Description of the Research Program

The lab’s general academic interest broadly encompasses evolutionary and molecular ecology. The research program is rooted in conceptual evolutionary ecology, but aims to contribute knowledge to guide practical decision making and solutions regarding the pressing and complex problems that invasive species pose.

Managers and policy makers make difficult decisions in the face of considerable uncertainty regarding when and where invasive species will establish and have negative environmental, economic, or human health impacts. In addition, they must make difficult decisions about how best to control invasive species while minimizing unintended environmental and human health impacts. A goal of my research program is therefore to conduct rigorous scientific research that facilitates a predictive understanding of invasiveness that fosters the development of best management practices.

My specific research program focuses on the genetics and ecology of invasive aquatic plants. Invasive aquatic plants can impair water body uses and ecosystem services/functions in a variety of ways, and are estimated to cause billions of dollars of damage annually. Invasive aquatic plants are therefore commonly managed, and the direct cost of aquatic weed management are estimated to be well over $100 million annually.

The current organizing framework for the laboratory is that genetic variation can influence the outcome of specific management strategies or control tactics for invasive aquatic plants. Thus, management practices can influence the evolution of target populations, and evolution of target populations in turn can influence the outcome of management. In the worst cases (from a manager’s perspective), populations with high proportions of resistant genotypes can render an otherwise valuable management tool – such as a specific, routinely-used herbicide - ineffective.

The central application of current laboratory projects is to develop tools that can assist managers in predicting herbicide response for specific populations. In the short term, this involves integrating population genetic surveys and monitoring with lab and field studies of herbicide response. In the long term, this involves identifying the genetic architecture of herbicide resistance so that specific genetic markers can be used to predict management response of target populations.

In terms of conceptual and intellectual organization of the lab, three overarching questions for the research program are:

  1. How common is herbicide resistance evolution in aquatic plants?
  2. What factors promote or prevent the evolution of resistance, and how common are these factors manifest in aquatic habitats?
  3. How predictable is herbicide resistance evolution, at both the level of the phenotype and the genotype? Do genotypes with similar levels of resistance to an herbicide use the same or different genetic mechanisms?

Projects in the lab utilize a variety of methodological approaches, including controlled laboratory experiments, observational and experimental field studies, and molecular and population genetics and genomics studies. While the above approaches are the wheelhouse of the lab, lab members are encouraged to identify and learn the methodological approaches that will best translate their conceptual frameworks to empirical datasets. Most projects focus on Eurasian watermilfoil, but the lab studies several species, and incoming students are encouraged to judiciously explore systems that are well-suited to their interests. Recently, the emphasis has been on developing and utilizing genomic tools for non-model aquatic plant species, and students with a specific interest in genomics are especially encouraged to apply.

Finding and Developing a Project

Your thesis/dissertation project should fall under the general framework of my lab’s research program described above. For undergraduates and MSc students, projects will typically be more prescriptive; that is, I will tend to ‘hand down’ a relatively straight forward project. However, undergraduate and MSc projects should not be expected to come with specific instructions. I still expect undergraduates and MSc students to be the unequivocal leaders of their research. You are responsible for completing your projects; not me.

For PhD students, I expect to be more collaborative in the project development. I will most often have a fairly prescriptive project – as described above – initially, because it is likely that you will be funded on a project with specific goals and tasks. However, by the time a PhD student has achieved candidacy (passed qualifying exams), I expect PhD students to develop their own original research under the framework of the laboratory.

Students have freedom to explore independent research outside the immediate wheelhouse of the lab’s work. There are pros and cons to doing this. On the plus side, having the freedom to explore your passion and interests is wonderful, and means that you aren’t necessarily being told what to do. On the down side, this means that there may not be current funding and general research ideas to help resource and structure your pursuits. In addition, most students will be on GRAs that are funded by other projects, which means there may be a disconnect between your RA work and independent research. 

It is most efficient if your GRA is synergistic with your research, because your RA activities must significantly contribute to accomplishing deliverables that are laid out in whatever grant(s) is/are providing your graduate funding. One strategy for developing a project outside the wheelhouse of the lab is to start with one or more pieces that are similar to things that we do in the lab. For example, using similar approaches with new species/systems that the lab has/does use. If developing projects that use methods and approaches that the lab has not used, you should make it a point to visit another lab for a period of time (at or outside of MSU) so that you have the appropriate guidance to master those techniques.

In all cases, I expect students to engage other lab members, and members of other labs within or outside the university, in a period of intense and collaborative thinking to hash out a project. Elements of a project should include: (1) being original, (2) contributing to the relevant field(s), (3) intellectually exciting, (4) broadening and/or deepening the lab’s overall research program, (5) leveraging the resources and capabilities of the lab, (6) being feasible, and (7) meshes with the funding base for the student. I play an important role in helping the project meet these elements, but I expect each person in the lab to be the primary leader of the project, and to be accountable. 

Write a proposal! –

Although they are not currently required by my home department (Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology), writing a proposal for your work is important. Not only might this bring you some important funding (or a feather in your CV’s cap), but writing a proposal forces you to think through your project: What is your question? Why is it important, and to whom is it important? What needs to be done to get to the heart of the question? Is it feasible? What might data look like, and what would it mean for them to look one way or the other? How does the study stand to move the field forward philosophically or practically?

I encourage all students to read these papers:

Choate et al. (2012; Integrating Theoretical Components: A Graphicai Model for Graduate Students and Researchers, BioScience ) 

Prather et al. (2009; Putting the “Ph” back into “PhD”: framing graduate research in a theoretical context, Frontiers in Ecology & the Environment).

Number of projects –

As a practical and strategic matter, I encourage people to develop two projects: a main project and a side project (or, ‘backup plan’). This strategy allows you to bet-hedge and ensure that you have a publishable unit in a reasonable amount of time even if your primary project fails. For example, perhaps you want to pursue a project that isn’t currently funded in the lab, but also develop a project that lies squarely within current funding. Two projects also allows you to make progress when you are stalled out on one of them for any reason. The above said, I do not recommend working on more than two projects at any one time so that you do not spread yourself too thin and fail to complete any one project in a timely manner. 

You may find this a helpful resource when thinking about projects. And, I encourage you to proactively talk to people and browse the internet for advice on choosing projects. 

Work Ethic

The freedom to set your own schedule is one of the many perks of academia (my favorite perk, if I’m honest)! That freedom is not without its risks for some people, and it takes discipline to enjoy the freedom without it standing in the way of your productivity. Work habits is an area that can become a source of tension between advisors and advisees. Advisors may commonly explain any lack of progress as a lack of effort/time put into a project, and advisees may feel ‘overworked’ and underappreciated. In the end, it is in every lab member’s best interests to recognize that they are primarily responsible for their own success (which usually means publishing!). If you find yourself not reaching your goal(s) or meeting your deadline(s), one of the first things that you should question is whether your work habits match your goals. If they don’t, change your goals, or change your habits (this is a quote I saw somewhere, but I can’t remember where to properly cite it)! 

I expect all lab members to be self-motivated to succeed in their education and professional development, and to work as much and as hard as is required for them to succeed. I value curiosity, passion, and enthusiasm in regards to students’ projects and education, and these are traits that I look for in lab members as gages for the likelihood of their success. For graduate students and postdocs, I expect that your primary focus and objective is obtaining your degree and advancing your career. I think you should strive to integrate your work into your life, rather than thinking about work as something that is in opposition to your personal life. And, I expect that obtaining your degree and advancing your career will require choosing to forego something else that you would like to do from time to time (i.e., will entail some sacrifice).

How many hours one needs to work is highly personal and depends on things like how efficient and focused you are with your time, among other things. A fairly standard expectation would be approximately 50-60 hours per week on average. For me, I find that I need about 10 hours a day during a normal week day to do all of the things that I feel I need to get done to be able to put my work ‘away’ when I get home. Then, I spend about one to two hours each day on the weekend catching up and doing any small things I can to get prepared for the coming week. I spend about 30 minutes every Sunday planning and organizing for my coming week, and reflecting on the previous one. I use my semester goals and timeline as a compass for my weekly planning. Although the responsibilities look different for different career stages, the amount of time required to be successful is probably similar. This is because there are many facets to attend to in each week, at any career stage. For example, for a graduate student, there is coursework, your research (which will undoubtedly take more time than whatever research credits you are enrolled in), GRA/GTA duties, keeping up with the literature, attending seminars, participating in conferences, etc. Considering all of this, it is no wonder that many (including me) perceive graduate school as an “all-in” commitment and investment. [I was on a PhD committee once where another faculty member told the graduate student that they probably only had room for one or maybe two other ‘big’ things in their life during graduate school (e.g., romantic partner and one hobby), and to limit extracurricular commitments until later in life. I’m not sure how I feel about that statement, but I definitely see where the faculty member was coming from, and I know it was said with best intentions of helping the student obtain their PhD.] I encourage all lab members to ask a variety of faculty and other graduate students how much they think people need to work to be successful. 

