Colella Lab Onboarding

--- tags: onboarding --- tags: Onboarding and getting started # Colella Lab Onboarding ## Mission Statement The Colella lab strives to be a leader in mammal ecological and evolutionary genomics. To accomplish this goal, we push ourselves to be careful in our observations, broad in our questions, and vigorous in our pursuit of truth and funding. ## Lab Expectations ### Lab Norms - Regular attendance and **active** participation in lab and/or meetings - Collaborative, constructive editing, and feedback among team members - Keeping shared use spaces (e.g., prep lab, field locker, molecular lab, etc.) organized and available for others - Scientific honesty, transparency, and humility - Strive to be well-prepared and informed, make every effort to fully understand your research and its context to conduct high-quality science - Open publication of science (specimens, data, code, etc.) ### Lab Culture + *Radical candor*: share opinions directly and professionally. + *Sharing*: You are expected to share freely, and without conditions, with your lab mates. This includes data, protocols, code, methods, and other information. If you are concerned about authorship or attribution, let's talk about it. + *Collective celebration*: Celebrate and amplify each others successes. You are NOT competing with your lab mates (at any level), you are all part of a collective, collaborative community working to produce quality science. The success of one lab member - getting a job, publishing a paper, receiving a grant - is a success of the group and deserves to be celebrated by all! + *"Label your shit"*: This pertains most directly to the molecular lab, but is a good policy in general. Your name or initials, date, time, and what is in a container or what was done to it should be ON THE TUBE (every tube). If you get hit by a bus tomorrow, could someone easily step in to finish your project? + *Criticism*: Criticism is a major component of science - we will often fail and get things wrong. It takes practice to GIVE and RECEIVE criticism well. Practice both with compassion and the recognition that critique collectively **improves your science**. ![](https://i.imgur.com/LGracNI.jpg) ### Productivity - One (or more) scientific publication(s) annually (Grad students) - Regular application for external funding - Understand your limits and what level of participation you are capable of, before committing to new projects ### Mentorship - Mentor student(s) one 'academic step' below you (e.g., graduate students mentor undergrads, postdocs mentor graduate students, etc.) - Develop your mentoring skills: every student has different needs and learning styles ### Working hours One of the best things about academia is the freedom to set your own hours. I work when I can, which often includes "abnormal hours". My philosophy: ![](https://i.imgur.com/xPE5BF7.jpg) Everyone's needs are different. It's important for YOU to find YOUR balance and also respect the balance of others. Do you need weekly meetings or do you prefer less structured interactions? Do you work better from the lab, from home, or from coffee shops? *Let's communicate about what a productive work schedule looks like for YOU and adjust as needed.* ## Division Expectations - As a student in the Colella Lab, you are fundamentally connected to the KUBI Division of Mammals - Learn collection workflows so that you can effectively (and correctly) participate in specimen processing, data collection, and curation. Performing these tasks accurately is critical for downstream processes, including cataloging. - Students must follow standard protocols prior to handling or subsampling specimens or specimen parts (e.g., you must submit a loan request to use tissues). - Take pride in contributing to the museum as a reciprocal member. If animals are collected for your research, you are expected to participate in collection, accessioning, specimen processing and preparation, data entry and cleaning, and potentially cataloging. - Help us improve the collection and data. Provide taxonomic edits as you encouter them, help update labels, and curate specimens in your area of focus. This ethos ultimately strengthens the museum’s resources and data quality. ## Roles in the Lab #### Undergraduate and Postbaccalaureate Researchers - Complete the [Undergraduate Research Application](https://forms.gle/QDbV5fF7SPQr59hy8) - You will work with a graduate student mentor on a project - Collaboratively set schedules each semester - Plan to present your research project at departmental, museum, and outreach events, as well as academic/scientific conferences - Consider applying for [Undergraduate Research Awards](https://biology.ku.edu/scholarships) #### Grad Students - You will be given desk space in Dyche Hall - You will collaboratively complete a Mentor-Mentee Aligning Expectations document at the beginning of your degree, to be updated or revisited annually with your advisor - **Expect to teach!