Graduate Admissions
https://gradcatalog.ufl.edu/graduate/admission/
UF Graduate Application
https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate/
International Applicants
https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate/international/
Applicants must meet the requirements of both the UF Graduate School and their selected academic program. Official UF and program information controls if it differs from information on this page.
Funding and Assistantships
Graduate funding is limited and competitive. It may include research or teaching assistantships, UF fellowships, external fellowships, project support, and fieldwork or travel awards. Admission to UF or participation in the SPEC Lab does not guarantee funding.
Applicants requiring support should state this in their initial inquiry and contact us as early as possible. Students are encouraged to pursue appropriate internal and external fellowships with guidance from their advisor.
Assistantship offers should be confirmed in writing and should identify compensation, duration, expected effort, responsibilities, and applicable conditions. Assistantship duties and degree research may overlap when appropriate, but their relationship should be discussed clearly. Students should not make enrollment or financial decisions based on support that has not been confirmed in writing.
Mentoring and Student Expectations
Mentoring is collaborative and adapted to each student’s program, research needs, funding, and career goals. Students and advisors establish a research plan, semester milestones, a meeting schedule, and expectations for communication, data management, publications, conferences, and professional development.
Research meetings are commonly held weekly during active project phases. Students should provide brief progress updates and arrive prepared to discuss accomplishments, obstacles, decisions, and next steps.
Advisors provide guidance on research design, methods, analysis, writing, funding, professional networking, and career development. Students are expected to:
- Communicate professionally and respectfully
- Follow research, safety, ethics, and data-management requirements
- Maintain accurate and organized research records
- Make steady progress on agreed milestones
- Raise problems early enough for them to be addressed
- Contribute constructively to collaborative projects
- Credit contributors, communities, institutions, partners, and funders appropriately
- Meet the requirements of their degree program and any assistantship appointment
Semester reviews focus on accomplishments, challenges, professional development, and plans for the following semester.
Publication and Presentation Expectations
Scientific publication is a central part of graduate training in the SPEC Lab. The publication expectations are:
- M.S. students: 1 peer-reviewed manuscripts
- Ph.D. students: 3 peer-reviewed manuscripts
These manuscripts should normally be based on the student’s thesis or dissertation research or closely related work that advances the student’s research and professional development. Students are expected to complete and submit the applicable number of manuscripts to appropriate peer-reviewed journals before graduation.
Journal review schedules are outside a student’s control. Acceptance or final publication before graduation is therefore encouraged but is not required by the SPEC Lab.
These are SPEC Lab mentoring and professional-development expectations. They do not replace formal degree requirements established by UF, the student’s academic program, or the supervisory committee. Necessary adjustments resulting from the research, degree timeline, funding, field conditions, personal circumstances, or professional goals will be discussed and documented with the advisor.
Authorship and author order will reflect scholarly contributions and applicable disciplinary and journal standards. Contributor roles should be discussed early and revisited as responsibilities change.
Students are also expected to present appropriate work at lab meetings, seminars, workshops, and conferences. Collaborative materials should be reviewed by the relevant coauthors or project leads before submission and should acknowledge contributors, institutions, permits, partners, and funding sources.
Undergraduate Research
UF undergraduates from any relevant major may contact the lab about research opportunities. Activities may include fieldwork, literature review, geospatial analysis, image interpretation, ecological monitoring, data organization, programming, visualization, or scientific communication.
Please include your major and year, the topic or project that interests you, relevant experience, skills you wish to develop, weekly availability, anticipated length of participation, whether you seek credit or paid work, and a current résumé or CV.
Students are not expected to begin with advanced research experience. Reliability, careful work, communication, and sustained interest are particularly valuable. Paid, volunteer, and credit-bearing positions depend on availability and must be confirmed before work begins.
UF’s Center for Undergraduate Research provides guidance on research opportunities, academic credit, scholarships, presentations, and professional development:
https://cur.aa.ufl.edu/find-research/
Research Environment and Contact
The SPEC Lab expects professional and respectful conduct in research, teaching, fieldwork, travel, online communication, and collaboration. UF’s nondiscrimination policy is available at:
https://policy.ufl.edu/regulation/1-006/
Students who experience disability-related barriers may contact the UF Disability Resource Center:
https://disability.ufl.edu/
Applicants do not need to disclose private medical or disability information in an initial inquiry.