I do recommend that you use weekends and holidays primarily for relaxing and recharging, but to invest some time in keeping the momentum going (e.g., taking care of some small and less-demanding tasks, taking time to plan out the next week, etc.). Also, I admit that there are times when you may simply need a break. If you are banging your head against a problem over and over, maybe you need to step away from it for a while, and get back to it when you have recharged. This is a delicate balance, and is up to each person to walk. 

Overall, life is pretty short, and I think we all should strive to get what we want out of it. How you balance your personal and professional life is up to you. I will be frank in saying that I think you are more likely to succeed in your academic pursuits if you integrate your work into your life, as opposed to considering your work and personal lives totally separate things to balance. I am not an expert in this area, but you will find all kinds of resources on work-life integration if you look around for them, and I encourage you to do so. President Joe Biden has a saying that I like: “…a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It's about your dignity. It's about respect. It's about your place in your community.” I hope you find your place in this lab as more than just a job.

Program of Study, Graduate Forms and Deadlines, etc.

Although you are part of a graduate program, have a committee, and have an advisor, you are entirely responsible for ensuring that you complete all of the stages of your degree/position in the lab. There are important deadlines and policies that you must familiarize yourself with. Here are links to the PSPP Graduate Student Handbook and, the Graduate School's website has lots of information regarding policies, forms, and deadlines under the “Navigating Grad School” tab. 

Program of Study –

This is a key document that you must have completed by a certain term (depending on MSc vs PhD). In my mind, the spirit of the document is to help you tailor a graduate curriculum that serves you best. And, you should meet at least once (but I hope more) with your committee before this form is due. 

Courses –

A list of suggested courses is in the PSPP graduate student handbook. However, I strongly encourage you to talk to other graduate students to find courses. Keep in mind that there may be courses that are appropriate for you in other departments, and those are probably easier to find by talking with other students, your committee, and through other means of exposure to other departments (seminars, etc.).

Please be proactive about finding courses. Talk to your lab mates, and talk to me. Also, keep in mind that graduate school is hard, and that it is important and challenging to take difficult courses and balnce that with progress towards your research. 

There are several ‘weed’ courses that are offered by folks in LRES and PSPP, and I generally expect students in my lab to take all of these.

In addition, because of the heavy genetics focus in the lab, all plant genetics and genomics courses should generally be taken by my students.

Graduate Committees –

You will probably hear me say more than once that I think graduate committees are underutilized by most students. I think selection of graduate committee members is deserving of focused attention, and I encourage you to speak with many faculty to identify the best candidates for your committee. Keep in mind that some of the best committee members may be faculty in other departments. In fact, I strongly encourage you to identify one committee member that is external to MSU; someone in your chosen field that is influential and helpful. External committee members can be great advocates and resources for the next step(s) in your career. My first post-doc was in my external committee member’s lab! 

Once you have a graduate committee, I think you should communicate with them regularly and clearly. I recommend trying to have one committee meeting per semester, even if it is a short meeting just to keep in touch. Finally, I recommend engaging your committee members as coauthors on your papers when it is appropriate to do so. 

Qualifying exams –

PSPP does not currently require PhD students to do a research proposal (although I am lobbying to change that). However, I require PhD students to do one, and I consider it part of their qualifying exams. I expect PhD students to have a clear idea of what their PhD roadmap looks like (including details of study design) by the end of their second year. [This often changes during the next few years, but you should have a clear idea of what you think you are going to do by the end of year 2!]. I expect students to ‘defend’ this proposal with their committee by the end of their second year (usually Spring semester), or early in the Fall of their third year. If by the end of their second year, a PhD student cannot clearly articulate their conceptual framework and two clear and detailed studies that follow from it, that will most likely be an indication that the program and lab is not a great fit for the student at that time in their career development, and that an alternate exit strategy should be considered.

Comprehensive exams –

The graduate school defines a comprehensive exam as, “the major academic examination during the doctoral study that assures that the student has attained sufficient mastery of their discipline. Some departments use the passing of the comprehensive examination as the examination that admits the doctoral student to candidacy. This examination is valid for five (5) years from the term of successful completion.”

Comprehensive exams have written and oral components, and you should have clear and open communication with your committee members about what they expect you to be prepared for well before you take these exams.

You do not technically have to take comprehensive exams until the end of your program. However, because the comprehensive exam is how PSPP determines doctoral candidacy, it will commonly be in your best interest to take the comprehensive exams at the end of your second year or beginning of your third year. This means the first two years of your PhD program are busy! You have to be defining your research proposal (which commonly involves collecting and analyzing pilot data), and brushing up on your field enough to master the major pieces for your comprehensive exams. 

Defenses –

As a general rule, you are ready to defend your thesis or dissertation when you have a polished draft of one (MSc) to three (PhD) publishable manuscripts. It is unreasonable to expect you to have these manuscripts published by the time you defend (but you are certainly encouraged to do so!), but they should be manuscripts that I am comfortable with you submitting.

Because you will only defend your MSc or PhD once, it obviously isn’t anything that you can get a lot of experience doing. However, over your time in the program, several to many students are likely to defend their theses and dissertations, and you should therefore plan to attend them so that you can learn what you do and don’t like for a defense. You should also work closely with me and the lab several times to get feedback on your defense slideshow. And, finally, practice, practice, practice!

Behavior in the Lab

I am committed to fostering a professional and supportive community and lab ambiance. Professionalism entails: (1) respect for colleagues in every department at every rank, visitors, and vendors, (2) maintaining the highest standards of integrity, working hard, and being proud of your work, and (3) being reliable, honest, and presenting yourself in a competent and confident manner. Support entails: (1) academically challenging and bettering each other via constructive criticism, teaching, and collaboration, and (2) placing importance on the success of your colleagues, lab, and University. Please keep in mind that you represent the lab, the College, the University, and your professional affiliations, and your behavior within and outside of the University reflects on us all.

Disagreements among lab members (including with me) will arise from time to time. That is ‘okay’. In fact, that is probably good on balance, so long as they are resolved professionally. Please do your best to calmly sort things out amongst yourselves. I encourage you to be direct and frank, but respectful. Debate and discourse are encouraged, but fighting is not. If you experience or observe repeated fighting or hostility, please bring it to my attention; I would rather step in to arbitrate or facilitate than to have the lab environment be uncomfortable or hostile. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

I support an inclusive learning environment where diversity and individual differences are understood, respected, appreciated, and recognized as a source of strength. I expect that everyone in the lab will respect differences and demonstrate diligence in understanding how other peoples' perspectives, behaviors, and worldviews may be different from their own.

It is my intent that lab members from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives will be included and treated fairly in the lab, irrespective of gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, religion, culture, perspective, and other background characteristics.

Please be conscientious of who is around you and what impression you may be making. Please also recognize that most of us are still in the process of learning about diversity, equality and inclusion. Everyone will make mistakes from time to time as we continue to learn and grow and improve. I encourage you to talk to me directly if you have any concerns about diversity, equality, and inclusivity in the lab, my courses, or the department. This is especially important if you find yourself offended by something, so that we can determine whether it is a misunderstanding, unintentional insensitivity, or a more serious matter that should be addressed by the appropriate university authority. Although some conversations can be uncomfortable, please have them. I have found holding things in is the more likely to lead to a broken relationship than having a frank discussion.

Here is Montana State University's Diversity and Equity Statement. MSU also offers a number of trainings, and a certificate program, on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Wellness and Mental Health Resources

A critical component of being an effective scientist is learning to take care of yourself. Being an undergraduate student, graduate student, postdoc, staff, or faculty member can (will!) be difficult at times. Everyone deserves time for things that help you maintain your general mental and physical health and well-being. 

While I am not qualified to give you any professional counseling for mental health, my goal is to be approachable and understanding. If you are struggling with anything that is affecting your work and/or quality of life, please reach out to me so that we can work together to identify resources that may be useful to you, and work strategies that may be helpful. And, please understand if I ask questions when I suspect something may be going on in your life that is impacting your work or quality of life. 

You can find more information about MSU’s Counseling and Psychological Services here. Full disclosure, my wife, Laura, is a counselor there.

Absences

Please let me know well in advance (unless it was an emergency) if you will be away from the lab, and the general reason for that absence (e.g. vacation, conference, etc.). You should include any planned time away in your semester goals and timelines document. When things come up that are not in your semester goals and timeline, please let me know during your one on one, or otherwise email me with at least a few days’ notice. 

I expect that you will make all necessary plans to ensure that anything that you are responsible for in your research, RA, etc., will be tended to while you are away. Further, I expect that all lab members are willing to pitch in and help their lab mates out when they need to be away (and, generally when they need it). Please leave contact information for emergencies (cell phone or email) whenever you take time off, and try to stay in minimal communication by phone, email, and Slack when you are able.