** In general, Masters students will teach at least 2 semesters and PhD students at least 3 semesters. This is a key part of your development as a science educator. - If you are teaching, you should know a month (ish) before the semester starts what you will be teaching. You are expected to spend ~20 hours per week on TA assignments, the rest of the time is research, studying, and classes. - If there are specific classes you're excited to teach (e.g., Mammalogy, BioCS, etc.), you can reach out to the instructor in advance - **Degree benchmarks are your responsibility** - Identify your committee early + get classes and teaching out of the way FIRST + First month: Identify and meet with your Preliminary Adivsory Meeting (PAM) Committe (3 faculty members) + Come up with suggested/required classes, decide how you will meet your research skills requirement (if doing PhD) + End of 3rd semester (PhD only): Form Research Advisory Committee (RAC). Usually includes the 3 faculty on the PAM, but doesn't have to. Committee composition: 1 person must be 'external' to EEB/BI (i.e. other academic department at KU, like Anthropology), 3 must be from EEB and/or BI, 1 can be from any institution + End of 4th semester (PhD only): Comprehensive exams with RAC + Beginning of 5th semester (PhD only): Dissertation proposal, presented to RAC + Annual progress meetings with RAC (occur between December 1 - February 15) - First one happens in your 3rd/4th semester - Prepare a powerpoint presentation of what you accomplished over the last year (ask other grad students for examples) - Solicit constructive feedback and ideas for your project - Fill out and return RAC form to EEB Graduate Program Coordinator - **Expect to regularly present** your research at departmental, museum, and outreach events, and academic/scientific conferences - **Apply for grants** (at least 1 per semester) and fellowships. Some suggestions: - [Group-curated list of possible grant opportunities](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PvFs59hV91oCbwBgREM9xuIpEFjJzaoA/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102667400166515951046&rtpof=true&sd=true) - A good place to start. Please add to and edit this living document to pay it forward to the next cohort of grad students! - *For more details about grad student requirements in EEB:* [Graduate Student Handbook](https://eeb.ku.edu/eeb-student-handbook-graduate-regulations-procedures) #### Post-docs - *PUBLISH!* Competative postdocs are publishing 3-5 1st authored pubs per year, especially if you're pursing a position in academia. - *MENTOR* undergrad and graduate students in the lab - *APPLY* for jobs!! Look earlier rather than later, even if you don't feel "ready" or "qualifed". Let me know how I can support you in this (mock interviews, reviewing cover letters, etc.) - *PRESENT*: locally, regionally, and internationally - *TEACH*: guest lecture, develop, or improve course materials - *COMMUNICATE* directly with me about what you need to be successul in your next steps #### PI’s Role My role, as the lab’s PI, is to facilitate your success. I will serve as a sounding board for ideas, help you plan your project, edit your work and ask questions, provide career guidance, and help devise experiments to test your hypotheses. We will collaboratively identify training opportunities that cater to your career plans and contribute to your professional development. ## Required Training #### EVERYONE: All students and staff must complete the following online courses: 1. Log into [Canvas](https://canvashelp.ku.edu/) with your KU Online ID. 2. Go to the [EHS website](https://ehs.ku.edu/canvas#section497) and request access to Course ID "EHS001" (Course Name: "EHS Safety Training Courses"). That will open a form - Enter first name, last name, email; Department (Biodiversity Institute) - Refresh canvas, and you should see the EHS001 course in your Course Dashboard 3. Select the EHS001 course in Canvas. 4. Scroll down to "Student Instructions: 1. Select assigned courses by name department, school or course by clicking here". Click "here" 5. Then, click "All courses", and enroll in and complete the following: - EHS Hazard Awareness - Lab Safety 101 - Personal Protective Equipment 101 - Biosafety 101 - Blood-Borne Pathogens - Waste Management 101 - Protective Barriers - Preventing Contamination - Personal Protective Equipment 201: Understanding Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and GHS - Chemical Fume Hoods - Electrical Safety in the Laboratory - Safety Showers and Eyewash Stations - Centrifugation Hazards - Fire Safety and Extinguishers (formerly ABC's of Fire Extinguishers) - Fire Safety Refresher 6. Save your 'certificate of completion' for each course and send to Colella or Krejsa #### MOLECULAR LAB TRAINING: New Users: 1. Read the "Molecular Lab Survival Guide" provided by Colella or Molecular Lab PI. 2. Complete the quiz (TBD...) 3. Schedule a lab walk through with Colella, DeCicco, or Krejsa (10 minute intro). Come with questions. 