Selecting Your Major Professor and Dissertation Committee

Your major professor and dissertation committee are essential partners in finishing your dissertation. Carefully select these individuals and nurture the academic relationship with them throughout your graduate career.

Content

Selecting a Major Professor

Committing to a Lab

Selecting a Major Professor

At the heart of faculty-graduate student collaboration and apprenticeship is the quality of the mentorship relationship. The major professor is responsible for guiding the student in the development of their dissertation project, and usually serves as Chair of the Thesis/Dissertation Committee. Before trying to define what kind of lab or research would work best for you, it can be helpful to start by assessing what your own style and needs are. The Council of Graduate Schools has a Quick Start Guide to assist in this process. Some additional considerations are below:

• Funding
• One of the biggest (unnecessary) stressors for graduate students is where their funding is coming from. There are several ways to be funded throughout your graduate career. The primary forms of funding are TAships, grants your major professor earns, and grants/fellowships you earn as an individual. When conversing with a potential PI, it is extremely important that they understand that they are responsible for helping you find funding and/or providing you with funding. It may feel weird, but absolutely ask forthright “Do you have funding to support me?” Furthermore, do they have funding to support you throughout the majority of or your whole PhD? Will they help you look for and apply for personal grants, fellowships, etc.? Do they expect you to TA, and if so, will they help you find a position and how frequently are you expected to TA? In the biophysics graduate group you are required to TA at least one quarter, and student experiences range from just one quarter to once a year to every quarter. Know which one you are okay with, and communicate that with your potential PI. For example, if a major professor tells you that you will have to TA every quarter, consider whether that will impede your ability to complete your research in a timely manner, and ask whether it will be up to you to find these teaching positions. Some students love teaching and are frequently enthusiastic, while others are not; neither preference is right or wrong, but being on the same page is important. Also ask them if they would be willing to help you apply for fellowships, and whether the lab currently has funding.
• Academic background
• The Biophysics Graduate Group is highly interdisciplinary, an attribute we take great pride in. Our professors span a broad range of research interests; one could argue that almost any science professor on campus could be considered doing biophysics research. Our students also come into the program with a broad range of backgrounds, and picking the right topic to study can be challenging. You should consider whether you want to stay fairly close to what you have experience with or whether you want to learn new topics and techniques. You will want to communicate these expectations with potential advisors, especially if their field is fairly new to you. As you are entering graduate school with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, you are expected to have a fair handle on the fundamentals of the science you will be studying. Gaps in knowledge are okay, but your major professor should know where these gaps lie. When talking to a potential advisor, inquire what knowledge you are expected to start with, and whether they are willing to teach you or wait for you to learn what you are lacking (eg. If you join a computationally focused lab, are you expected to already have programming experience, or can you learn it as you progress with your studies?). Some professors are more supportive of students pursuing new tracks than others, and it will be an immense source of stress for you if your major professor is expecting you to produce results faster than your starting knowledge 16 allows. Graduate school is supposed to be a learning experience, so if a professor is expecting you to already be an expert, be sure that you really want to do that research.
• Available Now and Potential Future Projects
• Some projects in a lab may already be funded and a major professor is actively looking for students to work on these projects. Other times, the major professor has submitted a grant application and is anticipating project funding but cannot immediately commit to having available funding. This is an important conversation to have with a PI. Are you willing to wait for confirmation and possible need to TA in the meantime with the potential for funding later? Or are you uncomfortable with the uncertainty? Additionally, laboratories are restricted by the projects they have funding for. If you are mainly interested in working on a specific, currentlyunfunded project, would you be still happy in that lab if you could only work on a different project and the one you want never gets funding or fails to show promise during collection of preliminary results? Whatever the project and its funding-status, it's important to discuss with your potential major professor the specific aims of the project and what the expected timeline is. What are the component parts? What are the main goals? What knowledge and skills will/may you need to complete the project? How long should each part take? What are possible roadblocks to a timely completion? What happens if the project takes much longer than expected? How might this affect your graduation? You and your major professor may not be able to answer all these questions right away. However, they are important to keep in mind and can help guide your questions of students currently in the lab and their experience with past projects.
• Time commitment/Working style in lab
• Every graduate student works differently and every major professor has different expectations for how you work in the lab. Do they expect a 40, 50, or 60 hour work week, or do they just expect you to keep up with your research? Do they expect you to work exclusively in the lab, or can you work from home if your research topic allows it? Are they supportive of taking vacation time? Know what environment you work best in and communicate that with the PIs you talk to.
• Time to finish, publications expectations, career mentorship
• Graduate school is a stepping stone to a career in or adjacent to science, and should be treated as such. Ask a potential major professor on average how many years their students take to complete their degree. If they already have an established research group this is a great question to ask current students who know some of the history. How many publications do students typically produce during their degree? Does the major professor support students pursuing non-academic jobs such as industry, education, science policy, or science communication? This question is especially important if you are unsure of what you want to do after graduating. If a major professor won’t support your career goals, working for them may be fruitless when you need them for a reference or a contact as you enter the professional world. Ask your potential advisor what steps they take throughout a student’s degree to mentor them toward finding a career. Do they encourage students attending and presenting at conferences? Do they encourage participation in extracurricular career events and workshops on campus? Do they meet regularly with their students to discuss progress and goals?
• Mentoring style
• Ask your potential advisors about their mentoring style (this may sound redundant–the theme is present in the above sections). Are they hands on, designing experiments for or with you, assisting in writing, choosing projects, etc.? Or are they hands off, touching base every month or so but largely letting you direct your research? The answer is probably somewhere in between, but it is important to select a major professor whose mentoring style matches your learning needs. If you need more guidance and communication from your PI, make that clear. If you prefer to figure things out on your own, pick a major professor who will give you the freedom to do that. One of the biggest day-to-day struggles for a graduate student occurs when a PI’s mentoring and the student’s needs don’t match up, so it is important to be upfront about expectations for this dynamic, and to communicate throughout your degree if your styles aren’t meshing well. A simple aspect can be how often they hold group meetings and whether you can have a separate meeting with them and how frequently. Many advisors are willing to meet individual student needs, but only if you communicate what your needs are!