Please note that the lab does NOT shut down during the winter break between Fall and Spring semester, or during the summer break between Spring and Fall semester. I expect you to take some personal time during these breaks, but these are also important times to make progress on your research and degree because you have the most flexibility without classes. If you are paid as a GRA, these time periods are covered under those (i.e., you are still getting paid during these times). There is a separate section on Summer Expectations in this document. 

Lab Citizenship, Community, and Culture

I consider the lab to be a team. I expect that everyone will genuinely wish for, and facilitate, the success of everyone else in the lab. You should challenge one another in a safe environment, and be supportive of one another. I also encourage team building activities outside of the building.

Patrick Lencioni’s book The Ideal Team Player emphasizes a culture where team players are humble, hungry, and smart. This is a lens that you can use a heuristic when challenging and supporting one another. You can ask yourself whether someone is exhibiting these characteristics, and recognize/applaud them when they do, and challenge them to be more mindful of them when they are not. Being humble includes: reigning in ego, valuing and recognizing the contributions of others, and thinking about one’s individual projects/success in the broader context of past and future work. Being hungry includes: proactively looking for more to learn and do, taking on responsibility, being selfmotivated and diligent, and constantly thinking about the next step or opportunity. Being “smart” includes: being emotionally intelligent, knowing what is happening in a group situation, how to effectively deal with others, using good judgement, and recognizing the the impact of their words and actions.

None of us are perfect. All of us will fail to exhibit all of these virtues in every situation, and that is okay. Fortunately, all of these ‘virtues’ can be cultivated and improved. And, I believe that if we each strive to cultivate these virtues in ourselves, and in each other, that we have a powerful and positive lab culture that breeds success (degrees, jobs, papers, grants, etc.), and concomitant satisfaction.

Ordering and cleaning up after yourself, etc. –

Please be a good lab citizen! If you notice something is low, order more or (if you don’t know how to order) let someone know. Please clean up after yourself. If you break something, take charge of replacing it - everyone breaks stuff from time to time, but it’s important that you work towards replacing/fixing whatever you broke. Taking the time to ensure that the lab runs smoothly makes everyone’s science move faster and increases your chance of success; not to mention, minimizes resentment towards lab members for being ‘messy’, etc.

You are responsible for all aspects of your project, and you are therefore responsible for ensuring that you have what you need to conduct your research. The Lab Manager will do general inventory and ordering periodically, but is not responsible for ensuring that you have what you need. In addition, the Lab Manager may not know if/when other lab members are blowing through general consumables. Therefore, you are responsible for gaging how fast you are exhausting any general lab consumables supplies, and for proactively ordering replacements so that others have those when they need them. If you know you are currently – or will be – using a lot of consumables, please plan ahead to make sure you order enough of those and/or sufficiently replace them. 

Ordering requires that you get a PCard (Purchasing Card), so please be proactive in getting one immediately after joining the lab. Contact Lisa White to get a p-card ([email protected]). You will need to read the p-card manual, and watch a very quick training video for it with a quiz at the end (this link is provided once the application papers have been sent out). Keep in mind that there are very strict rules about what you can and cannot use a p-card for.

In addition, you will have to learn how to do expense reports in Chrome River. You can get instructions from me or you can have your lab mates show you how to use it.

I do not ever want to hold up your research. So, please freely order those things that you need if they are ‘small’ (hundreds of dollars). For larger items and orders (several hundreds to thousands of dollars), please connect with me before ordering them so that I can make sure that any financial and administrative sides of things are in order, and so I can tell you what index(es) to charge the orders to. 

Communication and Documentation

Closed-loop communication (clear and resolved) is important. Please respond to the various forms of communication within a reasonable time frame. And, please take time to clearly articulate in your communications, and to strive for clear, unequivocal communication. The form of communication that we use for different situations is important; know when to reach out in person (or phone/video) versus when emails, Slack, or texts are sufficient. Some general suggestions are to meet in person/phone/video if you are anxious/emotional about something (but when you are calm), or when a dialogue is required (e.g., to work out details, weigh alternatives, etc.). If you need something right away, phone, text, or

Slack is probably the best way to get a hold of someone. If you need to communicate something in detail (e.g., instructions), that might be best in writing (email). Of course, do what is most comfortable for you to be clear in your communication, but recognize that communication involves others, and you therefore need to be sure that you are using an appropriate medium; sometimes this means going outside of your comfort zone (e.g., meeting in person/by phone to address a sensitive issue instead of using email/text/Slack).

It is important that we actually have difficult conversations when they are necessary (and, they will be). Please don’t shy away from difficult conversations. I recommend the book series Crucial Conversations if you shudder at the thought of having uncomfortable conversations. And, MSU’s Professional Development offers a course on this.

Slack (thumlab.slack.com) –

We have a lab channel on Slack, and this is an important communication tool. If you IM me through Slack, I am likely to get back to you more quickly than on email, because I prioritize responding to Slack over the hundreds of emails that I get each day. Everyone should strive to respond to Slack messages quickly within reason (it is, of course, okay not to respond late at night, etc.)

Lab email list –

Be sure to have a lab email list. I find email better for sharing documents for lab meetings, etc. (e.g., word or powerpoint). 

Lab Team Drive –

Stay tuned….in the meantime, please just be communicative with me about getting copies of everything that you do.

Lab server storage –

Stay tuned….in the meantime, please just be communicative with me about getting copies of everything that you do.

Lab Notebooks and Record Keeping

It is important that you meticulously and faithfully record your methods (and results) to enhance reproducibility within and beyond the lab. Think of your lab book and notes as something that allows others to repeat your work. This will save you lots of time of me and future students asking you questions! Also, it is important for you. I can’t tell you how many times I have forgotten how I did something over my career!

Obviously, fabrication or falsification of results and plagiarism are unacceptable, and lab notes can help guard against this. Please note that these violations not only affect your reputation, but all of us in the lab, as well as any collaborators, the department, and the University. If you have concerns about any of this (yourself or lab mates), please bring it to my attention immediately.

  • Careful planning will increase your study’s chance of success. Being detailed and organized with your documentation will facilitate your study.
  • Remember to take careful notes about materials, including part numbers, vendors, etc. This will make it easier to replicate methods/results in the future, which will save you time in the long run.
  • Taking time record and debrief your results along the way will help you pay close attention to your developing story, and help you determine the next steps.
  • Keeping careful notes will likely save you time by limiting the number of emails and phone calls you get from me and future students after you leave!
  • Careful notes can be critical if you are ever involved in litigation or investigation for any reason. Your lab notebooks and records can be actually subpoenaed! I don’t expect this to happen, but I would be remiss to not mention it as a proverbial stick.
  • Remember to include the date, any calculations, and any other important details. For ‘common’ lab notebooks, be sure to put your name. Please also explicitly record the results and interpretation of each study/experiment.

There are various electronic lab notebook formats available, and I encourage you to look into these if they would help you be more organized and thorough in your documentation.

Whatever platform you choose, you must share your notebook in a known location such that other lab members can benefit from the protocols and results you have observed.

Meetings

We have several regularly scheduled meetings: (1) lab meeting, (2) one-on-one meetings with me, (3) PSPP Departmental graduate student seminar (Tuesdays 410-5pm), and (4) usually a book/paper discussion club. In addition to these, we sometimes schedule subgroup meeting to tackle a particular project or topic, etc. Finally, I expect lab members to attend relevant seminars in other departments (Institute on Ecosystems, Ecology, Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Microbiology and Immunology, Animal and Range Sciences, etc.).

I expect you to make the most of these meetings. I will always try my best to give you as much time as I can in between meetings. But, please understand that I can be busy (and at times overwhelmed), which may limit my availability to you in between meetings. I expect you to do as much as you possibly can independently in between regularly scheduled meetings.

Everyone is busy. So, while meetings are important to getting things done, and they are often necessary, we cannot afford to meet more often than needed, and we cannot afford to have meetings be ineffective. A simple solution is to meet only when we need to, and to be prepared for meetings. You may find it helpful to google things related to preparing for, and leading, meetings; there are a lot of helpful resources online. 

It is important that everyone ‘be present’ at a meeting (not distracted, available to fully engage and participate, etc.). I admit that I struggle with this from time to time (especially when I’m stressed with deadlines). If you are in a mind space where you cannot be present for a meeting, you should cancel it. You should not feel pressure to meet when you are dealing with things like loss of a loved one, illness, injury, etc. Please take a moment to check-in with yourself if you are going through personal or professional challenges that might interfere with meetings, and be realistic about whether you can have an effective meeting as scheduled. If you need to cancel a meeting, I do appreciate it if you do as soon as you know it so that I can adjust my schedule.

I don’t expect this to occur, but if there is a chronic issue resulting in numerous meeting cancellations, please understand that I will need to address it frankly with you. And, please accept any natural consequences to productivity, accomplishing goals, and meeting deadlines, etc., that come from canceling meetings (e.g., pushing timelines back).

Lab meetings –

It is critically important that you cultivate your abilities to communicate your ideas and work, as well as getting and assimilating feedback on it. Lab meeting is a safe environment to develop and practice these skills, which in turn will help you in a great many aspects of your professional development and success. 

