Mentoring Plan for PhD Students
Communication and Meetings
How would you describe your advising style? Does your approach vary over the course of a student's progress within their degree?
In general I meet with each student regularly. I have an open-door policy and encourage students to come see me often to discuss research or ask questions. Some students I meet and discuss research with on almost a daily basis. With other students who prefer more autonomy we typically meet once a week.
What is the best way/technology for students to contact you? Are there time frames in which students should expect to hear from you?
Slack
How often do you plan to meet with students one-on-one (be as specific as possible, it's okay to describe multiple styles that may vary with student needs)? Is an agenda required? How long are meetings?
Once a week in an official setting (i.e., one-hour scheduled meeting). However, I am extremely responsive on Slack and have an open door policy and often meet with students multiple times per week.
Do you have regular group meetings? What does student participation look like in a group meeting?
Monthly group meetings.
Research and Teaching Expectations
Describe your students' primary area(s) of responsibility and expectations (e.g., reading peer-reviewed literature, in-lab working hours, etc.).
Reading literature, writing code, running simulations, data analysis, scientific visualization, writing papers, preparing slides for conferences.
How do you decide authorship and/or authorship order?
Most of our papers have few authors (primarily the student who did the work is the first author and I am second author).
Do you ask students in your group to serve as a GSI over the course of their program?
I typically leave this choice up to the student.
Do you have general expectations for graduation?
Typically ~3 journal papers and ~5 years total.
Are you supportive of your students going on internships? If so, is there a time of year that is best? How many internships can they do?
Depends on how well the internship aligns with PhD goals.
Opportunities for Feedback
How do you provide students with feedback regarding overall progress, research activities, etc.?
We have a shared expectations document we review once a year. Often students will ask for feedback informally during meetings.
Conference Attendance
Which meetings do your students generally attend? What funding is available to attend these meetings?
APS DFD, AIChE, AIAA, ICMF (international). Funding is usually provided by the grant supporting them.
Time Away from Campus
Discuss expectations regarding vacations and time away from campus and how best to plan for them. What is the time-frame for notification regarding anticipated absences?
I rarely (if ever) tell a student they cannot take vacation when they ask, regardless of the time of year. If multiple trips are planned I request research progress (done remotely) remain uninterrupted.
Are there specific standard times that students in your group generally take vacation?
Summer