me/I refers to Marine. GM refers to group members. GS refers to graduate students. The US refers to undergraduate students. PR refers to postdoc researchers.
I welcome everyone in the group. My selection criteria are based mainly on the student motivation, passion for the field, and ability to learn new concepts. In particular, I expect students who are coming from prestigious universities to have high academic standards. For students coming from underserved backgrounds, I seek those demonstrating their ability to grasp new concepts and learn how to code. I actively pay attention to students coming from underrepresented groups. My overall philosophy of advising is that students and postdocs should expect from me academic advising, career strategic planning, scientific communication advising, work&life balance discussions, 100% financial and computational support, and not the least, a friendship! And I am an optimist!
Our group welcomes everyone, regardless of their race, gender identity, culture.
We respect each others, we respect others from other academic communities. We respect differences in communication style from peers, we understand that our team is multi-cultural.
We acknowledge our limited knowledge of others' life experience and respect the differences.
We acknowledge that we do not know everything!
We are kind, good listeners, attentive of others' perceptions of our words.
We welcome criticism from other scientists regarding our work, which we will respond based on data and/or further analysis.
We love life outside of work, we enjoy things like sports, outdoors, music, beer-making, arts&crafts, playing with our own children.
We ask for help when we need, within or outside of the group.
We understand that one needs time off several times a year to recharge the batteries. Marine takes at least 6 weeks per year.
We speak out and participate in ways to improve our group culture and diversity.
As scientists, we are open to new and old ideas, we do not say "it's not going to work" unless we show it.
- A typical year is between 2-4 conferences or workshops (AGU/SSA/SCEC/EGU or other domestic national meetings like SEG + workshop/summer school) that I will cover fully. Contact group admin for reservation and booking to avoid spending upfront. I follow Federal and UW guidelines for spending.
- GS/PR are expected to attend every weekly department colloquium seminar.
- GS/PR/US are expected to attend every geophysical seminar or seismolunch.
- GS/PR are expected to meet one-on-one with every speaker that the group invites.
- GS/PR/US are expected to attend the weekly group seminar and participate with at least one question per meeting and one presentation per semester.
- GS/PR expect to be offered opportunities to write proposals or grant to support research. This is purely voluntary! I recommend at least one chance during the Ph.D. and postdoc for the experience.
- If a recommended academic activity feels like too much work or a burden, the US/GS/PR is expected to communicate this in advance to me, and we can easily cancel attendance.
- GS/US/PR and I are expected to give a practice research talk at least twice a year in front of the group.
- GS are expected to present once at the grad student organized seminars (if exists).
Your productivity is measured by the quality and timeline of the submitted papers.
- Expect a Ph.D. to be about three papers with flexible size and timeline.
- A normal year vacation is two weeks for the winter holidays, one+ week around spring break, 2-3 weeks in the summer, and long holidays. It’s flexible, of course, completely depends on productivity and can be discussed with me.
- A summer internship or visiting scholar opportunities may come available. In the case the GS is interested, the GS and I will discuss the plan in relation to the progress of the Ph.D. dissertation.
- When classes are not in session and there are no holidays, I expect each group member to work on research full time unless vacation was planned.
- A full-time week is five days, 35-40 hours a week.
- If you work remotely for at least two weeks, check in with me on a weekly basis via skype/zoom, whatever.
- Outside activities (including outreach) are important to develop leadership skills. They are on a voluntary basis. If productivity goes down, GS/PR and I will discuss time management so that the activities do not impact research.
GS/US/PR can expect to hear back from me within 24 hours (including during travel time).
- I expect to meet once a week with each GS/US/PR for one hour:
- The group member will take notes during the meeting and save them into the member's Gdrive on the uwquake drive.
- Each meeting will proceed as follow: 1) start with a few minutes of wrap up from the previous meetings based on the notes, 2) discuss time spent to address them (or not!), 3) bring up issues to resolve as a team, 4) make a list of things to do next.