I expect lab members to sign up for at least one lab meeting slot per semester, and often you will do more. You can use the time in various ways, depending on what will help you the most at that time: present brainstorm ideas, present data, present draft writing (manuscript, proposal, chapter, etc.), discuss a paper, etc. 

In addition, being a participant in lab meeting when others are presenting exposes you to new ideas and techniques, and helps you learn how to give constructive feedback to help your lab mates be successful. 

To get and give the most during lab meeting, I have the following rules/expectations:

  • I expect everyone to attend lab meetings that they are in town for - this shows respect for your peers.
  • Pay attention, and refrain from checking phones, emails, etc. Using your computer/phone to do lab meeting relevant stuff is okay.
  • So there is enough time to cover everything, talks should be limited to 45 minutes maximum. A good rule of thumb is no more than 20-25 slides.
  • Participate by asking questions and sharing thoughts. You should commit to doing this even if you are ‘shy’, and even if you’re afraid that your questions/comments are ‘dumb’. Engaging is one of the best ways to learn and get up to speed on what’s going on. And, your participation will help the presenter understand what is not clear to their audience, and may even lead to new insights and thinking that would not have happened otherwise. Collective thinking can be very powerful. If you feel like you are talking too much, take a step back for a few minutes and let others chime in. If nobody does, feel free to get back to it!
  • Give feedback to your peers about their presentations and how you think they could be improved.
  • Please be sure to send me copies of any final materials (talks, manuscripts, etc.)
  • Every several lab meetings or so, I will try to lead a group activity. These will probably be related to career development, communication skills, mentoring, etc.
  • Presentations should be professional (no swearing, treat all questions as worthy of a considered response), clear (introduce the overall question your work is attempting to address), rigorous (be critical of your own data), and time-aware (be cognizant of the time and don’t hesitate to say ‘that’s very useful input but I’d like to continue this conversation off-line so that I can get your opinion on some things I don’t yet understand later in the presentation’).

One-on-one meetings –

I meet with everyone in the lab at least once every two weeks. These meetings are primarily to provide a touchpoint so we are aware of what is going on. My goal during these meetings is to be as helpful as I can be. To enable this, I ask that you send me slides or an illustrative word document at least the night before our meeting. I also suggest you document notes from the meeting (including the goals that we lay out at the end of the meeting for your next 1-2 weeks of research, depending on how often we meet). This helps us focus our time in our meetings to go over the previous goals and see your progress.

Sometimes we will need longer meetings to dive into the details of your work (study design, data collection, analysis, communication), and I expect there to be periods of more frequent meetings with every student over the course of their degree. Be sure to use some of your 1 on 1 meeting time to schedule any of these meetings. And, please be out in front of these meetings, as I may need 1-2 weeks’ notice to get sufficient time scheduled. I.e., don’t lose track of a deadline that puts you in the position of needing an urgent meeting with me to meet the deadline.

For prospective students and lab members, an important question to ask yourself is how much time you think you will need to spend/work with me to be successful. I will make myself as available to you as I possibly can. But, in reality, because of the myriad aspects of my job (and associated meetings and time commitments), there will be constraints to how much I can meet with you. If you feel that you would need to work, on average, several hours together each week for you to succeed, you would be better off in a lab where the PI has more time available. If you think you can do most of your work independently and make the most out of regular meetings and occasional additional meetings, I think you will be quite successful in the lab. I encourage you to use the advisor-advisee expectations tool to think through this (ask me to send you a copy). 

For weekly or bi-weekly reports. Please:

  • Send a brief update (bullets/slides) that describes your progress towards the goals/tasks that you defined since our last formal meeting. Please send these the day before our scheduled one-on-one meeting so that I have time to read and actually THINK about things before our meeting.
  • Please name the report with your name and date so there is a time series that we can look back through if/when it is helpful to do so.
  • Please use a first slide that has the date prominently displayed. I then take that slide set and merge it to the end of a slide set that has all your slides. That way, we can easily scroll up to look at data from past weeks and the date slide serves as a rough time signature.
  • State the title and goal of each project on a separate slide. Obviously, this won’t change most weeks but it is very helpful to me and probably not bad for you, to see what you are really trying to accomplish with the work. And it “costs” nothing to have those slides repeated in the cumulative slide deck.
  • Include any recent results in graphical format. It’s often helpful to have a schematic of the experiment (a hand-drawn picture is fine) as well as the results.
  • Describe short-term experimental plans.
  • Feel free to include a prompt for any other items you wish to discuss (administrative, personal, etc.)

If either of us in unavailable for your regularly scheduled meeting time (conferences, etc.), we can either skip that week’s meeting or try to reschedule it for another time that week. The decision will largely be up to you (but I might insist one way or another from time to time). We should not skip multiple meetings in a row. If and when that happens, I will likely interpret it as avoiding me, which I will likely interpret as you struggling. 

I will try to give as much notice of any chance as possible but I occasionally learn of a meeting I need to attend on short notice. I expect the same of you and will likewise understand if things unavoidably change. 

If my door is shut when you show up to your meeting, please knock to let me know that you are there. I often continue meetings with people until the next person is ready to meet, so your knock will be my cue to end that meeting and begin yours.

Seminars on MSU’s campus – 

It is a basic expectation of mine (and most faculty) that you will attend PSPP’s weekly graduate student seminar. These seminars are a great way to learn about what is going on in the labs around you, which should help you connect with your peers and colleagues. Further, it is an important service to provide your peers and colleagues to support them by attending, and to challenge them and provide them with feedback to improve and enhance their work. 

In my experience here, some students intuit that they only need to attend these seminars during the semester that they are enrolled in the required annual one-credit seminar course for the department. I want to be clear that I expect you will attend these in both semesters, and not just the semester where you are formally enrolled. And, I expect you to be open-minded about seminars that do not appear on the surface to be relevant to your work. You can always get a lot out of attending a seminar if you have an open mind.

In addition to our weekly graduate seminars, there are many additional opportunities to attend seminars around campus, and I expect you to invest time into attending these when they are relevant. [This is harder to do than say….]. The LRES department sends out a list of seminars the following week. You should get on this email list if you are not already. I try to email the lab group when there is a seminar that I think would be of broad or specific interest to the group. Some departments that routinely have seminars that are relevant to our lab group are: Ecology, Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Institute on Ecosystems, Microbiology and Immunology, and Animal and Range Sciences, among others.

I expect you to take full advantage of any external seminar speakers that visit our Department, or relevant speakers visiting other departments at MSU. I expect you to attend all external speaker seminars at PSPP that you are in town for, regardless of whether they appear to be relevant to your work or not. And, I expect you to attend any associated activities with the speaker. For example, there are typically graduate student lunches for external seminar speakers. And, there are often social activities (e.g., ‘happy hour’) after the speaker’s seminar. Regardless of who the speaker is, I’m sure their visit has something to offer you. You never know, that speaker just may happen to be somewhere that you ultimately apply for a job at!

Book/journal club –

Each semester, the lab typically either organizes or participates in a discussion group. Usually these are organized around a specific book (but not always). As a general rule, it will be to your benefit to participate in these discussion groups, and it is therefore my general expectation that you will. That said, it is possible that the topic of the discussion group is too far outside of the scope and context of your research to warrant investing your time into it. If you question where the line is, I highly encourage you to speak frankly with me about whether you should participate in any given semester’s discussion group.

In addition to participating, you will get the most out of discussion group if you organize one around a topic that is relevant to your research and interests. Please make suggestions for discussion group topics. In fact, I believe the majority of discussion group topics and materials (e.g., books) have been chosen by graduate students.

Undergraduate Scholars Program presentations –

It is common for undergraduate students to do research in the lab as part of MSU’s Undergraduate Scholar's Program (USP). As a USP student in the lab, you are an official lab member, and I expect you to participate as such. Of course, I understand that you are unlikely to have the same availability for lab activities as many other lab members, because you will also likely be taking a full course load. However, I encourage you to immerse yourself as much as possible into the lab culture and activities. My undergraduate research experience is what got me hooked on academia. And, I have seen undergraduates learn that they do NOT want to be in academia through these experiences. Either way, an immersion is the best way to know whether you really want to do research.

Presenting and communicating your work is an essential part of science; science is not just data collection. I require every USP student to do a final presentation at the end of the semester. This can take a variety of non-exclusive forms – report, oral presentation, poster presentation. In any case, every USP student should sign up for a lab meeting near the end of the semester to present their work. 

Feedback on Talks, Fellowship Applications, and Manuscripts

All presentations, manuscripts, proposals, and applications benefit greatly from constructive feedback. Often, getting feedback from your lab mates, peers, colleagues, and collaborators increases the chances of acceptance, and decreases the number of required revisions after submission. In addition, giving constructive feedback is a valuable skill, and helps improve your own talks and writing. I encourage everyone to schedule (and attend) one another’s practice talks and to circulate applications and manuscripts around the lab before submission. Please take the time to read each other’s applications thoroughly (this takes hours) and think hard about how they can be improved. 