Questions to Ask - Student Perspective

Rotations go both ways. Ask yourself not only if you would be a good fit for the lab, but if the lab will be a good fit for you.

Write down your specific personal and professional needs. It is important to be brutally honest with yourself when doing this. How do you best learn and thrive in a laboratory setting?

• Mentorship style:
• Do you prefer more direct involvement with your Major Professor vs. postdocs and other grad students?
  
  How often do you want to meet directly with your Major Professor? Once a day, week, month, quarter? 
  
  Do you want to be the driver of your own project? Or do you want a Major Professor that is more willing to guide you through the nuances of your research?
  
  Does the Major Professor have specific requirements for graduation (E.g., a first author paper, multiple first-author papers, reviews, exit seminars, etc?)
• Opportunities:
• Research project - are you given a project or are you expected to come up with one on your own?
  
  Does the Major Professor have the appropriate network to help aid your future career growth? (E.g., industry? Academia? Something else?)
  
  Ask the Major Professor what lab alumni are doing now. Are they in academic institutions, biotech, industry, other professional settings?
• Mental Health:
• Consider how you might handle stressful situations or conflict. Does the Major Professor and lab environment seem appropriately supportive for you? 
  
  What kind of environment do you need to maintain your own mental health? 
  
  What do you need from your Major Professor when you’re struggling? 
  
  What is the Major Professor’s policy on vacation/sick leave/mental health days?
• Communication:
• You cannot be afraid to talk to your Major Professor. Meet with the Major Professor throughout the rotation and use these meetings to learn more about their mentorship style and as a gauge of how well you’re doing in the lab.
  
  How clearly does the Major Professor communicate expectations? The end of rotation assessment can be a good indicator:
  • Offers insight into whether you met the Major Professor’s expectations.
  • Does it seem like they took their time to fill out the assessment and give a fair honest evaluation?
• Funding:
• Ask the Major Professor how grad students are funded in the lab - direct grant support, fellowships, TA-ship
  
  If you are very committed to this lab and they do not have funding, ensure that you are willing to apply for grants and TA for financial support. Do not make the decision to fund yourself lightly, this will likely add at least a year onto your degree completion time.
   

