Graduate Students

The Wisnoski lab is seeking Ph.D. students to join in Fall 2025! We especially welcome applicants interested in:

  1. Aquatic microbial ecology – Major research questions in the lab relate to the assembly, structure, dynamics, and functioning of bacterial communities in aquatic ecosystems. There are opportunities to work in freshwater or coastal systems, and students who join the lab will develop skills in field and lab work, bioinformatics, and statistics.

  2. Metacommunity ecology – An overarching theme in the lab is metacommunity ecology. Students have wide latitude to develop projects in this area depending on their interests. We are happy to support research that is primarily computational (using simulation models built in R, Python, Julia, or another language), or research based on empirical studies from the field or lab.

Students joining the lab are encouraged to develop their own research projects related to these topics and/or to take their research in relevant new directions. The lab will help you develop and strengthen the skills you need for your desired career path in academia, government, or industry.

Prospective students should contact Dr. Nathan Wisnoski (nathan.wisnoski[at]msstate.edu) to make sure the lab is a good fit for the research you would like to pursue. In the email, please include the following information: a Curriculum Vitae (CV), a description of your research interests and experiences, and which degree (M.S. and/or Ph.D.) you are interested in pursuing. Before sending your initial email, you might find the following resources helpful for making sure your interests in the lab are clearly communicated over email:

Postdoctoral Researchers

We are looking to hire a postdoctoral researcher to analyze coastal microbial communities. Click here to read more details about the position. Please reach out to me to discuss if you’re interested in this project.

Funded positions will be clearly advertised when available. We are also open to discussing research opportunities for potential postdocs interested in applying for independent fellowships (e.g., NSF PRFB, ocean science, or other NSF fellowships, Smith Fellowship). Please contact Nathan (nathan.wisnoski[at]msstate.edu) to talk more about postdoctoral opportunities.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

The Wisnoski lab encourages applicants from all backgrounds and strives to create a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment for everyone. Diversity is essential for enhancing creativity and innovation, for promoting social justice and the equitable distribution of publicly funded resources, and for enabling people who have been historically excluded from STEM to be involved in important technological/scientific developments. Prospective researchers from under-represented backgrounds in STEM are highly encouraged to apply.

About Mississippi State University and Starkville

Mississippi State University is an R1 public research university with strengths in basic and applied research in the life sciences. Students and postdocs can collaborate with experts from other departments on campus, such as agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, and veterinary medicine, to develop creative and interdisciplinary research projects in the lab. Mississippi State is located near Starkville, MS (population of around 30,000) and is part of the broader Golden Triangle region (population of about 130,000). Nearby Tuscaloosa (1.5 hr), Jackson (2 hr), and Memphis (2.75 hr) provide access to urban amenities. New Orleans, Atlanta, and Nashville are also within easy driving distance. Mississippi offers access to recreational and research environments across numerous National Forests (including the Black Creek Wilderness area, a stretch of Wild and Scenic River in the De Soto National Forest), State Parks, rivers, streams, swamps/wetlands, agricultural systems, and coastal ecosystems across the state.