Keep in mind that weekly lab meetings are unlikely to be able to accommodate all of the presentations and writing that lab members are doing/need to do. I expect that you will schedule practice talks and feedback sessions outside of lab meeting, and I expect all lab members to do everything they can to attend these extra sessions.

Finally, ‘work backwards’ from your deadline, and be sure to solicit feedback early and often. In my experience, students (especially ones earlier in their program) tend to wait too long to get feedback.

Start much earlier than you are comfortable doing, and I can all but guarantee that you will produce a better product!

Conferences

Attending conferences is an extremely important and valuable part of your professional development, and I expect that students, post-docs, and staff in my lab will be eager to attend them. Attending conferences as an undergrad and grad student played a major role in hooking me on science! And, conferences are still one of the things that I most look forward to as a faculty member. Conferences are a chance for you to see cutting-edge science months before you will have an opportunity to read about it in journals. And, they are an excellent chance for you to meet other people in the field and network, as well as be exposed to the ‘culture’ of the discipline or sector that is hosting the conference (e.g., academic conferences versus professional societies organized around trade or industry, etc.). 

When you attend a conference, you represent the lab, and expose others to the science that we do in the lab. When you go to conferences, please attend all sessions and take notes to share what you learned with the rest of the lab. In addition to giving you a chance to network with colleagues from around the world, impress them with your talent and hard work, and make the connections that will benefit you in your future career, your conference attendance can also be important for me. Faculty at these meetings are potential collaborators, and potential letters for faculty career development like tenure and promotion. I really appreciate your making the effort to represent the lab in the strongest way possible!

You should include some notes and reflection along with your expense receipts that you submit for reimbursement.

To help ensure that you have the most productive conference possible, here are a few lab guidelines regarding abstract, practice talks, and posters:

Please plan to attend ~ 1 conference per year. I will try to remember to send you information about conferences that I will be attending, or that are relevant to you. However, I also encourage you to search for meetings of interest on your own, as well as to make it a point to ask me about conferences that might be relevant. In general, I recommend that over your tenure as a graduate student that you try to attend one or more ‘hardcore’ academic conferences (e.g., Ecological Society of America, Society for the Study of Evolution) and one or more ‘professional conferences’ (e.g., Aquatic Plant Management Society). Attending both types of conferences will expose you to different job/career paths, and different cultures. Please discuss your conference choices with me, as I will be funding a lot of your travel and I need to make sure it fits within the lab budget.

It is important that you plan sufficiently ahead of time when attending a conference. Many of the points below illustrate why it is important to plan ahead, and what that planning should consist of.

  • It is best to ask me about conferences early on when you come to the lab, because conferences occur at different times of the year, and commonly require registration and abstract submission months in advance of the conference.
  • Please understand that conferences are very expensive. There is registration (usually a few hundred dollars), air travel (several hundred dollars), lodging for several days, and food. I will do everything that I can to cover all of the costs for you to attend conferences. But, you should also do everything in your power to obtain travel support and to cut costs.
    • MSU and PSPP both offer some sources of conference travel support, so you should look into these. And, Societies hosting meetings sometimes offer student travel support (the Aquatic Plant Management Societies are very generous with student support, and these are therefore great opportunities to attend conferences cheaply).
    • Rooming with other student attendees is a great way to cut lodging costs in half or more. Rooming alone is a luxury that students will not commonly be able to afford.  Please be respectful of your co-authors’ time, and let everyone who will be a co-author on your conference submission know that you are planning to submit an abstract > 4 weeks before the submission deadline. The abstracts are often considered a public disclosure, so it is important to give all authors time to consider whether they feel comfortable with a disclosure at this time.
  • When you reach out to co-authors as above, ask them how much time they will need to provide comments on your abstract draft. As a general rule, you should give them at least one week prior to submission. This gives other authors an opportunity to comment and make changes so that the abstract is something they have signed off on and are comfortable with.
  • You must provide a draft abstract to Ryan before you may register for a conference. Conferences are a tremendous opportunity, so I want to make sure you make the most of them and put the best foot forward when representing yourself and the lab!
  • For a conference where you will be giving a talk, you should schedule at least two practice talks before the conference so that you have sufficient time to address the comments provided by your audience.
  • For a conference where you will be presenting a poster, you should share a copy of your poster and schedule a time for everyone to view it and make suggestions for how to improve it.
  • You have many opportunities to get feedback and practice, but only one opportunity to actually present your work at the conference. Make it count!
  • Meeting new people is one of the most important aspects of any conference. To meet new people, I strongly suggest that you sit at meals with people you don’t already know! Introduce yourself to people you sit next to - you can start a conversation by asking ‘what do you work on?’ or ‘what is the coolest thing you’ve heard so far?’.

Poster presentations

As a general rule with posters, less is more. Posters that are jammed with stuff – especially text – are not inviting to viewers, especially in the stimulating (distracting) environments where poster sessions are often held. The basic idea is that you lure folks in with your poster, but much of your poster presentation should involve walking viewers through the work. Display the most important figures required to understand the main points of your work, and restrict text to bullet points. 

Conference talks

I trust you to give a good talk, and I am always impressed when I hear lab members present their work. But remember that ALL talks can be improved with feedback. Plan to practice your talk at a lab meeting, or organize a time outside of lab meeting. I recommend two practice sessions before giving a talk (in addition to practicing several times on your own): (1) an initial session where you lay out your ideas and draft slides to help you organize your talk, and (2) a follow up (one or two weeks later) where you practice the actual talk. The first session is generally not you practicing, but more a discussion, whereas during the second session, attendees should let you practice uninterrupted, and save their feedback for the end.

For your practice talk, I strongly encourage you to invite people from outside the lab – colleagues, peers, friends, and especially committee members. It is important to have people from outside the lab to catch internal lab jargon and specific knowledge that we might take for granted as specialists. 

Including data from others in the lab (current and previous) can often strengthen a talk. If these data are published, cite them appropriately on the relevant slide(s). If the data are not published, be sure to talk to the person concerned before including their data to get their permission, and be sure to acknowledge their contribution verbally and in writing (including a photo is a great way to remind yourself to do this, and to do some PR for the contributor).

Please also be sure to deposit all of your slides on the lab drive so that your lab mates and I can use them in our own talks! [This may save you from receiving an email from me asking you for a slide or info for me to include in something that I am working on. …but, it also may not if I am forgetful….]

Internships/Time Spent Away in Other Labs

Our lab cannot possibly have all of the tools and skills that are needed for everyone’s research. One of the most exciting things about research is learning new skills and techniques and ways of looking at things. Therefore, many lab members will have to go outside of the lab to learn new things. Visiting another lab (or interning at a company, etc.) can be an amazing opportunity for you (and the lab/research program). I encourage students to make connections with experts outside of the lab, and ask them to be on your committee, and ask if you can visit their lab for a period of time to learn anything that might be critical/beneficial to your research and professional development. I will do everything I can to fund or defray costs for visiting another lab/institution. 

Lab/Departmental Retreats

PSPP does not currently have a departmental retreat, but there have been some discussions. I would be open to doing an annual lab retreat, but I would need the lab members to lead the effort. I do have a couple of very nice venues that we could probably use for a lab retreat, including my family’s lake house on McGregor Lake near Marion, MT, and my family’s condo in Sun Valley, ID.

Papers

Early on in your time in the lab, I highly recommend that you read the paper by George Whitesides (2004; ask me for a copy). Other great books to read (and they are easy to read) are Joshua Schimel’s Writing Science, Tara Gray’s Publish and Flurish, and Paul Silvia’s How to Write A Lot. There are also several writing courses at MSU, and I encourage you to take one or more of these as part of your Program of Study. Finally, writing groups are a great idea, and I encourage students and other lab members to start or participate in a writing group (recruiting students from other labs and departments is an excellent idea).

Students commonly think that it is too early for them to start writing, and that they will write when they have more things figured out. This is generally a mistake. There is always stuff you can (and should) be writing (ideas, introductions, methods, proposals, literature reviews, to name just a few things). Just do it! Try to write for 15 minutes every day.

Authorship –

Except in rare circumstances, I expect that you will be the primary author on papers that result from your work in the lab. However, much of the work that we do in our lab is done collaboratively, and so it will be common for you to have co-authors on your papers. It is my hope that lab members would actively collaborate with one another. Individual lab members bring a diversity of skills and perspectives that can be powerful when harnessed to design, conduct, and interpret a study. Working collaboratively can be rewarding, and it provides excellent opportunities for professional and personal growth, especially when dealing with challenges (communication, consensus, different approaches, etc.). 

A general rule of thumb when determining authorship is to ask whether someone’s contribution was necessary for the paper. This can include conception of the study, study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and actual writing. It can be tricky (stressful) to determine who warrants co-authorship versus acknowledgement. I encourage you to have frank and open conversations about authorship.

