Mission Statement: The mission of our lab is to produce outstanding research in aquatic biogeochemistry while preparing lab members for diverse careers including research, teaching, management, and environmental policy. As a group, we are committed to fostering a lab community that creates an inclusive, respectful, happy, and supportive environment in all aspects of our work as scientists regardless of any member's race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender-identity, physical ability, or socio-economic status.
Lab Group Code of Conduct:
Engage with all members of the lab in a respectful, open, and professional manner.
Be kind to each other. Provide criticism of ideas (not people) in a constructive way.
Maintain zero tolerance for harassment and violence against any member of the community. Be aware of microaggressions and strive to make our lab group an inclusive place for everyone.
Conduct yourself in a safe manner. Safety in the laboratory and field is the underpinning of all good science. No experiment is worth one’s health. Similarly, no lab member should risk the health of others by coming to work when sick.
Conduct rigorous and serious science. Academic misconduct, including plagiarism and falsifying or manipulating data, will not be tolerated.
Maintain an “open science” and data philosophy for all data, code and deliverables generated while part of the lab group.
Our shared expectations and responsibilities: My responsibilities as an advisor and group leader:
Work collaboratively with students to identify, design and address research questions through a thesis or dissertation project.
Provide financial support throughout graduate school, including summer salary and travel support for one conference a year when resources are available.
Discuss future career goals and help students work towards those goals (to the best of my ability). Connect students to other resources and networks to foster understanding of the job opportunities in and outside of academia.
Meet one-on-one with students either weekly or bi-weekly (depending on stage of graduate career) to discuss progress and upcoming plans.
Hold regular lab meetings and cultivate a collaborative and supportive lab environment where students can receive feedback and mentoring, work on professional development skills (e.g. presentation, writing, and time management skills), and engage in scientific discussions (theory, diversity, etc.).
Solicit and be open to feedback. Listen to concerns from all lab members and act as a resource and mediator for lab conflicts. Work to resolve issues through clear communication.
Be flexible during difficult times, including (but not limited to) mental health or family emergencies and sickness.
Lab expectations for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the Seybold Lab:
Be eager to learn and work collaboratively. Bring your sense of curiosity to your research.
Participate actively in lab meetings and departmental events.
Be a team player. Help your lab mates and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Follow through on weekly meetings and short-term goals and plans. Be on time for meetings with Erin and your lab mates/colleagues, and provide an agenda document for meetings to guide our conversations.
Be willing to apply for outside funding. This is an important job skill both inside and outside academia!
Be conscientious about data management and reproducibility. Back up your data frequently and notate scripts regularly.
Submit at least one manuscript before your thesis or dissertation defense (does not need to be accepted; preferably two manuscripts or more for PhD students). Erin will work closely with you throughout your tenure to make sure this is an attainable goal.
Participate in an annual review and career planning session with Erin, the goal of which is to ensure that you are making sufficient progress towards the skills and experience you need to meet your career goals.
Treat your work as a full-time job, but one that may require less or more than 40h/week, depending on where one is in their path.
Tend to your physical health, mental health and family first. Try your best to develop a healthy work-life balance so that you can enjoy doing research and not burn out. There may be times when this feels hard, and in those situations be sure to talk with Erin and your lab mates.
Lab expectations for undergraduate students in the Seybold lab:
Show up for scheduled shifts. It’s important to remember that other people count on you showing up at the agreed upon time. If you have to miss a shift, please email Erin and whoever you are working with 24 hours ahead of time.
We understand that there may be circumstances where you are not able to give 24 hours notice (in cases of illness or family emergencies). In cases like this, email us as soon as you are able to let us know.
All undergrads must keep a lab notebook that lives in the lab. Keep a log of your activities in your lab notebook. Make note of what you did each shift and any questions you have. Write details for everything you do - there is no such thing as too much detail!
Dr. Meg Duffy’s webpage has good information on best practices for keeping lab notebooks here.
Know that it’s ok to make mistakes. We all make them from time to time, but the important thing is to learn from them. Make note of them in your lab notebook, and notify Erin and whoever you are working with to talk about what happened and what we can do differently next time.