THE ROY LAB
What can you expect...?
...of the lab, the University and the city of Nashville.
No current openings for students in Fall 2023/Spring 2024
No current openings for Postdoctoral Fellows
We are located in the Agricultural Biotechnology Building on the TSU main campus. The greenhouse is located on the farm, a short driving distance away.
Students typically work 9 AM-5 PM and attend classes whenever they are scheduled (typically in the evenings).
Lab members participate in a weekly lab meeting and in addition meet with Sonali for a short weekly one-on-one progress review chat. However, Sonali maintains an open door policy and students interact with her multiple times daily when needed.
Lab sponsored team lunches are organized semi-annually in the bustling Nashville Farmers Market at the Tennessee State Museum nearby.
Graduate students are enrolled either for the Fall (August) or Spring (January) semester. Graduate Research Assistantships are awarded if funding is available.
When applying,
please include
1. A one page cover letter outlining your background and research interests
2. Curriculum vitae
3. GRE Score sheet (290 or higher)
3. IELTS/TOEFL Score
4. Names and email addresses of two referees
TSU College of Agriculture
The College offers B.S and M.S Degrees in Agriculture with concentrations in Biotechnology, Agribusiness, a PhD in Biological Sciences and a new (Fall 2022) PhD in Agriculture.
A typical PhD lasts 3-4 years while an M.S degree can take 2 years to complete along with course work and hands on research. Almost all graduate students receive Graduate Research Assistantships if they can maintain a grade B or higher. We work on Medicago genetics.
Students are expected to complete 32 credit hours of course work for a Masters degree and 72 for a PhD in Biological sciences and 33 credit hours for a PhD in Agricultural sciences.
To enroll, international students must have a GRE score of 290 or higher, an English language proficiency test such as IELTS or TOEFL and a credential evaluation (eg. WES, ECE).
Nashville, TN
We are located in the vibrant, young city of Nashville - the capital of Tennessee!
Nashville is not only known as the 'Music City' but also 'Athens of the South' because of the sheer number of universities (17!) and consequently students, residing in and around the city.
The climate of Nashville is pleasant with 8 months of warm- and 4 months of cold weather including snowfall. Between March-May Nashville receives heavy rainfall which ensures the deep, glossy green of the foliage in the city. Beware of the occasional tornadoes though!
Living in Nashville is moderately expensive. For example, rent for a two bedroom house can cost between $900-$1400 close to the university. Most students share rental accommodations.
Still interested in symbiosis research but not finding what you're looking for?
I highly recommend the laboratories of my two colleagues and contemporaries who work on different aspects of symbiosis. Feel free to explore their websites and reach out to them to ask about open positions.
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Lena Muller, University of Miami www.plantmycolab.com/
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Feng Feng, Oklahoma State University www.experts.okstate.edu/feng.feng