The Spatial Ecology and Conservation (SPEC) Lab at the University of Florida welcomes inquiries from prospective graduate students, undergraduates, visiting scholars, and research collaborators.
Our research combines fieldwork, remote sensing, geographic information systems, spatial data science, ecological monitoring, and social-science methods. Topics include forest ecology, biodiversity, conservation, land-use change, ecosystem services, sustainable tourism, water quality, soundscapes, canopy biology, plant phenology, and coupled human–environment systems.
Opportunities depend on research fit, faculty availability, project needs, and funding.
Research Fit
The SPEC Lab may be a good fit if you are interested in:
- Spatial ecology and conservation science
- Forest ecology, biodiversity, carbon, biomass, and ecosystem structure
- Remote sensing using satellites, aircraft, uncrewed aerial systems, terrestrial sensors, LiDAR, or spectral imagery
- GIS, spatial analysis, ecological modeling, and data science
- Land-use and land-cover change
- Nature-based tourism and human–environment interactions
- Community-engaged and interdisciplinary conservation research
- Open, reproducible, and collaborative science
Applicants do not need experience in every area. We value intellectual curiosity, reliability, careful research practices, constructive collaboration, and a clear connection between the applicant’s interests and the lab’s work.
Before contacting us, please review the SPEC Lab website, current projects, and the publications of the faculty member whose work most closely matches your interests.
Graduate Degree Pathways
SPEC Lab graduate students may enroll through several UF programs:
- Forest Resources and Conservation: Research-oriented M.S. and Ph.D. study through the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences. Geomatics is available as a concentration within Forest Resources and Conservation.
https://gradcatalog.ufl.edu/graduate/colleges-departments/agricultural-life-sciences/forest-resources-conservation/forest-resources-conservation/
- **Interdisciplinary Ecology:** M.S. and Ph.D. study through the School of Natural Resources and Environment for research crossing ecological, social, sustainability, and data-science fields.
https://snre.ifas.ufl.edu/
- **Master of Arts in Latin American Studies:** Interdisciplinary master’s study for research with a substantial Latin American, Latinx, or Caribbean focus.
https://www.latam.ufl.edu/academics/graduate-programs/malas/
- Master of Sustainable Development Practice: Interdisciplinary professional training integrating environmental, social, health, management, and field-based approaches.
https://mdp.africa.ufl.edu/prospective-students/
The appropriate program depends on the student’s research questions, academic preparation, methods, and professional goals. Admission to a UF program does not automatically guarantee SPEC Lab membership, a particular advisor, or financial support.
Contact Us Before Applying
Prospective graduate students should contact Eben Broadbent and/or Angélica Almeyda Zambrano before submitting a formal application. Early contact allows us to discuss research fit, advising availability, possible projects, degree pathways, and funding.
A useful subject line is:
Prospective [M.S./Ph.D./MALAS/MDP] student — [research topic] — [entry term and year]**
Please include:
- The degree and UF program you are considering
- Your proposed entry term
- A concise description of your research interests
- Why your interests fit the SPEC Lab
- Relevant academic, professional, field, or technical experience
- Skills you have and skills you hope to develop
- One or two preliminary research ideas, if available
- Whether you require assistantship or fellowship support
- An up-to-date CV or résumé
Please keep the initial message concise. Do not send transcripts, recommendation letters, identification documents, or test scores unless requested. Formal application materials should be submitted through UF’s official systems.
An encouraging preliminary response does not constitute an offer of admission, advising, employment, or funding. Official commitments are made only through the appropriate UF processes and written documents.
Applying to UF
Admissions requirements, deadlines, English-language requirements, standardized-testing policies, and required materials vary by program and may change. Applicants should use the current official UF pages:
UF Graduate Admissions
https://gradcatalog.ufl.edu/graduate/admission/
UF Graduate Application
https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate/
International Applicants
https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate/international/
Applicants must meet the requirements of both the UF Graduate School and their selected academic program. Official UF and program information controls if it differs from information on this page.
