Description

The Levis Lab (https://levisna.wixsite.com/nicholasalevis) at the University of Arkansas is recruiting two PhD students to join our group beginning Spring or Fall 2027.
Our lab studies how developmental mechanisms, environmental variation, and evolutionary processes interact to produce phenotypic diversity. The students will develop independent dissertation projects within one of two research areas:

1. Eco-evo-devo of spadefoot toad physiology

This project will investigate how physiological systems enable, constrain, and evolve alongside environmentally induced developmental variation. Spadefoot tadpoles provide a powerful system for studying how diet, competition, and ecological conditions influence alternative trophic phenotypes.

2. Sexual selection and polyphenism in shark-tooth nematodes

This project will examine how sexual selection interacts with environmentally responsive development in Pristionchus nematodes. These animals produce alternative feeding morphs with distinct ecological functions, creating an unusually tractable system for connecting developmental mechanisms with mating competition, reproductive fitness, and genetic manipulation.

Desired qualifications

Students with interests in evolutionary biology, developmental biology, physiology, animal behavior, genetics, or ecology are encouraged to apply. Previous experience with these organisms is not required. We are particularly interested in applicants who are intellectually curious, comfortable working across biological scales, and interested in developing theoretically motivated experimental research. Experience with data analysis in R is a plus.

Funding mechanism

Students in the Levis Lab are generally supported as teaching assistants in the Biological Sciences Department. Eligible students are encouraged to apply for the Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship (DDF) and Doctoral Academy Fellowship (DAF) (https://graduate-students.uark.edu/cost-and-funding/) through UArk. The DDF adds an $22,000 per year for four years, and the DAF adds $12,000 per year for four years to a student's base salary. Note that GRE scores are required to apply for DDF and DAF. The deadlines for nomination are September 30, 2026 (DDF) and October 7, 2026 (DAF) for a January 2027 start and December 11, 2026 (DDF) and February 4, 2027 (DAF) for August 2027 start. 

To inquire, please visit the lab website and prepare a copy of your
-CV,
-a brief description of research interests and motivation for applying,
-unofficial transcript(s) and other relevant test scores

Please email materials to nlevis@uark.edu with the subject line:
"Prospective PhD student: Spadefoot Physiology" or "Prospective PhD student: Sexual Selection"
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning immediately

Additional information about the graduate program and application process is available here:

Department of Biological Sciences: https://biology.uark.edu/
University of Arkansas Biology Graduate Program Guidelines: https://biology.uark.edu/academics/graduate/
University of Arkansas Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology: https://eeob.uark.edu/

Please share with students who may be interested!
Contact
Nicholas Levis
nlevis@uark.edu

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