Graduate Programs

Graduate Studies at Whitney Laboratory

The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience welcomes interested graduate students looking for an intensive research training program in the intimate environment of a modern marine laboratory. Our internationally renowned faculty specializes in using marine animals to address fundamental questions in biological research.

To learn more about our outstanding faculty and the research being conducted at the Whitney, please visit our Current Research Faculty Page 

Group of students standing on a dock


Whitney Laboratory Graduate Students typically spend their first year on the University of Florida's main campus in Gainesville completing coursework and fulfilling teaching requirements. During this year, graduate students continue to interact with the Whitney Laboratory and their PI through regular meetings, progress reports, seminars, and summer research. At the end of the first year students relocate to St. Augustine where they are able to complete their research onsite. Any additional course requirements (e.g. seminars) are typically fulfilled from the Whitney Laboratory or by video conferencing in to classes on main campus.

Graduate students at the Whitney have access to state of the art equipment, onsite professional development opportunities, and a unique and supportive intellectual atmosphere. Located in an ideal marine research location, the University of Florida’s Whitney Laboratory for Marine Biosciences provides excellent graduate school training.


View our handbook for more information about the lab, Whitney Graduate Student Association, benefits, resources, international student information and life in St. Augustine.

Whitney Lab Graduate Life Handbook

Prospective graduate students are advised to contact the faculty member with whom they would like to conduct their dissertation research. Whitney graduate students must then apply to the University of Florida through one of the graduate programs listed below. Each program possesses a unique structure and course requirements.

Biology Department - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 
Whitney Faculty - Dr. Liao, Dr. Martindale, Dr. Moroz, Dr. Ryan, Dr. Schnitzler, Dr. Seaver, Dr. Strother

Biomedical Sciences - College of Medicine 
Whitney Faculty - Dr. Martindale, Dr. Moroz, Dr. Seaver

Soil and Water Sciences Department - IFAS and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Whitney Faculty - Dr. Osborne

School of Natural Resources and Environment - IFAS
Whitney Faculty - Dr. Osborne

Biomedical Engineering Department - College of Engineering 
Whitney Faculty - Dr. Liao

University of Florida Genetics Institute
Whitney Faculty - Dr. Martindale, Dr. Moroz, Dr. Ryan, Dr. Seaver

Department of Chemistry - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Whitney Faculty - Dr. Moroz, Dr. Loesgen


Graduate Student Advisor

James C. Liao, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biology

jliao@whitney.ufl.edu


Scientific Communication Articles from Whitney Laboratory Graduate Students 

Veronica Garcia, “I was a student before, but now I’m a scientist”

Veronica Garcia

(Originally published September 9, 2014) “I was a student before, but now I’m a scientist,” said Veronica Garcia as she packed away the last of her lab materials into boxes. Veronica had completed her PhD research and was now faced with dismantling the remains of her former lab. Read More


Article Written by Graduate Student Jessica Farrell Receives National Press

An article written by Jessica Farrell, graduate student here at Whitney Lab, was written for The Conversation and picked up by Smithsonian.com. Read More


A Day in the Life of the Seaver Lab

Have you ever wondered what a day is like working in one of the labs at Whitney Laboratory? In an article on The Node written by Alexis Lanza, student, titled "A day in the life of a Capitella teleta lab," you will get an inside look at what it's like working in the Seaver Lab and its work with Capitella teleta, a marine worm. Read More


Bailey Steinworth's Washington Post Article
"Jordan Peterson needs to reconsider the lobster"

Read More