Group Policies

Read more here about general expectations that Wennie (the PI) has of you and what you can expect from Wennie.

• Work hours: Wennie does not mandate "fixed" work hours. However you are expected to be present in the office during at least half of the regular work day and maintain clear and appropriate research progress. Whether you choose to distribute that early in the day or later in the day is up to you. You are required to be present at meetings (individual and group) and at seminars. Being present on campus is important because:

  • regular work hours are when your classmates/labmates, staff, and other faculty are present; this is a time for when you build connections with the group and the department

  • Things tends to be more complicated than you originally imagine, and consequently they often can take more time than you think to finish well. Research does not happen in spurts but rather from regular and consistent work habits.

• Meetings: We will generally do 1-on-1 meetings or small group meetings if applicable. At the beginning of a project, we may meet frequently and regularly (i.e., at fixed times) to brainstorm, to work out initial technical details, etc. Sometimes meetings will be short where there is not much to update (e.g., you have heavy calculations that take awhile to run). Other times, meetings can run longer, especially as results start to come in and we start interpreting and discussing results. Later, as the project gets running, we will have less fixed meetings.

• Group meetings: We will have weekly group meetings. It is expected that all members participate, ask questions, and contribute to the discussion. Depending on the size and projects in the group, we will adjust the way group meetings are run (e.g., a single person presenting versus several people giving updates).

• Come prepared to meetings: bring data, a computer/laptop, a few slides, a notebook. Be familiar with what you did and why. Be prepared to have a discussion on your results.

• Be active in making plans and managing your project: If you have a result or problem, please let me know! Schedule a meeting, drop by the office, email, Slack, etc. even if we have a scheduled meeting ahead of time. Don’t wait for me to come to you- seek out feedback on things you do, which includes anything from figuring out how to analyze some data to writing a fellowship application to interacting with collaborators

• Communication, communication, communication: No matter how small minutia of a detail, please do not hesitate to ask or discuss! Many things in research require planning ahead and keeping track of deadlines, and communication is key to making sure things do not fall in the cracks. It is my job to help you to find success during your time here, and in order to do that it is important that we have an open line of communication.

  • Being proactive for deadlines, including those that I communicate to you: any deadlines of deliverables (e.g., posters, reviewer comments, papers, candicacy exams) involving input must be communicated well in advance. Send reminders and communicate early and frequently. Just as with meetings, come prepared with relevant information/questions.

  • Communicate deadlines in a timely manner: Communication of deadlines in a timely manner is crucial​ to ensuring the quality of work that we put out is the highest caliber we can deliver.

• Keep me in the loop: Any work generated in the group that is presented or seen outside the group must first be communicated with me, including reports, posters, forum posts, and of course manuscripts. Once communicated, you are welcome (and strongly encouraged!) to seek feedback from your peers and group mates. You may expect any of these research items to undergo numerous​ rounds of iteration. In order to make the most of each round of edits, make sure each version of the draft you send is the best representation of that draft​. As such, plan accordingly for enough time before the deadline to ensure your work can go through the necessary rounds of revision.

• Emails and communication: It is expected that group members maintain timely communication. My personal policy for emails/messages is to respond within 24-72 hrs.

• Collaborations and discussions: I encourage having discussions and seeking out collaboration opportunities with people in the group and outside the group. It’s great if you have ideas on future research directions, research-related activities (e.g., running a themed seminar)! However, be mindful of what you mention or talk about and in what context and keep Wennie in the loop.

• Keep up to date documentation on your project(s): Keep a record of meetings (what was discussed/questions asked, what to do next), formal or informal presentations, documentation generated over the course of your project. Please keep a running electronic documentation of your projects progress, especially anything you brought to a group or individual meeting. There are many tools to help with this. See Research Resources for more.

• Internships: Internships are a great way to build research experience and see how things are done in different places. If you are interested in applying for an internship, please let me know as soon as possible. We will need to plan and strategize how to fit something that requires extended absence from the group and meet any grant and proposal deadlines.

• Career development: Consider career development as part of your education and experience here at UT Austin. Start early and revisit periodically.

• Extracurricular activities: Example extracurricular activities include outreach efforts, DEI-related efforts, focus student groups. One important thing to remember is that research is the priority. You here to engage in scientific research; as a group at an R1 institution, this is also the expectation from the university. Nevertheless, Wennie believes extracurricular activities can augment your experience in the group, in terms of personal enrichment, networking, and community building and in general, recommends doing at least one kind of outreach/educational activity.

• Let the group know of good news! So we can post it on the website and let everyone know.