Join Our Lab

Lab Culture and Community Philosophy

The Hopkins lab aims to work collaboratively across individuals, projects, labs, and departments. The work we do is interdisciplinary and we believe that every member of our lab is valuable. With that mindset, we share ideas and support through weekly lab meetings, we assist in field work of our lab members, and most importantly, we have fun while developing skills and research relationships.

During grad school, your lab is your family. Every member of the lab is expected to participate in lab meetings, field days, and provide feedback on project ideas, manuscripts, and problem solving. The postdocs in the lab have complimentary skillsets that will help students develop a well-rounded education. During weekly lab meetings, we cover general lab upkeep and schedules, celebrate victories, discuss challenges, and each lab member gives a presentation per semester to develop public speaking skills.

The Hopkins lab is part of the WSU Bee Program, working alongside the Sheppard and Naeger labs to produce top-tier honey bee research. We work directly with beekeepers, farmers, and other researchers in the WSU Entomology department and other Universities all over the country. We also work with industry servicers and offer support in development of consumer products in support of beekeeping in the United States.

Outside of work, many of our lab members have found camaraderie through the local trivia scene, running clubs, and other activities available in Pullman. Right now, due to COVID-19, our in-person engagement is limited, but we try to make up for that with frequent meetings, phone calls, and socially distant outdoor gatherings.

 

Diversity Statement

Our lab values and welcomes diversity. We work closely with the entomology department DEI committee toward diversity, equity, and inclusivity for our members and all folks interested in joining us. We celebrate diversity in backgrounds, training, and ways of knowing. We understand that increased diversity in our lab will improve our ability to solve problems, think creatively, and expand our cultural competency.

Over 50% of our current and past lab members represent diverse and underrepresented populations. We come from a wide variety of cultural, racial, faith, language, family, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and we are committed to encouraging discussions, perspectives, collaborations, and ideas.

 

Prospective Graduate Students

We are always interested in chatting with students looking to pursue an advanced degree focused on honey bee health, pollination, or colony pest management. We are especially interested in students who are interested in working alongside the commercial beekeeping industry to develop methods for promoting sustainable beekeeping in the United States.

While we typically fund graduate students through grant projects, there are several other avenues available to support your salary and tuition while at WSU. We believe that graduate school is your job, and you should be paid to do it. Many students work as teaching assistants for at least one semester, while others have pursued funding through prestigious fellowships like the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP), the Western SARE Graduate Grant, the WSU RADS program, and specialized projects through ProjectApisM. If you are a strong candidate for joining our lab, we will work together to ensure you are funded during the pursuit of your graduate degree.

If you are interested in joining our lab, send an email including your CV with GPA and research interests to bhopkins@wsu.edu

 

Prospective Postdocs

When our lab has funding available, we recruit highly productive postdoctoral researchers to extend the scope of our lab’s work through self-directed projects and programs. Successful postdoc candidates will have demonstrated proficiency in grant writing, publishing, and presentation during their Ph.D. We encourage postdocs to apply for their own funding through programs like the USDA NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, The USDA Pollinator Health Grant Program, the NSF Earth Sciences or Biology Fellowship Programs, or specialized research projects funded my state or regional commodity groups and ProjectApisM.

As a postdoc in our lab, I will provide mentorship and networking opportunities but I expect postdocs to pursue independent projects as well. Postdocs are critical in providing additional support and mentorship to graduate and undergraduate students, and will be given opportunities to further develop grant writing, publication, and presentation skills during their tenure in our lab.

If you are interested in a postdoc position, send an email including your CV with publications and research interests to bhopkins@wsu.edu

 

Prospective Undergraduate Students

Our lab regularly employs undergraduate students and serves as an internship sponsor for motivated undergraduates interested in honey bee research or learning beekeeping skills. WSU has several undergraduate internship programs that would support research development for an undergrad student. We also hire undergrad student workers for summer beekeeping work. If you are interested, send a cover letter and your research interests to bhopkins@wsu.edu