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Student Handbook
Lab Rotation
Laboratory rotations can be a very effective way for new graduate students
to get acquainted with faculty members and their co-workers. They provide
an opportunity for graduate students to explore in some depth areas they are
considering for their Ph.D. Thesis research. In addition, they allow both graduate
students and faculty to test out possible working relationships.
While, in the interests of flexibility, the Field of Genetics
and Development does not have formal requirements concerning lab rotations,
here are some recommendations for first year graduate students. Early
in the Fall semester you will meet as a group with each of the faculty in the
Field to discuss their labs' research. In addition, you should keep your ears
open at the Wednesday Seminars, in classes and in the halls, and decide in
which laboratories you would like to rotate. You should contact these faculty
members as soon as possible to discuss your plans and work out a schedule for
the three suggested rotation periods (see below). By mid-October you should
make your plans known to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and to Diane
Colf, Graduate Field Assistant. Beginning in October of your first year you
should start the first of three rotations. Usually, by the end of the third
rotation you will, by mutual agreement with the faculty member concerned, have
settled on a laboratory in which to do thesis research. In unusual cases, a
graduate student and a faculty member may agree early on a thesis project.
In the interests of breadth such a student is encouraged (though not required)
to continue with rotations.
What is expected
of a graduate student on rotation? While no one objects to a graduate
student completing a project and writing a paper for publication during a rotation,
no one expects it either! What is expected is an earnest effort on a
project and the fullest participation possible in the intellectual life of
the laboratory. If, either before or early during a rotation, a graduate student
finds that her or his interests have changed dramatically, she or he should
not feel trapped, but rather try to arrange a new rotation elsewhere.
Recommended Rotation Periods:
- Late October through December
- Early January to mid-March
- Mid-March to mid-May
At the end of each rotation, the supervising faculty
member prepares a written evaluation that is informally discussed with
the student. Both the student and faculty are asked to sign the evaluation
form, which is then returned to the Graduate Field Assistant (Diane Colf).
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