4. Attend one of two scheduled molecular lab orientations (usually scheduled early in the Fall semester) *\*must repeat annually* First year students are expected to 'shadow' senior students for a semester before starting independent lab work. #### PREP LAB TRAINING (EHS SAFETY): RSVP to and attend a "Mammal Prep Day", to get a brief in-person training with Krejsa. #### FIELD WORK TRAINING: To get added to Mammal Division IACUC (which allows you to do fieldwork and handle mammals), you must: #### 1. Grad students: ask Dr. Colella to add you to the Mammal IACUC. Send her your KU email and ID (which looks something like: j123c456). Then, wait for an email from KU IACUC with Training Requirements and follow those instructions (e.g., set up a password) - Review IACUC Policy 301 [Field Research](https://kansas.sharepoint.com/teams/iacuc-intranet/SitePages/Field-Research.aspx) #### 2. Take 3 required online 'courses' at: https://aalaslearninglibrary.org/ To access courses log in to AALAS (or ALL), click on 'Tracks' (lefthand side bar), then under 'Orientation and initial training' click on each coure title: - Working with the IACUC - Introduction to Wildlife - Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Research Animals When you have completed the three IACUC required courses, email a copy of your transcript back to the IACUC office at iacuc@ku.edu so your training can be documented. #### 3. Complete the [online occupational health assessment](https://apps.research.ku.edu/ACUOHP) (no cost) *Must renew ANNUALLY* - Mozilla Firefox is the recommended browser. - Log in to the online module with your KU online ID and password. - If you are approved, follow instructions to "view/print" your assessment/report - Click "finish" to record your result in the system. *Students: if you're not automatically approved, you must transmit your occupational health assessment results to Watkins Health Service. A healthcare professional from Watkins will contact you.* #### 4. Complete Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) online training for Disposable Filtering Respirators (N95's) - Employees (staff, hourlies, postdocs) can access this training through: HR MyTalent Learning & Development - i. EHS MyTalent info here: https://ehs.ku.edu/mytalent - Team members that are not employees (Grad Students, volunteers, retirees) can access it through our EHS Canvas site 001. - Individual would need to self-enroll in our EHS Canvas Site 001, find and select the module. - EHS online training info is here: https://ehs.ku.edu/training - EHS Canvas site info is here: https://ehs.ku.edu/canvas #### 5. [NRA Hunter Education Online](https://nra.yourlearningportal.com/Course/HuntersEdActivityInfoPage) Register & click 'Start' under 'Kansas'. Send certificate of completion to JPC. Send certificate of completion to Colella or Krejsa. This is required whether you're going to shoot things or be on a trip that has firearms (ie. most trips) - Firearms are a *priviledge*. To that end, firearms are subject to the 'Three Strikes and You're Out' rule. Three reports of irresponsible behavior(regardless of the source of the reports) will result in individual loss of firearm priveledges. - Firearms are only allowed on expeditions where there is a faculty or staff member present OR if all individuals on the expedition have completed NRA Hunters Education. #### 6. For international fieldwork: [register with KU study abroad](https://ku.studioabroad.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=10481) ## Colella Lab Field work Policy Field work is a **PRIVILEDGE**:* - No one is entitled to attending any field expedition, and anyone can be removed from a field expedition for any reason. - While the Colella Lab strives to get all students field experience while they're at KU, students must first demonstrate their skills locally (e.g., in-state) before they are eligible for international travel. - Field personnel are selected based on experience/ability, personality (positive, collaborative), focal subject/taxon, and the geographic area and cultures of the destination. - The PI has the final say in who will attend field expeditions. ## Seminars and Meetings #### Meetings - Mammal Coffee: 1 hour, casual 'all-hands' division meeting. Time