Authorship can be fluid over the course of time, especially when papers integrate several parts that were done over a long period of time. It can be easy to forget the contributions of people who were instrumental early in the process, and it is important that you familiarize yourself with a project’s history if you have ‘inherited’ it. If you are the lead author on a manuscript and you leave the lab before the work is completed, we will do our best to keep you in a lead or prominent authorship position - but often it will be necessary to do additional experiments, perform revisions, and carry out new analyses that will require substantial effort from another lab member. In these cases, it will be important to ensure that those lab members that carry out this additional work are appropriately credited (and incentivized to help push your paper through to publication!). It is important to have frank conversations. If you find yourself anxious about authorship, or even worse, sour, that should be your cue to step into that conversation instead of avoiding it. 

I expect that I will be a co-author on most every paper that comes out of work performed in my lab. Here are some specific ways that I expect to contribute to your writing.

  • More than likely, I will have written a grant that provided the funding, a conceptual framework, and often even specific study ideas and methods. You should be sure to ask me for copies of all relevant grants for your work, and you are more than welcome to heavily ‘borrow’ from these documents in your writing. There is no reason to reinvent wheels, and it is difficult to plagiarize me if I’m a coauthor.
  • Often, I will contribute to the organization of your paper. I have a lot of practice with writing in general, and I have specific knowledge of the historical development and context of lab research. I can therefore help you construct the ‘funnel’ of your Introduction, and the ‘reverse funnel’ of your Discussion. 
  • I am likely to do a lot of ‘wordsmithing’ to polish up the writing and make sure it is smooth, readable, and fits with your audience’s ‘schemas’ (see Schimel’s book). I will try my absolute best to mindful to let you have your own voice (style). But, I am an expert in my field, and I therefore have a strong sense of what will versus will not work for an audience (e.g., where they may misinterpret, or get their feathers ruffled, etc.). For example, some specific words get specialized reviewers fired up (e.g., tolerance vs resistance in the APM herbicide field), and they need to be used carefully. Please know that the intention of my wordsmithing will always be to help you, and not to control you or take your voice away. I will certainly let you learn some lessons “the hard way”, but my wordsmithing will generally be to create a smoother path to acceptance of your paper.
  • I will help you respond to reviewer’s criticisms. However, you must take the lead. It is important that you wrestle with the criticisms. These can be frustrating because they stand in the way of getting published (and, of course, reviewer are always ‘wrong’! [no, they aren’t]). But, digesting these criticisms, and responding to them, make you a better scientist and a better writer!
  • I expect all students to take the clear lead in writing their paper(s), but I also have different realistic expectations for different career stages. For example, it is unrealistic to expect an undergraduate or MSc student (or even a ‘young’ PhD student without a MSc) to write a polished scientific paper. I am therefore more likely to be involved in all aspects of writing with these students (outline, organization, wordsmithing). For PhD students, especially those further along in their program, I expect most of the published text to be their original. By the time you are writing up your final dissertation chapter(s), you should be expert and accomplished enough in your specialized area that most of your organization and words remain.

The writing process –

For most of us, writing scientific papers is very hard; especially early on in our careers. My first piece of advice is to just start writing before you are ready; from day one! Every book I have read about writing makes this suggestion. Don’t wait to get started, just jump in. You will probably throw away a lot of what you write. Don’t think of that as a waste; it is an immutable part of the process, so getting started early just means you will get to the end faster. 

I encourage everyone to write a proposal for every paper that they plan to write, even if the concept and design – or even data – was ‘handed down’ to you. Writing a proposal is a good way to simulate what question is being asked, why it is important, what background people need to understand the question and the approach, and what you expect the contribution of the work to be. This process should make it easier to write the paper, because you will have some framework with which to interpret your study results. [That said, it is also okay to wildly explore your data after you have it in hand (see Schimel’s book)].

I encourage you to use outlines to develop your writing products (see the paper by George Whitesides 2004). This makes it a lot easier to reorganize chunks of your writing, which is common. I also encourage you to focus your Results and Discussion by making your tables and figures and writing to them. It is common to make changes to tables and figures, and early meetings about your papers should probably consist of sitting down with each table and figure and going through them with a fine-toothed comb to get them exactly as they should be. Your tables and figures should tell your story, and that will make it easier to write to them. 

I encourage you to use meetings with me, your committee, lab meeting, and your PSPP graduate seminar as opportunities to sketch and flesh out a general idea/outline for the paper, including organizing around the main figure(s) and the main points you/we want to get across. During less formal meetings (1 on 1, lab meeting), the white board is a great tool!

It is critical that you get feedback from people inside and outside the lab! I am commonly amazed by the powerful insights that can come from sharing ideas and data with others that might have a unique perspective; sometimes they see things that you don’t when you are so immersed in the details. I especially encourage you to find colleagues and collaborators outside of our department/institution that are experts in your area. And, I encourage you to utilize your graduate committee (I think graduate committees are generally underutilized by students). 

In the final stages of manuscript writing, make sure your draft is ‘tight’ (polished). Be certain to edit carefully for spelling and grammar, make sure all figure panels are referenced in order, and check all of your references to make sure they are correct and that you have covered all of the relevant literature. Take your craft of writing seriously, and be professional. One of the easiest ways to annoy reviewers is to be sloppy with spelling, grammar, references, or tables and figures. 

Stipends, Tutition and Coursework

For the vast majority of students, you will be funded either as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) by me, or by your home Department (usually as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, GTA). In addition, I do my absolute best to cover all tuition. If you are on a Departmental RA or TA, this usually comes with a tuition waiver. If you are paid by me as a GRA, I will cover tuition if the funding source allows. Some funding sources (usually state funds) will not allow tuition expenses. In these cases, I will cover your tuition from my general funds, so long as I have them. If I do not have sufficient funds, I will normally increase your stipend to try and offset or defray the tuition costs as much as possible. 

Please recognize (and appreciate) the value of receiving a stipend and tuition. You are essentially being paid to get a free education for an advanced degree that will no doubt allow you to live comfortably when you are placed in whatever terminal position you are striving for (faculty, government, private). I understand that graduate stipends are relatively small, and that there are plenty of financial hardships that can come along with making such a limited amount of money. But do take moments to reflect and be grateful for what you have, and to recognize that the financial investment in you by me and the University is significant.

Because tuition dollars are real, I expect that you will be efficient with your Program of Study. Unless there are exceptional circumstances that are discussed frankly with me, and approved by me, I expect that you will only take six credits per semester. I expect you to be aware of the requirements for the Program of Study. And, I expect that you will do everything that you possibly can to graduate ‘on time’ (two years for a MSc, five years for a PhD). In most cases where the time to degree is extended, that will come along with more funding from me. But, please understand that I may not be able to (or choose to) fund you beyond the expected time frame if the required extension is because of a failure on your part to complete things in a timely manner.

If you are still interested in taking a course that you think will benefit you later in your career, you are almost always able to do so by auditing rather than taking the course officially. In the end, however, it is your research - and not your course performance - that earns you your PhD.

Reagents

Shared reagents –

For the most part, we try to keep reagents separate in the lab, so that each person has their own reagents. However, we cannot afford for everyone to have their own stocks of everything, so many stock reagents will be shared, and individuals should take aliquots of those stocks as they are needed (and carefully!). 

Maintaining stocks of shared reagents requires everyone to pay attention to how much we have on hand, and whether and when we are in need of ordering a replacement well before the stock is gone.

One of the most frustrating things with benchwork is going to get a reagent only to find we are out! Please be a good lab citizen and order more when the reagent is running low (e.g., next to last tube or box)!

Unique reagents –

Please store all unique reagents in a box that is clearly marked with your name and the date. Please place your name or initials on every tube of important/unique reagents so that we can make sure we don’t inadvertently discard something important when we go through a routine cleanup.

Letters of Recommendation

Part of my job is help you get where you want to go next in your career. For some of you, this may be more school. For others, a postdoc and/or faculty position. And, still for others, a job in the private sector, government, etc. 

My best advice to you is to behave and perform in the lab according to what you would like me to say about you in my letter of recommendation. As Stephen Covey says, “begin with the end in mind”. I will write you strong letters, but I will be very honest in them. In addition, letter writers are often asked to give feedback on a number of qualities using a rank scale (e.g., 1-5); this includes things like: motivation, time management, reliability/dependability, honesty/integrity, ability to work independently, ability to work with others, potential for leadership, communication, etc.

Please know that in addition to the glowing reviews that I will likely give you, I often try to include a short section of a recommendation letter on an area of growth for you, and/or an area where you (and they) would benefit from mentoring/coaching. Each of us has one or more areas for growth, and I think it is important to identify these areas so that your next mentor can pick things up in the appropriate place. I encourage you to ask me about what I feel is/are your area(s) of growth. I would be glad to show you a draft of my letters and work with you on them (briefly, and provided you give me enough time).