- I expect the GS/US/PR to communicate with me if there is any logistical need, mentoring need, and on whether a (disclosed or undisclosed) life event will affect productivity.
- When my door is open, feel free to come in.
- I will respond to emails sporadically over the weekend; there is no expectation to respond to emails over the weekend.
- If there is an urgent communication that needs to happen over the weekend, I will respond.
- Off business hours conversations (phone/email/slack) are voluntary, based on my availability, and up to GS/US/PR to decide the frequency of such interaction.
- I like having shared slides on Google Docs to keep track of progress. For every meeting with US/GS/PR, prepare a few slides with figures.
- Expect me to look at your code for mutual learning.
- I will be writing letters of recommendation for everyone. US/GS/PR have to communicate the date at which the letter is due, with at least a 2-week notice.
- I highly recommend starting research the summer before the program start date to 1) review literature, 2) set up computing tools, 3) get familiar with the data, 4) transition to grad school. This prep time may not be necessary if the prospective student already researched seismology somewhat related to the Ph.D. research.
- Pursue in parallel both coursework and research. Coursework is chosen to complement the skills and bring breadth.
- Research is expected to move forward with a bi-annual presentation to the research group: some literature review, some basic coding.
- If the research requires coding, the student can write her/his bit of core code with a simple dataset to show that the primary method is understood.
- GS can expect to reach out to me for technical and scientific discussion more frequently so that in later years.
- GS should aim to submit Ph.D. fellowship applications to NSF (Fall of that year)
- Grades do not matter much to me, except for C+ and B- in easy quantitative classes where GS and I will discuss a plan of action to make sure these skills are learned.
- Limited coursework
- Meet in October-November to brainstorm on the Ph.D. story.
- Submit quals plan by December: this should outline what you expect the Ph.D. story and its chapters should be.
- The research project is expected to come to a draft of publication by quals time.
- Summer post quals should be dedicated to the submission of the first paper. The paper should be submitted by the end of the summer.
- Work on the second project
- Almost zero or very limited coursework
- Expected submission of papers #2 and #3 or made substantial progress toward both of them.
- Prepare annual one meeting with committee members with a wrap-up of Y1-3 and plan for the following year.
- Talk with me about CV, research statements, postdoc opportunities, postdoc fellowships.
- Have your website always up to date.
- GS expected to help to teach two times. The time commitment to teaching duties should not impact research more, and students may not allocate more than one-course load.
- Expect to defend.
- Submit plan for the dissertation by October-November to discuss with me
- Submit the plan to finish up chapters/papers
- Defend!
PR is expected to receive mentorship from me, which includes: proposal writing, scientific writing, mentoring opportunities for group members GSs and temporary US researchers, career advising, work&life balance mentoring.
- If the salary comes from a specific grant, I expect to do a substantial part of the proposal and free to do whatever once this is accomplished.
- If the PR is funded out of a fellowship (their own or Marine’s), then there is more flexibility in topics.
- I expect an average of 1 paper per year with PR as the first author, with the knowledge that i) building tools takes time, ii) data collection takes time. E.g., it can be two papers year 2, or 1 paper year 1 and 1 paper year 2.
- I expect the first six months to be about learning new tools/skills/knowledge in the field. By six months, PR and I will sit and write a plan for the 1.5 years left for research (knowing that deviations from the plan are totally OK).
- PR can expect that I will be seeking out other opportunities for the PR, namely recommend them for seminars, write recommendation letters for job applications.
- I will cover expenses for the first conference after the appointment, provided that I am co-author of your presentation.
- I will cover expenses for any publications that need funding after the appointment and where I am a co-author.
Many of us have difficult moments, which we are allowed to share with Marine or seek out external help.
Do not stay alone in a crisis.
Here are some UW resources to contact:
- Call SafeCampus: (206) 685-7233
- ESS has collected departmental and campus resources to reach out to: https://www.ess.washington.edu/about/reporting_concerns.php