varies each semester, as determined by majority schedules. Include lab updates, paper discussions, practice presentations, etc. #### Seminars: + BIMOL (BI Molecular Group) - the Lizard Lounge (Dyche #417). Causal paper discussion group led by Ben Wiens. **grads and undergrads strongly encouraged to attend* + BIO3 Deparmental seminars [EEB + KBS + BI] (Haworth 1005) Tuesday's 3:45-4:45pm CDT (with coffee/cookies beforehand) + EEB Genomics seminar: Mondays @ Noon on Zoom or in person (Haworth 2030?) + BigMac (Biodiversity, Biogeography, and Macroevolution journal club) - Dyche Hall Lizard Lounge (Rm #417) ## General Infrastructure Considerations #### Dyche Hall "Rules" 1. No food consumption or food trash on the 7th floor. If you bring food, please store it in the mailroom fridge (Rm 604). Food trash can be disposed of in trash cans on any other floor. 2. Drinks on the 7th floor need a lid. 3. No live plants on the 7th floor of Dyche Hall. 4. Report any facilities isues to Lori (lschlenk@ku.edu) 5. To reserve the "Bone Room" (conference room #701D) email Teri (tchambers@ku.edu) #### Bus Service KU students can ride buses (on or off campus) for FREE with student ID. To see routes check out: - kuonwheeles.ku.edu - lawrencetransit.org - ridekc.org/routes/510-k10-connector #### Parking Depending on where you're located campus may be walkable or bikeable - both eco-friendly options! There is also free street parking distributed around the campus on a first-come first-serve basis. IF you wish to buy a parking pass it must be purchased before start of semester and is registered to your license plate. Parking permits are available first to graduate students and then to undergrads in order of seniority. Details at: https://parking.ku.edu/student-permits Map: https://parking.ku.edu/sites/parking/files/documents/parkingmap.pdf #### Keys Email Colella to let her know you need keys and for what building(s). She will submit a 'Request for Residency' form for you. Email and connect with Teri Chambers (tmchambers@ku.edu) to pick up your keys (Office: Dyche 602). Teri will also need your KU ID card number to give you swipe card access to Dyche and PSB. Note: You cannot pick up keys until all your trainings are completed. Note 2.0: There is a $10 _deposit_ for each key (up to $50), so bring cash or check. You get the $$$ back when you return your keys. Buildings you may need keys for: - Dyche Hall - 7th floor is Mammals (primates, bats + offices) and Birds. The biotics prep lab is also here. - PSB ("Public Safety Building") - Houses the rest of the mammal collections (as well as 4 other collections: Ento, Paleobotany, Vert Paleo, Invert Paleo) - Molecular Lab - The BI has a shared molecular lab with low-copy (pre-PCR/extractions only) and high-copy bench space. Requires key-card access. - Cryo - The BI has a shared cryo facility that requires key-card access. Only staff and trained graduate students may work in cryo. - Haworth classrooms? - if you're TA-ing, you may need classroom keys (this is processed through the department instead of through the BI) #### IT BI IT support contact is available at: bitech@ku.edu. #### Email Listservs Your KU email will be auto-added to the BI and EEB listserves. - EEB genetics listserv: https://lists.ku.edu/listinfo/eebgenetics-l - BIMOL listserv: email Ben Wiens to request access ## Social Media Please be cautious, respectful, and professionally responsible with what you post on social media. **If in doubt: don't post it.** KU Mammalogy has the priveledge of working with mammals (alive and dead), which is a sensitive subject to much of the public but is also a source of positive outreach and education. General rules about posting online: - The Colella Lab IACUC protocol allows photos of live and dead animals. - People **MUST** have appropriate PPE on when handling an animal in a photo (i.e., nitrile gloves for all mammals, plus a face mask for Peros; nitrile or leather gloves for bats) - **NEVER** post photos of animals in pain, in cages/traps, or being euthanized. - All photos of a person handling an animal **MUST** be respectful and professional. - Aim for content to be educational and consider acknowleding that photographed "animals are handled by professionals with appropriate permits." - You are responsible for what you post. TWITTER (X) used to be good for networking and communicating with the scientific community. Now, BlueSky is a good option. Promoting yourself, and your work, via social media, is important. #followMe @jociecolella and the BI @kunhm When you get around to it, all grad students should have a website - platform options: weebly, wix, google scholar, github... ## General Keys to Success #### 1. Grit. Be peristent. Like it or not, you are going