Contact Us
I am always looking for collaborative, hard working, and enthusiastic graduate students, post docs, and undergraduate researcher to work in my lab. Usually if I have a funded project and opening, I will advertise that widely, including on this website. If you are not responding to an advertised opening, then I may be willing to help you secure funding to be a part of my lab if we have similar research interests.

Right now, I am recruiting a MS student for a Hawaii Invasive Species Council-funded project on the acoustics of an invasive frog, starting August 2026.
I am looking for people interested in amphibians, acoustics, invasive species management, and tropical systems.  If you are interested in working on this project specifically or with me more generally, please send me by email (karen.beard at usu.edu) a single pdf containing: a cover letter describing your interests and experience, a CV or resume with 3 references, unofficial transcripts, and GRE scores.

USU does not have a formal application deadline; however, there are fellowship deadlines. PhD fellowship applications are due around January 15 each year, and applications to the graduate school are due before this time. Helpful hint: I often accept students to work with me after they have assisted me in conducting field research for one summer. I am always looking for USU undergraduates who are interested in working in my laboratory as a volunteer, work-study, occasional paid position, and who are interested in applying for undergraduate funding.

I SUBSCRIBE TO THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA'S DIVERSITY STATEMENT BY WELCOMING "PARTICIPATION BY ALL INDIVIDUALS REGARDLESS OF AGE, CULTURE, ETHNICITY, GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DIFFERENCE, POLITICS, RACE, RELIGION, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS, OR SUBCULTURE."

Photo credits on this website: Katie Basile, Ryan Choi, Martin Holdrege, Kathy Kelsey, Jack Marchetti, Andy Pokrzywinski