Expectations

Many parts of this note are from my mentor’s and colleagues’ notes.

This note aims to establish shared expectations within our research group. As the PI, my primary goal is to cultivate a supportive and inspiring research environment where motivated and talented students and postdocs can conduct impactful research, grow as researchers, and build strong foundations for their careers. I believe this can only be achieved through shared understanding and goals.

While overly rigid structures can hinder innovation, well-defined group dynamics foster a productive and creative environment. As our perspectives evolve with experience and knowledge, your input is invaluable in shaping our group’s structure and goals. Please feel free to share your thoughts or questions about this. I will continue updating this document to incorporate feedback from group members and reflect my evolving mentoring experiences.

Research Projects

I will ensure that each member in our group (except undergraduates) has at least one leading research project that can result in a first-author journal publication. We will collaboratively develop research projects that align with your interests and funding opportunities. While I will propose potential research directions, our goal is to find projects that inspire you and contribute to the group’s overall objectives.

Your initiative and ownership are essential for project success. I will provide guidance and support, but you will take the lead in exploring creative solutions and producing high-quality results.

Be self-motivated

I expect all members to be self-motivated. If you are not self-motivated, academic research may not be the right fit for you. Imagine two members: Joe and Erin. Joe is well trained for data analysis and experimental technique. He is given great projects by his advisor and executes tasks with his well-trained skills, but rarely makes an effort to formulate problems and solutions on his own. In contrary, Erin is less skilled than Joe, but she constantly brainstorms about what problems are interesting for what reasons and thinks deeply about technical solutions; she even brings these problems to her advisor and take ownership of her projects. In a short run, Joe’s works may be better in quality and quantity because they’re his advisor’s ideas. But in a long run, it’s Erin who will emerge as a successful researcher.

Advisors often encounter advisees who do exactly what they’re told to do and nothing more. It’s unlikely that they will continue research in a long run. High standards and a passion for discovery are fundamental to our work. If you share these values, I am committed to supporting your growth and success.

Focus

Knowledge workers, like us, should be aware that we live in a world of distractions. A widespread belief is that multitasking—the ability to work on diverse projects—is a mark of productivity and competency. However, this is often untrue. More frequently, this belief leads to a situation where knowledge workers are busy achieving little.

In fact, the only way to achieve true growth as a researcher is to single-mindedly pursue a research project from beginning to end and produce tangible results, often in the form of publications. I highly recommend the book “Deep Work” by Cal Newport. I’ve read it several times and still return to my bookmarked pages for reminders about the importance of focused work and the helpful tips it provides.

Work Ethics

Academic research requires dedication and a strong work ethic. While I value flexibility, consistent engagement is crucial. I don’t focus on the number of hours you work each week. What matters is that the work is done rigorously and creatively. One of the key advantages of academic research is the flexibility to choose your working hours. Therefore, I don’t mind when you work, but I ask that you try to be in the office or lab for at least half of each working day. This fosters a supportive research environment with me and your lab mates and ensures you are present for seminars and meetings.

I believe that a balanced life is essential for productivity, health, and happiness. I encourage all my group members to maintain a balanced lifestyle. As a research mentor, I am always open to hearing your concerns and sharing my experiences to help you maintain your passion and purpose.

Absences & Vacations

Occasional absences for personal reasons, such as family events or short trips, are understandable. Please inform me if you’ll be away for more than a day. All group members are entitled to up to three weeks of vacation per year. Please coordinate extended absences with me in advance to avoid conflicts. If you need additional time off, please discuss it with me.

Togetherness

I expect all members to be respectful of others. Your academic reputation and career success depend not only on your work but also on the work of our group members. Everyone’s success benefits us all. This applies to everyone, including myself. My professional success is tied to the success of my students and postdocs, and vice versa. Most importantly, a supportive and caring research environment enhances everyone’s well-being. We should all support one another. Harassment or discrimination will not be tolerated.

Lab Works

I expect all group members to adhere to two critical components when conducting lab work: safety and organization. We will designate individuals to oversee the Quantitative Hydrogeology Lab and Geofluids Lab. Please help maintain a pleasant lab environment and consult with these individuals if you have any questions.

Safety:

• Be fully aware of the hazards associated with chemicals and equipment.
• Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including a lab coat, goggles, gloves, and closed-toe shoes.
• Always communicate potential hazards and recommended safety precautions to lab mates and your advisor.
• Leave a written note detailing hazards when absent from the lab.

Organization:

• Maintain a clean and organized workspace.
• Properly clean glassware and dispose of waste according to regulations.
• Keep a detailed and accurate lab notebook, including chemical labels, dates, and procedures.
• Write legibly in your lab notebook so that others can easily replicate your experiments.

Code Development

Since much of our research will be computational, we’ll be doing a lot of coding. I expect everyone to produce high-quality, functional code with well-organized commenting practices.

The scientific community is rapidly shifting towards open source code and data. Therefore, it’s crucial to write code that’s easy to read and bug-free. This benefits not only others who may need to reference your code, but also yourself when revisiting it later.

Here are key points for writing high-quality code:

• Consistency: Use proper indentation and descriptive names for variables and functions.
• Readability: Write clear and concise comments throughout your code.
• Version Control: Learn Git and GitHub for efficient version control, collaboration within the lab, and code sharing. UF subscribes to LinkedIn Learning, where you can access free lectures on Git, such as this one: Git Essential Training.

Individual Meetings

We will hold regular weekly one-on-one meetings to discuss your research progress and any concerns. The meeting date and time for each member may change when scheduling conflicts arise.

For these meetings, please prepare PowerPoint slides that include graphs, data, and discussion points. Always remember that clarity is more important than slide quality. Please send the slides by 8:00 AM on the day of our meeting. This allows me to review them beforehand and make our time together more productive.

In addition to presenting your results, please include a slide outlining potential next steps. This practice will help you become a more independent researcher, even though we may develop different directions for next steps during our meeting. After our meeting, please summarize the agreed-upon next steps and email them to me by the end of the day. These summaries will ensure we are on the same page and facilitate future discussions.

I am available for unscheduled meetings as needed. Feel free to stop by my office to discuss urgent matters between our regular meetings. For non-urgent questions or requests, such as paperwork, please send an email.

Group Meetings

We will hold regular bi-weekly group meetings to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing. Attendance is mandatory unless you are absent due to travel. Meeting formats will vary. You will present your research to the group once per semester. Primarily, group meetings will focus on discussing high-impact journal papers or other research articles with significant findings. Papers introducing new theoretical frameworks or providing overviews are less suitable for in-depth discussion.

Discussion leadership will rotate among group members. If you are in charge of leading the discussion, prepare a brief (2-3 minute) introduction summarizing the paper. Encourage active participation by highlighting key points, weak points, and potential research directions. All group members should carefully read the selected paper before the meeting.

Expectations to PI

You can and should expect the following from me. If you find me deviating from these, please let me know.

• Scientific Guidance: Offering comprehensive scientific guidance to help you produce significant, rigorous, and innovative research outcomes.
• Professional Development: Supporting your progress toward your professional goals, including career advice and detailed feedback on job application materials.
• Positive Leadership: Striving to take the initiative and set a positive example for the entire team.
• Equality and Respect: Treating all group members with equal respect and valuing your time.
• Efficient Workflow: Avoiding delays in manuscript submissions and providing thorough feedback on drafts of manuscripts, posters, and conference talks.
• Lifelong Mentorship: Serving as a lifelong mentor, engaging in this role to the extent that you wish.