Questions to Ask - Faculty Perspective

It is important for students to know their own needs. One student may thrive in a particular lab environment, while others might struggle in the same situation. 

For example, if you are completely new to the skill set necessary for the lab, then you may want to be certain that you will get the training necessary to do your job. Talk to current lab members about lab training culture and carefully think about this during rotations.

• Mentorship style:
• Make sure you have the opportunity to discuss the Major Professor and lab culture with students/postdocs in the lab and really LISTEN to what they have to say.
  
  Do you prefer hands-off mentors or hands-on mentors? 
  
  Ask the Major Professor about their mentoring style - how often they are in the lab and/or how often are they traveling?
  
  What will their availability/communication style be when they are not in the lab?
  
  Rotations are a perfect opportunity to get to know how the lab operates and how you feel in it. 
  
  Take any red flags seriously.  Even if you LOVE the research, if the lab environment and Major Professor are not a good fit for you, that lab is not the best choice in the long run.
• Mental Health:
• Communication is Key:  If you are going through a situation that may impact your work it is important to communicate with your Major Professor. Reach out early with a plan that works for you; maybe you need a modified working schedule, or to move a deadline. Reaching out with a plan shows that you are being accountable. 
  
  Talking about mental health is not easy but remember that you don’t need to share details. You set the boundaries with which you are comfortable, communicate within those boundaries. You may want to reach out to your mentoring network to help you navigate these conversations.

Committing to a Lab

You must choose a lab to complete your studies by the beginning of the Spring Quarter in your first year. For doctoral students, the BPH program will cease funding your stipend and a Major Professor must take over that financial obligation. Your rotations will hopefully give you an idea of which lab you would like to pursue your degree in.

Students should inform their graduate program coordinator and academic advisor when they select a major professor. The student and major professor will receive the BPH Mentoring Agreement at that time. This form is meant to be used for check-ins or updates with your future major professor to make sure you are each on the same page. It can be used formally or informally–you can share this with your major professor and fill it out together or merely use it to guide your own questions. It can also be adapted as a guideline for interviewing a potential PI. Feel free to modify as necessary to meet your individual needs. Keep in mind that your goals or needs might change throughout your graduate school career so semi-regular check-ins or updates of this agreement are beneficial.

BPH Faculty Grad Mentoring Agreement

Student Perspective

• Communicate often with the Major Professor during and after the rotation. Make it clear you're interested in joining the lab by saying so. Do not assume they know you're interested. Tell them how passionate you are about their research questions and how well you fit into their team, and ask them if they would consider being your ‘Major Professor’.
• Ask questions! In lab meetings, in one-on-ones with the major professor, and of other lab members.
• If you still have rotations to complete, inform the Major Professor about your plans. Ask them what their situation is for accepting a student, and the likelihood that they will still have a position available if you continue rotations.
• Helpful questions to consider:
  • Do I want to spend the next 4-6 years closely working in this laboratory environment? Remember that the only constant will surely be the Major Professor. Other members will hopefully move on to new opportunities.
  • Do I truly enjoy the research?
  • Talk to other members of the lab - how do they like working there? Focus on grad student perspectives as they have a unique position in the lab.

Faculty Perspective

• Halfway through the rotation, request to meet with Major Professor to talk about your progress in the lab and areas that may need attention. These conversations are important to get a sense of how things are working and may help gauge the level of commitment and if you are ready to commit to the lab. If you are interested in joining the lab, let the Major Professor know before the end of the rotation so they have an opportunity to discuss feasibility.
• You can ask about funding by saying something like, “if you were to accept a graduate student into the lab right now, what are the expectations for funding? Would I be required to TA or find external funding, or are you in a position to support a new student at this time?”
• Most Major Professors will be very transparent about the current situation and expectations.  Just keep in mind that things can always change - a well-funded lab may not be so well-funded in a few years, and vice versa.  That is why you should always be applying for fellowships, even if you join a very well-funded lab.  Ask your Major Professor early about what fellowships they would like you to apply for and when.