Expectations

Of all members

I expect all lab members to be respectful, open-minded, and supportive. This should be central to how we work in the lab. Some specific examples are that you should:

• Remember work within this lab is not a competition.

• Be considerate of everyone’s time; show up on time and prepared for meetings (lab meeting, journal club, one-on-one’s, etc); Communicate experimental and field work plans and any absences as soon as possible so everyone can arrange schedules as needed.

• Give constructive advice and feedback (on ideas, talks, papers, etc.); be receptive to the feedback you get.

All lab members need to pay close attention to training materials and to strictly adhere to safety regulations both in the lab and in the field.

All lab members need to keep detailed notes on laboratory activities, field work, protocols, and every other aspect of work done in the lab in a virtual lab notebook that is regularly (at least daily) backed-up to a GitHub repo.

I expect all lab members to help keep the common spaces clean and organized. This includes the lab benches and incubators, servers, hard drives, and GitHub repos. This is a group effort!

All lab members should be an engaged community member. You should make an effort to attend seminars (both departmental and any other relevant venues - e.g. the Climate Change Initiative) and other department events, put effort into your course work, help organize events, participate in outreach activities, etc..

What you can expect of Matt

I will actively promote a safe and inclusive lab environment through both formal and informal activities. I aim to catch anything before it becomes an issue, but if there’s something that would help you, please let me know.

I will hold the lab to the highest standards (personal, professional, safety, etc.). I will provide thoughtful, constructive feedback on project ideas, experimental designs, interpretation of results, talks, papers, applications, etc. (including both praise for accomplishments and constructive criticism where improvement is needed). Note that “high standards” does not mean that I expect immediate perfection. Mistakes are a part of science and I’ll work with you when they happen. In order to maintain our high standards, it’s important that we quickly recognize, discuss, and address mistakes when they happen.

I will provide regular opportunities to discuss ideas, progress, and challenges, both one-on-one and in larger groups. The main forms of interaction you can expect (depending on your stage in the lab) are collaborative work in lab, regular 1-on-1 meetings, weekly lab meetings, and occasionally field work and conferences.

I will help you develop a training plan that is aligned with your short- and long-term goals and recognizes your individual needs. I will work with graduate students and advanced undergraduates to develop, discuss, and maintain an Individual Development Plan (IDP). I can often provide or suggest relevant professional development opportunities (funding opportunities to attend conferences and workshops, connecting you with other people to expand your network of contacts, providing feedback on guest lectures for courses, etc.), but I also encourage students to keep an eye out for other opportunities to explore interests. Some of the most impactful components of my training were “random” opportunities I came across. I recognize that personal situations and professional goals may change over time. I am always open to discussing necessary accommodations.

I will work with graduate students to assemble an advisory committee and a complementary set of mentors to address any gaps in lab skills, conceptual knowledge, career mentorship, etc.

I will make an effort to be prompt in response to communications, with the caveat that my schedule is often quite full - See below for more on communication expectations.

I will make a genuine effort to ensure consistent funding for research in the lab (including for side projects and preliminary experiments). I will clearly outline the expected outcomes and requirements for ongoing research projects and grants. I will happily discuss ideas you have for additional projects.

• NOTE SPRING 2025 - The current uncertainty regarding federal grant funding means a more conservative approach to lab funding may be needed, at least in the short term.

Expectations of graduate students

I expect you to take the lead on your main projects, and to think deeply about the design, execution, and analysis of your experiments. Part of this deep thinking is recognizing where more practice is needed. Remember, I don’t expect immediate perfection. But I do expect to see improvement over time. Another part of this deep thinking is coming up with realistic and achievable timelines for the project you’re working on.

I expect you to take the initiative when it comes to professional development - always keep an eye out for opportunities that interest you.

I expect you to read!!! Read broadly. Read deeply. Reading the literature is central to your life as a graduate student, and I expect you to spend significant time every week (if not every day) on this. We’re not just reading for readings-sake though - all of this will impact your work in lab (methodological decisions), the design of your projects (hypotheses and frameworks to use), how you analyze your data, and finally, will play a crucial role in structuring your writing. As such, I expect you to have a system in place for taking notes, synthesizing what you’re learning, and recalling all of this when needed. Talk to me if you need someplace to start.

I expect you to be conscientious about your mental health and to find the right work-life balance for you (this will look different for every lab member). Burn-out is a very real issue in academia. Our goal is to ensure you are able to do rigorous and exciting science in a sustainable way - I expect you to be honest about how you’re doing (in the lab, with projects, with courses or TAing) so that we can develop plans to enable this.

Science is hard. I expect you to handle obstacles or setbacks in a mature and responsible manner.

I expect you to actively seek out funding opportunities. These can range from small departmental, institutional or society grants to larger proposals. Any applications that will involve the lab, lab resources, lab data, or potentially impact your timeline must be discussed with me (at a minimum, before you begin to prepare the application and before you submit it).

I expect you to be a team player; More senior lab members in particular are expected to help newer members navigate the lab, department, field, etc. I expect you to be a supportive mentor to the undergraduates in the lab, especially if they are assisting your with your projects.

I expect you to come to me with questions before they become urgent - I may have many different competing demands on my time and can most effectively help everyone if we catch things early.

Expectations of undergraduate students

My main expectation is for you to be engaged with the work you’re doing. Research is hard, and you should have questions! Asking for clarification is the best way for us to avoid mistakes and for you to show us that you’re thinking. Related to this, I expect you to take careful notes, both in lab and during meetings. It’s a good thing to ask questions, but it’s less good if you’re asking because you didn’t write anything down when we covered something.

I expect you to be thoughtful and consistent with your work. In particular, I expect you to maintain an agreed upon lab schedule and to show up for any meetings on time and prepared (read any necessary papers, prepare any materials, etc.).

I expect you to engage in lab meetings - you are a member of the lab! I also realize, however, that your schedule might make it difficult to attend lab meetings, in which case I just expect that you communicate this to me.

See Undergraduate Research for more on the kinds of positions and projects available.

Professional development opportunities

I encourage all lab members to actively seek out opportunities that will contribute to their professional development. These opportunities might include (but are not limited to) grants or fellowships, conferences, special issues in a journal, or outreach events. While I expect you to take the initiative here, you are required to clear anything that involve the lab/lab funding/will affect your schedule or timeline with me (regardless of whether I am directly involved). For conferences or workshops, it’s important that you ask about attending as soon as possible. Priority for funding to attend conferences will balance cost, professional benefits, career stage, and your proposed presentation.

See Presentations for how much time to leave for feedback.

Some miscellaneous notes

My preference is that we work on a first name basis in the lab (please feel free to call me Matt, not Dr. Sasaki, if you’re comfortable with that). Outside of the lab, however, use your best judgement about when more professional titles are needed. In the classroom or during conference talks, for example, it’s usually going to be better to err on the side of formality.

Gift Policy - As a state employee, there are strict rules around receiving gifts: I will not accept gifts from students. In any case, from my perspective the time, effort, and energy you put towards the lab is the most meaningful contribution you can make!