to be rejected far more frequently than not (jobs, papers, grants, etc.) - but keep at it! Don't take it personally. Use the feedback to improve yourself and your work and keep pushing! #### 2. Personal well-being Graduate school is hard. Science is hard. Find balance for your own health (physical, mental, social) so that you can bring your full self to work each day. Make time to exercise, connect with family, and do things you enjoy - that will make you a successful scientist. #### 3. Organization I cannot understate the importance of organization to success in science. Although I am sure you will learn this the hard way (as I did!), early and consistent use of calendars/planners, extended bibliographies (citation + blurb), and hierarchical folder structures (projectA > Analyses > PCA > results) on your computer may one day save your life. Also, BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER, so you can sleep at night. #### 4. Avoid saying 'no' to yourself Make other people say no to you, rather than you saying no to yourself. Don't _not_ apply for some fellowship/job/position because you don't feel qualified. It's good to be realistic about your qualifications, but imposter syndrome (https://www.chronicle.com/article/Impostor-Syndrome-Is/238418) is real, and powerful. ## High Performance Computing Cluster You will need access to the KU supercomputing cluster (HPC) for bioinformatic analyses, see the "[Colella Lab - Computing Set up](https://hackmd.io/@colella-mammal-lab/H1Teqc-iL)" HackMD document for details on setting up this account. ## Other helpful details #### Finding articles/primary literature - [Google scholar](https://scholar.google.com/) - [KU libraries](https://lib.ku.edu/articles-and-databases) - (includes Web of Science) - KU Mammals Google Drive - Format file names as lower_case_separated_by_underscores.file #### Manuscript creation - Word + track changes for editing - LaTex may be a better option for computer science or mathematical publications - Want to learn LaTex? Try [Overleaf](https://www.overleaf.com/) - Google Docs + Suggesting mode #### Citation Managers Please learn and use one of these software programs while writing manuscripts. They store citation details and prevent you from manually editing your lit cited. - [Zotero](https://www.zotero.org/) - free, intuitive (integrates with word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs) - [EndNote](https://endnote.com/) - integrates well with word (may not be free) - [Paperpile](https://paperpile.com/) - works well with GoogleDocs (also not free) - [Mendeley](https://www.mendeley.com/?interaction_required=true) - integrates well with word KU resources for how to use these: - https://guides.lib.ku.edu/citation/Zotero - https://technology.ku.edu/services/training-workshops #### Get involved (find your community): - [Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Graduate Student Organization](https://eeb.ku.edu/graduate-student-organization-gso) - Museum Student Organization - [American Society of Mammalogists](https://www.mammalsociety.org/) - Scientific Journal Club - [KU Women in Computing](https://rockchalkcentral.ku.edu/organization/kuwic) - [The Wildlife Society (KS chapter)](https://wildlife.org/kansas-chapter/) ## Code of Conduct All members of the lab, including visitors, are expected to agree with the following code of conduct. We will enforce this code as needed. We expect cooperation from all members to help ensure a safe environment for all. #### The Specifics The lab is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, or religion (or lack thereof). Sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, bullying, and/or unwelcome sexual attention will not be tolerated. Members asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact Colella immediately. For official concerns, please see the University of Kansas ombuds office. We expect members to follow these guidelines at any lab-related event. You will also be required to conduct University wide training on maintaining professional workplace envrionments. These will be emailed to your KU email account. More here: https://studentaffairs.ku.edu/mandatory-sexual-harassment-training-info #### Other resources - **KU Alerts** - Subscribe to recieve text messages through the Employee Emergency Notification app via the myKU Portal - **Ombuds Office** - independent, confidential, and impartial assistance addressing conflicts, disputes, or complaints on an informal basis without fear of retaliation or judgement (ombuds.ku.edu) - **Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access** - Performs formal investigations to detect, stop and prevent violations of KU's non-discrimination and sexual harassment policy (ioa.ku.edu)