I am always glad to guide students who wish to work on projects they have conceived of themselves. I am a specialist in the taxonomy and evolution of fossil sponges and of Paleozoic corals. I can also supervise studies of other invertebrate groups and would encourage such theses. Taxonomy can be done as a laboratory project. Students wishing to find out the kind of work currently being done in invertebrate paleontology and paleoecology should read recent issues of the Journal of Paleontology, Palaios, Paleontology, Lethaia, and Palaeogeography-Palaeoclimatology, Palaeocology, all of which are in Rosenthal Library, or the textbook Principles of Paleontology by Raup and Stanley.
Taxonomic work involves considerable literature research, in English as well as other languages.
Ability to use statistics and computer applications is helpful in all paleontologic work. Students will learn techniques of fossil preparation and photography in almost all projects.