The mission of the Pile laboratory is to conduct top-quality, interesting science in a collaborative environment.

My goal as Principle Investigator and graduate and undergraduate student mentor is to provide a scientific environment suitable for the training of the next generation of scientists. To provide this environment requires that there is open communication between students in the laboratory and me. This communication starts early when a student is considering joining the laboratory and continues throughout their time lab and after their graduation. When considering joining the laboratory, students meet with me to discuss possible projects to find a match between their interests and goals to those of the broader scientific objectives of the lab. I meet weekly one-to-one with all graduate students to discuss accomplishments, set backs and for planning. During these meetings, we go over experimental planning, discuss the data obtained and trouble shoot issues as they arise. If the experiment is out of my specific area of expertise, I work to find online resources and identify experts to assist in design and interpretation. Initially, I provide a lot of guidance and assistance during these meetings. Over time, as the students work toward independence, they bring more information and ideas to me. Each year we have a meeting to go over the student’s Individualized Development Plan (IDP) where they consider their career goals. I provide specific guidance tailored to the stated career goals, whether industry or academia or something else, of each student. This is also a formalized opportunity for students to give me feedback on how to better assist them in reaching their goals. After graduation, I continue to communicate with lab alumni, providing letters of recommendation and assistance in career decisions as requested.

My aim is to provide support to enable students to achieve their scientific and career goals. During their time in the laboratory, students are expected learn all aspects of the practice of science, which entails understanding the literature of our field, designing and conducting experiments, including ethical considerations, mentoring others, presenting research in informal and formal settings and writing scientific publications. To meet these goals, members of the laboratory select recent as well as historical articles and we have regularly scheduled journal clubs to discuss this research. Current students are asked to work with rotation students and undergraduates to develop their mentoring style. To advance their scientific communication skills, students are encouraged to present their research in many different venues, from weekly joint laboratory meetings, to division seminars, to university and national conferences. I meet individually with presenters to go over drafts of slides or posters to provide suggestions and feedback. Students typically present for other members of the lab to foster community and gain feedback. For publications, students write up an initial outline and draft of the manuscript and together we edit the article and make a joint decision about where to try and publish the research. One of the best aspects of my “job” is to talk science with other scientists. I truly enjoy working with students to develop their scientific knowledge and expertise to fully engage in these discussions.

To develop leadership skills, I encourage students to serve on departmental and student organizational committees. I also provide time for them to participate in professional development seminars on many aspects of career development including grant writing and scientific communication and advocacy. Additionally, I encourage students to network with other students and faculty from the department, the university and the broader scientific community. Students from the laboratory are often selected to invite a prominent scientist for the student sponsored department seminar, enabling them to establish new scientific connections.

We spend a lot of time working in the laboratory – this time should be rewarding and enriching. I strive to create a community when we respect each other as individuals with unique and varied talents. I value the time that I spend working with students in my laboratory and love hearing about their successes after they move on to other endeavors. I also understand that time spent in the laboratory is only one aspect of our lives. I am an avid runner and love to read fiction. Students from our lab have varied outside interests that are encouraged to foster strong mental and physical wellness. As the Principle Investigator of the laboratory, I work to generate an environment where we can reach our research objectives. As graduate student mentor, I strive to support the development of each individual to meet his/her/their specific academic and career goals.