Funding and Assistantships
Graduate funding is limited and competitive. It may include research or teaching assistantships, UF fellowships, external fellowships, project support, and fieldwork or travel awards. Admission to UF or participation in the SPEC Lab does not guarantee funding.
Applicants requiring support should state this in their initial inquiry and contact us as early as possible. Students are encouraged to pursue appropriate internal and external fellowships with guidance from their advisor.
Assistantship offers should be confirmed in writing and should identify compensation, duration, expected effort, responsibilities, and applicable conditions. Assistantship duties and degree research may overlap when appropriate, but their relationship should be discussed clearly. Students should not make enrollment or financial decisions based on support that has not been confirmed in writing.
Mentoring and Student Expectations
Mentoring is collaborative and adapted to each student’s program, research needs, funding, and career goals. Students and advisors establish a research plan, semester milestones, a meeting schedule, and expectations for communication, data management, publications, conferences, and professional development.
Research meetings are commonly held weekly during active project phases. Students should provide brief progress updates and arrive prepared to discuss accomplishments, obstacles, decisions, and next steps.
Advisors provide guidance on research design, methods, analysis, writing, funding, professional networking, and career development. Students are expected to:
- Communicate professionally and respectfully
- Follow research, safety, ethics, and data-management requirements
- Maintain accurate and organized research records
- Make steady progress on agreed milestones
- Raise problems early enough for them to be addressed
- Contribute constructively to collaborative projects
- Credit contributors, communities, institutions, partners, and funders appropriately
- Meet the requirements of their degree program and any assistantship appointment
Semester reviews focus on accomplishments, challenges, professional development, and plans for the following semester.
Publication and Presentation Expectations
Scientific publication is a central part of graduate training in the SPEC Lab. The publication expectations are:
- M.S. students: 1 peer-reviewed manuscripts
- Ph.D. students: 3 peer-reviewed manuscripts
These manuscripts should normally be based on the student’s thesis or dissertation research or closely related work that advances the student’s research and professional development. Students are expected to complete and submit the applicable number of manuscripts to appropriate peer-reviewed journals before graduation.
Journal review schedules are outside a student’s control. Acceptance or final publication before graduation is therefore encouraged but is not required by the SPEC Lab.
These are SPEC Lab mentoring and professional-development expectations. They do not replace formal degree requirements established by UF, the student’s academic program, or the supervisory committee. Necessary adjustments resulting from the research, degree timeline, funding, field conditions, personal circumstances, or professional goals will be discussed and documented with the advisor.
Authorship and author order will reflect scholarly contributions and applicable disciplinary and journal standards. Contributor roles should be discussed early and revisited as responsibilities change.
Students are also expected to present appropriate work at lab meetings, seminars, workshops, and conferences. Collaborative materials should be reviewed by the relevant coauthors or project leads before submission and should acknowledge contributors, institutions, permits, partners, and funding sources.
Undergraduate Research
UF undergraduates from any relevant major may contact the lab about research opportunities. Activities may include fieldwork, literature review, geospatial analysis, image interpretation, ecological monitoring, data organization, programming, visualization, or scientific communication.
Please include your major and year, the topic or project that interests you, relevant experience, skills you wish to develop, weekly availability, anticipated length of participation, whether you seek credit or paid work, and a current résumé or CV.
Students are not expected to begin with advanced research experience. Reliability, careful work, communication, and sustained interest are particularly valuable. Paid, volunteer, and credit-bearing positions depend on availability and must be confirmed before work begins.
UF’s Center for Undergraduate Research provides guidance on research opportunities, academic credit, scholarships, presentations, and professional development:
https://cur.aa.ufl.edu/find-research/
Research Environment and Contact
The SPEC Lab expects professional and respectful conduct in research, teaching, fieldwork, travel, online communication, and collaboration. UF’s nondiscrimination policy is available at:
https://policy.ufl.edu/regulation/1-006/
Students who experience disability-related barriers may contact the UF Disability Resource Center:
https://disability.ufl.edu/
Applicants do not need to disclose private medical or disability information in an initial inquiry.
