Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Undergraduate research is a great way to get more out of your experience in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). Through hands-on, experiential learning, you can explore your interests, build skills beyond the classroom, connect with faculty and the CAES community, and gain valuable experience for your résumé, graduate or professional school, and future career.
CAES faculty work with undergraduates in labs, greenhouses, and fields. Some positions are paid, some earn course credit, and many are open to students with no prior lab experience.
Expand any listing below to see what the project involves and how to apply. New opportunities are added as faculty submit them, so check back regularly for new listings.
Agricultural and Applied Economics
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CAES Department: AAEC
Research Opportunity Description: Establishing farmers or farmers market profiles in GA regarding adoption of technologies
Additional Information: Research will involve contacting farmers or market managers for surveys or interviews, data analysis using XL and Qualtrics.
Faculty Mentor / Lab Name: Vanessa Shonkwiler
Preferred Contact Email: V.Shonkwiler@uga.edu
Research Location: UGA Athens Campus
Semester(s) Available: Fall 2026
Student Qualifications / Preferred Coursework: Motivation, Communication, Proactivity.
Position Type: Research Experience
Expected Start Date / Application Deadline: As Soon As Possible
Entomology
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CAES Department: ENTO
Research Opportunity Description: Studying how fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) colonies solve collective problems (foraging, construction, decision-making) using live colonies.
Additional Information: Individual ants achieve little alone, yet colonies behave in highly organized ways. We study how genes and the environment shape this behavior. Students will learn behavioral assays, data collection, and lab record-keeping while collaborating with researchers on published research.
Faculty Mentor / Lab Name: Haolin Zeng-Fire Ant Lab
Preferred Contact Email: haolinzeng@uga.edu
Research Location: UGA Riverbend Research Lab North, Athens
Semester(s) Available: Fall 2026; Spring 2027
Student Qualifications / Preferred Coursework: Reliable, punctual, and detail-oriented. Must maintain records and work with live stinging insects; those with known insect-venom allergies should not apply. Must be available 10 hours/week, ideally through summer, with rotating weekend/holiday feeding shifts.
Position Type: Paid Position; Research Experience
Expected Start Date / Application Deadline: As Soon As Possible
Horticulture
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CAES Department: HORT
Research Opportunity Description: Develop and experiment plant phenotyping technologies and data mining strategies to support controlled environment agriculture crop production.
Additional Information: Research will also be mentored and teamed with the other lab members.
A 4-8-hour commitment per week is expected.
Faculty Mentor / Lab Name: Zhihang Song, CEA Plant Phenotyping and Automation Lab
Preferred Contact Email: zsong@uga.edu
Research Location: Horticulture Headhouse at 106 Riverbend Rd, Athens.
Semester(s) Available: Fall 2026; Spring 2027; Summer 2027
Student Qualifications / Preferred Coursework:
Preferred experience in at least TWO of the following: greenhouse plant management; plant sample preparation for nutrient/mineral analysis; data analysis, image processing, statistics, or visualization using Python/MATLAB; DSLR photography; microcontroller programming; or plant phenotyping.
Position Type: Research Experience; Course Credit; Paid Position
Expected Start Date / Application Deadline: Application deadline for Fall 2026: Sept. 6th (Sunday) at 11:59PM
Additional Application information: Directly email your application to zsong@uga.edu with 1) a resume and 2) a description of previous experience (1 page max)
Plant Pathology
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CAES Department: PATH
Research Opportunity Description: Exploring genomic variation within pathogenic fungi using bioinformatics tools.
Additional Information: Students will learn to use UGA’s GACRC high-performance computing cluster to run bioinformatic software programs. Students may assemble genomes and construct phylogenetic trees.
Faculty Mentor / Lab Name: Anne Hatmaker
Preferred Contact Email: anne.hatmaker@uga.edu
Research Location: UGA Athens Campus- 1606 Miller Plant Science
Semester(s) Available: Fall 2026; Spring 27; Summer 27;
Student Qualifications / Preferred Coursework: Applicants must have completed Principles of Biology I (BIOL 1107) and should be familiar with basic biological concepts. No prior genomics or bioinformatics experience is necessary, as training will be provided.
Position Type: Course Credit; Paid Position
Expected Start Date / Application Deadline: Rolling start date.
Additional Application information: To apply, email Dr. Hatmaker a few sentences describing 1) your major, 2) your career interests and how this opportunity fits with them, 3) any previous research experience (if applicable), and 4) how many hours you would be available to work in the lab.
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CAES Department: PATH
Research Opportunity Description: Fungal Pathogen Collection and Characterization in Peanut and Pecan
Additional Information: The student will assist with reviewing and organizing fungal isolates from peanut and pecan and processing isolates for long-term preservation. The student will gain hands-on experience with fungal culture and management of a plant pathogen collection.
Faculty Mentor / Lab Name: Clemen Oliveira – Peanut and Pecan Pathology Lab
Preferred Contact Email: cjo@uga.edu
Research Location: UGA Tifton Campus – Peanut and Pecan Pathology Lab
Semester(s) Available: Fall 2026; Spring 2027; Summer 2027; Fall 2027
Student Qualifications / Preferred Coursework: Interest in plant pathology, microbiology, biology, or agricultural sciences. Previous laboratory experience is preferred but not required. Student should be organized, dependable, and interested in learning fungal isolation, culturing, morphological identification, and preservation techniques.
Position Type: Research Experience; Paid Position; Course Credit
Expected Start Date / Application Deadline: As Soon As Possible; applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Poultry Science
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CAES Department: POUL
Research Opportunity Description: Investigation of physiological mechanisms controlling growth, nutrient utilization, mineral homeostasis, and embryonic development in chickens
Additional Information: Undergraduate researchers will work directly with graduate student mentors on an aspect of their MS or PhD project. There will be opportunities for students to work with animals, learn lab techniques, and gain skills analyzing, interpreting, and presenting their results.
Faculty Mentor / Lab Name: Laura Ellestad
Preferred Contact Email: lellestad@uga.edu
Research Location: UGA Athens Campus- Poultry Science Building RM 215
Semester(s) Available: Fall 2026; Spring 2027
Student Qualifications / Preferred Coursework: Second year standing
Position Type: Research Experience; Paid Position; Course Credit
Expected Start Date / Application Deadline: As Soon As Possible