Most research in the Buckley lab concerns functional ecology, evolution, and biogeography in changing environments, a broad and complex topic leaving lots of room for creative and interdisciplinary approaches and independent projects. One focus of the lab is coupling theoretical and quantitative tools with data collection. I feel that combining multiple approaches is central to tackling questions of environmental change and a primary benefit of choosing to conduct graduate research in the Buckley lab. Student projects often span two of the following three approaches: theory, ecoinformatic analysis, and field or lab work. My goal as a mentor is to facilitate students learning how to identify interesting questions, develop feasible approaches, and process and synthesize information to address the question.
I appreciate the advice given to me and other graduate students by my UW colleague Ray Huey, who was given the advice by Eric Pianka. “Namely, when you set out on your graduate career, your goal should be nothing less than becoming The established authority in some area by the time you complete your degree. That may sound ambitious. But if you aim high, you will hit high.” (See also his other advice for graduate students.) With academic jobs becoming increasingly scarce and graduate training sometimes poorly aligned with other careers, I agree with the sentiment that a PhD is best undertaken by someone who cannot bear to do anything else. If you are sufficiently passionate about the endeavor to undertake a PhD, it’s worth aiming high. Of course, identifying innovative research questions is one of the most important challenges of graduate school. I generally start student out working closely with me on a manageable, short-term research question so that they gain background in the research area and in the lab’s approach. I then work with students to develop research questions.
I encourage students to conduct independent research, but my vision of independent research may differ from yours. There are many ways to conduct conceptually independent research without working on a system I know nothing about in a place I know nothing about and for which I do not have funding. I generally expect students to conduct research in the systems I am working on (montane butterflies and grasshoppers in CO) so that I can best support their research (with expertise and financial support). Of course, some students will conduct quantitative research using existing data, in which case the alignment of questions is more important that the system. It is easier to produce conceptual advancements if you do not have to start from scratch. Students seeking to ask similar questions in other systems may be encouraged to do so as long as the question motivates the different system rather than preference. Having a collaborator or co-advisor with expertise in the other system is ideal.
I view the ability to take scientific initiative as central to success as a graduate student. I thus look for lab members that have demonstrated an ability to take initiative. Successfully completing and ideally publishing independent research is a primary way that students demonstrate initiative, but demonstrating initiative outside science (e.g., leadership in student groups, art, athletics) is also a strength. I also look for students who demonstrate aptitude for identifying interesting research areas and questions. Students interested in working in my group should have at least basic quantitative skills (e.g., mathematics or computer science training, experience with a computing language such as R), but there are many opportunities to build quantitative skills at UW. In additional to accepting students through the UW Department of Biology, I am a member of the Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management (QERM) interdisciplinary graduate program; an affiliate of the eScience Institute; and I interact with the Program on Climate Change (PCC).
I strive for a manageable group size (1-3 graduate students, 0-2 postdocs, and 1-4 undergraduates). I try to maintain a vibrant research environment regardless of the number of group members by closely interacting with other research groups. For example, we have weekly group meetings where we present research, discuss papers, and undertake professional development activities. They have always been shared, initially with the research groups of Joel Kingsolver and Allen Hurlbert at the University of North Carolina and now with Ray Huey (the Huckley Lab) at UW. We also conduct joint lab meetings with Janneke HilleRisLambers some quarters.
I generally meet with graduate students weekly but am happy to interact with students more frequently when beneficial. I understand that productivity is uneven as are the demands of non-research activities, but I expect students to arrive to meet each week with something they have produced (graphs especially welcome) or learned. We’ll review progress on the previous week’s goals and set goals for the next week. I ask students to complete an individual development plan annually that we will go over together. The process includes assessing progress on meeting past goals and timelines and revisiting research and professional goals and milestones. I also appreciate feedback on how I can be a better mentor for each student’s individual needs.
You can expect me to assist with your professional development regardless of your goals following time in the lab. The professional goals or outcomes of past students have included academic positions, non-profits, education, and data science.
I aim to provide research assistantships (RAs) in the summer and for 1-2 quarters each academic year as well as research funding for students conducting research aligned with my funding. Students are encouraged to apply for external fellowships (e.g., National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Environmental Protection Agency STAR Fellowship, Ford Foundation Predoctoral Diversity Fellowship). Grant writing is an important skill and receiving independent funding is important for professional advancement. I aim to provide lab members funding to attend at least one scientific meeting each year.
Lab members are expected to disseminate their research through outreach and education. Our TrEnCh project aims to develop computational tools to translate physical climate changes into impacts on organisms. Students are encouraged to contribute to the associated outreach and education tools aimed at disseminating information about the ecological impacts of climate change. Students with quantitative skills have often disseminated them through teaching workshops.
We strive to provide an equitable, inclusive, and inspiring research environment. We welcome members irrespective of race, religion, gender identification, sexual orientation, age, or disability status and appreciate diverse perspectives. We aim to be allies to those encountering harassment or discrimination.
We aim to follow best scientific practices including conducting open and reproducible research and disseminating data and code. Students are required to use version control (generally github; see https://github.com/HuckleyLab and https://github.com/trenchproject). I do not have expectations for the amount of time spent in lab, but I do expect you to spend sufficient time in the lab to interact and to make the commitment of time and effort necessary to make steady progress in your research and to meet milestones. Balancing research with hobbies and other enjoyable activities is central to success in graduate school, so group members are encouraged to bring their whole selves to the research group.
Graduate school and the process of transforming from someone who reads research to someone whose research is read is challenging. Expect you will go through periods of stress and feeling inadequate. Cultivating a support network is essential. Celebrate small accomplishments (e.g., making a graph of new data) to remind yourself of the joy of discovery. I encourage you to talk with me and others in the department if you are encountering challenges to your mental health. I am also happy to help you access the many mental health resources on campus.
Each student has unique mentoring needs and a primary challenge I face as a mentor is adjusting my mentoring to meet these unique needs. I still have much to learn as a mentor and expect I may always have that sentiment. You can expect my dedication to mentoring and also that I will sometimes fail as a mentor. I am happy to receive feedback on my mentoring and encourage you to talk with previous students about their experience with me as a mentor. I would ideally interact with lab members at colleagues, but I realize a lot of learning is required to get trainees to that point. I also view learning to mentor as an important part of being a graduate student or postdoc. Lab members will be encouraged to mentor more junior colleagues (often undergraduates).
There are some personally traits that make me a less suitable mentor. Procrastination: I expect students to meet timelines. Students need to finish drafts of grant applications, papers, and presentations in plenty of time for me to provide feedback. I do not excel at nagging students to get something done. Perfectionism: The relationship between effort and quality has an asymptote. Once you reach the asymptote, it’s time to call the product done and move on to the next step. Recognizing when something is good enough is essential to publishing your research early in your graduate career, which will improve your prospects after graduate school.