A few logistics about requesting letters –

  • Please give me a couple of weeks’ notice so that I have enough time to write a thoughtful letter. And, check in with me a week before the letter is due, and a couple of days before the letter is due, to make sure that I have submitted it.
  • When requesting a letter, please also include any instructions that the institution has for the letter. Perhaps more importantly, include a paragraph describing what position you are applying for, why you are interested in it, and a current copy of your CV.
  • Please include several bullet points of things that you would like/hope for me to say or address in the letter. I will be sure to focus on those aspects if I am able to.
  • Finally, if you list me as a reference, please give me a heads up so that I know to expect a call. Please know that I will answer all reference questions honestly.

Leaving the Lab

When you move on from the lab, please:

  • Leave lab notebooks in an organized and accessible form and make sure that we know how to access your notebook.
  • Leave a list of all materials and reagents that might be useful to others, appropriately indexed and accessible to others. If we have a lab manager at the time of your departure, please work with them to transfer materials, reagents, and information. Please store this on the Team Drive and send a copy to me as well.
  • Clean up after yourself! Please be sure that all areas that you worked are completely cleaned up: lab bench, refrigerators, freezers, greenhouse, lab computer areas, and your desk/office space. Discard all materials that could truly be of no use to others, and work with me or the lab manager to transfer other materials. Before you physically leave, you should arrange a time to do a debrief and walk through of all of your work areas.
  • Help me think about the direction your project should take in the future. For all projects that you worked on – especially those that were never completed – please write a brief summary (including relevant tables/figures/supplementary materials) of where it is at: what has been done, what needs to be done to complete it, what could be done to improve/extend it, etc. These documents can be included as appendices in your thesis/dissertation. These documents can also be helpful for you; remember that we can always collaborate after you have moved on from the lab. And, I am open to frank conversations about what aspect(s) you think are yours alone versus “the lab’s” versus things that could be developed collaboratively.
  • Write up any unpublished results in a timely way and take responsibility for doing such once away.
  • Go through the lab computers and Team Drive and server space and clean up/delete redundant files that take up a lot of space (e.g., GeneMapper files that you made to quickly check on data, etc.). Never delete data that is associated with a publication or may be useful to others, but think through whether it might be possible to prune down what is stored on any computers/server.
  • Please check back in periodically through life! I care about all who have ever been in the lab and hope to maintain some level of contact forever. In addition, I am required to provide current status information to funders on a periodic basis (e.g., for training grants).

Expectations for Different Career Stages

PhD student expectations –

  • Your primary focus should be working towards your dissertation. It will be a challenge to balance the various aspects of a graduate immersion (RA/TA, courses, seminars, discussion groups, etc), but be sure that you always make time for your dissertation research, even when other ‘more urgent’ things press on you. In the end, your research and dissertation is what gets you your PhD.
  • I view a dissertation as three publishable (not published) datasets and associated manuscripts. You can always do more than this, depending on your professional and career goals, but I do not think students are ready to defend until they meet this criterion. However, the scope, scale, and target audience for those papers can vary student to student, depending on their career goals. If you plan to be a Research Professor at a major research institution, you may want to shoot for more papers, and target broader, ‘high impact factor’ journals. If your desired job/career prospect does not put as large a premium on publications to be competitive, then you can target more specialized journals.
  • Seek out, and take advantage of, opportunities to mentor undergraduate and new graduate students. I can help arrange these. If you are mentoring someone, your time in lab should be during more “regular” hours (i.e. 9am - 5pm).
  • Develop research skills that span wet lab techniques, computation and analysis, hardware and automation, and asking the right questions and using best practice.
  • Present at lab meetings, typically 2-3 times per year. This will be required regardless of where you are in your project (just starting, troubleshooting, collecting data, writing a paper, etc.).
  • Expand your network. Attend conferences, seminars, events, etc. to connect with as many professionals in (and outside) your field as possible.
  • You should do everything you can to graduate in five years.
  • Engage me and your labmates in thinking about your career options - they are a great source of advice and a huge networking resource.
  • As part of the annual evaluation process, we will have a frank conversation about whether you should continue with the PhD. I expect in most cases this will just be affirmation. But, it is possible for your plans or priorities to change, and it makes sense to re-evaluate (and likely reaffirm) ‘fit’ between your interests, the lab, and the program. This conversation should be open and candid. It is ‘okay’ to decide that things aren’t working out, and to find a win-win exit strategy in those cases. It is much better to part amicably than to drag things out and have the relationship and productivity fall apart.

MSc student expectations –

  • Your primary focus should be working towards your thesis. It will be a challenge to balance the various aspects of a graduate immersion (RA/TA, courses, seminars, discussion groups, etc), but be sure that you always make time for your thesis research, even when other ‘more urgent’ things press on you. In the end, your research and thesis is what gets you your MSc.
  • I view a master’s thesis as one publishable (not published) dataset and an associated manuscript. You can do more depending on your professional and career goals, but a master’s student is not ready to defend until they meet this criterion. The scope, scale, and target audience for a master’s publication will vary student to student, largely because it will depend on the project. Master’s students’ projects tend to be ‘handed down’ more so than PhD students’ projects, and different projects lend themselves more to different target audiences and journals.
  • Seek out, and take advantage of, opportunities to mentor undergraduate and new graduate students. I can help arrange these. If you are mentoring someone, your time in lab should be during more “regular” hours (i.e. 9am - 5pm).
  • Develop research skills that span wet lab techniques, computation and analysis, hardware and automation, and asking the right questions and using best practice.
  • Present at lab meetings, typically 2-3 times per year. This will be required regardless of where you are in your project (just starting, troubleshooting, collecting data, writing a paper, etc.).
  • Expand your network. Attend conferences, seminars, events, etc. to connect with as many professionals in (and outside) your field as possible.
  • You should do everything you can to graduate in two academic years; e.g., the end of the Spring term of your second year. It is common for MSc students to go slightly beyond this (e.g., Summer of their second year, or Fall of a third year). However, keep in mind that going beyond two years carries the risk of the project no longer having funds for Graduate RAs.
  • Engage me and your labmates in thinking about your career options - they are a great source of advice and a huge networking resource.

Undergraduate expectations –

  • I expect undergraduates to attend lab meetings and relevant project meetings. Attending these meetings is important for you to get exposed to the context of the research that is being done, which in turn helps you understand why you are doing what you are doing, instead of just doing it (e.g., why is it important that you are using some pipette to put one clear liquid into another, etc.). Attending project meetings is important so that specific work tasks can be identified, scheduled, contextualized, and understood. Finally, attending these meetings should foster ideas for feasible independent resarch projects that fit underneath the broad framework of the lab's vision and mission. Please understand that as an undergraduate, you are unavailable to attend lab and project meetings, I might decide that the orrportunity to work in the lab for that semester is inviable.
  • Undergraduate students should expect to participate in a variety of different facets of the lab. In addition to any independent research project that an undergraduate is working on (e.g., as part of a training program, or independent study, etc.), undergraduate students should expect to assist graduate students and postdocs with research/data collection on various ongoing projects. As much as possible, I will try to pair you up with a more senior lab member that you can use as a point of contact. However, if there is something specific you would like to learn or practice, please let us know. We are invested in your development as a scientist.
  • I prefer a ‘long-term’ commitment from undergraduate interns, which ideally includes at least one summer of working in the lab full time. There just isn’t a lot that can actually get accomplished during a semester (or less) at the undergraduate level between my obligations (teaching, etc.) and undergraduates’ course loads (and personal lives!).
  • You are expected to be in the lab as long and as often as it takes to fulfill your lab obligations, which is typically around ten hours per week during the academic year, and up to full time during the summer.
  • You are expected to present your research at a lab meeting. Regardless of the scope of the research or the scale of completion, it is important that you present your research. This provides you with excellent practice for communicating your science. Perhaps more importantly, this challenges you to synthesize your resarch, which in turn will facilitate critical feedback from your labmates. Both of these things will give you excellent exposure to scientific practice, and will certainly improve your science!
  • I will challenge you to be independent, and many undergraduates struggle with the lack of structure that is often different from what you will have experienced in your classes to this point. It is important that you are challenged to manage and structure your time and your efforts.
  • The above said, you should not feel compelled to completely overwhelm yourself. At this point in your scientific career getting your degree is your priority. Make sure you are attending and engaging in your courses, and enjoying your undergraduate time! If you find that you are undable or unwilling to make time for the things described above in addition to your courses and your outside life, that probably indicates that you are not yet ready to be involved in a research laboratory.

Staff expectations –

  • It is fair to say that a lot gets thrown at technicians and lab managers, and you can suddenly find yourself with a lot on your plate. It is therefore important to set appropriate limits on what you can work on at any given time, to have clear communication with me about priorities (which can change quickly), and especially to reach out and ask for help when you need it. My intention will never be to overload you, but I do rely on lab staff to work on lots of different things simultaneously, because that is the reality of a busy (and productive) laboratory.
  • Help mentor undergraduate, new graduate, and rotation students.
  • Assist with the onboarding of new lab members by providing the necessary documents and training info.
  • Assist with graduate student and postdoc research/data collection when time permits.
  • Develop your own independent research direction. You are also here to develop your research skills! Work with Ryan to create a research project that will still allow you to perform your management duties.
  • Present your research at lab meeting typically 1-2 per year.
  • Be in the lab at typical workday times and maintain a fairly regular schedule. The lab manager is an essential resource for everyone in the lab and should be as accessible as possible.
  • Routinely monitor our inventory, and place orders as necessary to refill general lab supplies. Materials, reagents, and supplies for students’ specific projects is primarily their responsibility, but I expect students will need your help from time to time. This will be especially true for new students that do not know the ropes of inventory and ordering, yet. Please be patient with new people, and help work them towards independence on inventory and ordering (i.e., don’t just do it for them, show them how to do it).
  • Check in with me routinely on financial status of grants (“indexes”). I may ask you to resolve billing issues that arise if/when you are familiar enough with the situation to do so.
  • Lab staff are also an important part of the department community and culture, so I recommend lab staff to attend seminars, departmental events, and conferences whenever possible. These are important ways to make connections and to advance your career development.

Postdoctoral fellow expectations –

  • Help mentor undergraduate and graduate students. As the most senior researchers in the lab, your expertise is invaluable to the younger/less experienced lab members. You may be assigned (or request) a rotation or undergrad student. Note that if you are mentoring someone, your time in lab should be during more “regular” hours (i.e. 9am - 5pm).
  • Expand your network. Attend conferences, seminars, events, etc. to connect with as many professionals in (and outside) your field as possible.
  • Present at lab meetings, typically 2-3 times per year. This will be required regardless of where you are in your project (just starting, troubleshooting, collecting data, writing a paper, etc.).
  • Because postdocs are almost certainly to be funded by ‘soft’ money, your time in the lab will be variable (based on your contract) (but usually not less than one year). Please actively engage me in thinking about your new career plans - I am happy to offer advice and server as a networking resource to help you find your next position.

Annual Evaluations

Formal evaluations are an important tool for clear communication about progress and performance. Although these can be stressful at times, please understand that their purpose is to help you. I will strive to be open and honest in these evaluations, and expect you to be open and honest in them, too.

Each semester, I will do a GRA or GTA evaluation form, depending on how your stipend is covered. The annual review of academic progress is conducted at the end of every Spring semester, and I occasionally do these at the end of the Fall semester, too. I can send you copies of these forms if you remind me to.

Before each semester, you will determine your semester goals, and a timeline for when you will complete each of them. This ‘exercise’ is primarily intended to be a valuable assessment tool for you, but it is also critical for objectively evaluating your academic progress. Of course, you should review your goals and timeline before each scheduled 1 on 1 meeting with me, so that we can continuously monitor progress towards your goals, and make changes when they are warranted.

Expectations for me

The advisor-advisee relationship is a very important one. I have had excellent and productive relationships with students that have blossomed into collaborations, and even friendships, that continue today. I have also had relationships go south, and even fall apart. There are (at least) two important factors influencing where the relationships goes: 1) the ‘fit’ between the advisor’s and advisee’s expectations, and 2) communication. For the former, I have a very helpful tool that I encourage students (especially prospective ones) to use to help them identify their expectations for the advisor (me) and them, and whether the two fit. Once in the lab, clear, open, and honest communication is key.

I will:

  • Listen carefully, and respect, the professional goals that you lay out for yourself, and I will provide you with thoughtful scientific and professional guidance that furthers your progress toward your professional goals. This guidance may challenge you at times, and my guidance may not always be what you want to hear. But, please trust that my intention will always be to help you, and to be completely honest with you when doing that.
  • Treat each lab member equitably and with respect. I will undoubtedly have a unique relationship with each lab member, so I cannot possibly treat everyone exactly the same (because each is unique!). But, I will treat everyone fairly, and I wish for everyone’s success equally – and will strive equally to help everyone succeed.
  • Respect your time. If I can’t make a meeting I will let you know as soon as possible so we can reschedule. If you send me a document to edit I will try to return it to you in a timely manner (it is a good idea to clearly communicate when you need it by, and to get me to commit to a specific time). If you feel like I’ve forgotten (which will inevitably happen on occasion), send me a text or email reminder.
  • Provide timely, constructive, and honest feedback to your research development and drafts of scholarly products (papers, seminars, etc.).
  • Meet with individuals weekly (or bi-weekly), attend all lab meetings, and be as available as possible for consultation. You are likely to encounter times where you need more interaction with me than 1 on 1 meetings, and I will do everything I can to make myself available during those times (but some things, like teaching schedules, are immutable for me). For example, I have commonly worked with students twice or more per week to get a manuscript or proposal submitted. If you feel like you need more time with me, and aren’t getting it, you need to speak up.
  • Give you credit for your work, especially in public presentations. And, I will do everything I can to promote you and introduce you to possible networks. That said, you should know better than me who in your field you might want to be introduced to, so be sure to communicate that with me so that I can do any specific introductions or promotions of your work.
  • Be a life-long mentor to whatever extent that you choose to engage me in that role. I truly care to keep in touch with you after you have left the lab.
  • Do everything within my power to ensure that our lab’s reputation is positive in the relevant communities it interacts with and touches, and that the work coming out of the lab positively impacts those communities.

Do everything I can to provide sufficient external funding for the lab’s research programs, and to be a steward of those funds that we receive.

Summper Expectations

Summer is arguably the most important time to make progress on your research. You do not typically have classes and meetings getting in the way. With this freedom comes responsibility. It is YOUR responsibility to provide the appropriate structure for yourself to accomplish what you set out to over the summer. My biggest caution is that time goes by fast, so be sure that your summer research goals are a main priority in your daily life during this important time. 

Summer GRA appointments are FULL TIME (40 hours per week). This is different from the academic year, where full time GRA appointments are 19 hours per week. In essence, the difference between academic year and summer is trivial. You are always a full time graduate student, but during the academic year it is understood that you are taking classes and therefore cannot ‘work’ full time.

What do I expect from you over the summer?
As always, my expectation is that you are significantly contributing to moving the lab’s research program forward. Moving forward means collecting datasets that yield papers (thesis/dissertation chapters) and grants. And, I recognize that often times pilot studies need to be done before publishable datasets can be produced. Therefore, I expect that you will move your research forward over the summer in ways that will translate to papers/chapters and grants, either directly as publishable datasets, or indirectly as meaningful pilot studies that will lead to publishable datasets. The goal of publishable datasets is a synergy between your goals and needs (chapters to graduate) and mine (papers and funding, which is how I am evaluated).

It is important that you define your summer research goals up front, and that we review them together, so that we are on the same page. I think it will be most common that an agreed-upon set of goals will have synergy between your needs and mine. For example, often times a research project becomes a chapter, published paper, and either meets a deliverable for a funded grant or creates a foundation for a subsequent grant.

I do expect that everyone that is on my payroll over the summer will be available to help out on projects when it is needed. I will try to keep those requests to a minimum so that you can maximize the amount of time that you have available to work on your independent research. But, you can expect that I will make requests of you to help me or your lab mates out when I or they need it.

Work ethic and absences – 

I expect that the primary reason you are in the lab over the summer is because you are serious about your professional development, and that you value it as a privileged opportunity to get ahead. So, “begin with the end in mind” (if you don’t follow, see Stephen Covey, or ask me about it), and make the most out of this investment in your professional development. I expect that a typical weekday during ‘business hours’ will primarily focus on working. The summer days are long, there are no classes, and limited meetings, so everyone should have a couple of hours to enjoy each day. But, this should not come at the expense of getting work done. Save your long outings for weekends, and the occasional day off. 

Of course, it is reasonable to take some vacation over the summer. I recognize that summer is customary time to see family or attend important events in your personal lives. My advice is to prioritize your summers primarily as investments in your professional future, and not primarily as time for vacation and play during the work week (that is for grade school!). I expect you will notify me well in advance, and seek my approval, for when you plan to be away. And, be sure you keep the time you are away to something reasonable. Summer can be over before you know it, and you want to be sure that you accomplish your goals before it is gone. If you are taking regular, several day to week-long trips – or even long weekends –your project(s) will suffer. A few long weekends, with adequate planning and ‘frontloading’ before you leave should not generally be a problem.

If you plan to be away for an extended period of time over the summer (e.g., several weeks by the time your summer travel is over), we should negotiate what that looks like in terms of pay (e.g., GRA stipend for those months), expectations, etc. 

Some days will be slow; especially at the beginning of the summer. Make the most of those days professionally first: find someone that needs help (even if they are in another lab), read articles, watch seminars, write (!), talk to each other. And, sure, after you’ve done those things on slow days, take an extra long lunch, or take off a little early and go for a longer run, bike, hike, screen binge, pub, music on main, etc.