My Vision for the Origins and Astrobiology Research Laboratory at Purdue - Part I: the Environment/Culture

What makes a research lab great?

This is the question I find myself asking as I prepare to open the Origins and Astrobiology Research Laboratory (OARL) in the fall of 2024.

My feeling is that it really comes down to creating an environment in which scientists can thrive.

All too often in academia, talented students are thwarted of their potential by the lack of good mentorship. The vast majority of graduate students and postdocs have every intention to do great work and be successful—and they’ve demonstrated this already by obtaining one or more degrees. But if you put a graduate student or postdoc in a toxic lab, that intention can change to hopelessness, ambivalence, and jadedness.

I’ve seen situations first hand where graduate students have changed labs and gone from being unproductive and frustrated, to re-establishing their passion for science and making huge strides in research. And I’ve seen even more talented graduate students driven out of academia because of a bad experiences with their Principle Investigator (PI).

So, here are my thoughts on how to create a positive and thriving work environment and culture (in no particular order).

1. Shared vision

   • The PI creates the vision for the lab, but a great PI listens to and is open to incorporating the ideas of their lab members.

2. Diverse membership

   • Diversity of ideas requires diversity of people. Progress is not made in an echo chamber.

3. Teamwork/collaboration

   • Science is a team effort, and scientists need to support each other to do great work.

4. Encouragement

   • This may seem obvious, but if you don’t fan a flame, it can burn out.

5. Clear anti-harassment policy

   • Harassment can thrive when people are not kept in check. The policy on anti-harassment must be clear, and penalties for harassment must be strict. OARL is emphatically an anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic, and anti-oppressive lab. I expect my lab members to share these values, as I think it is critical to cultivating a positive lab environment.

6. Work/life balance

   • The most productive people are extremely good at self-regulation. How do you become good at self-regulation? You make time to exercise, eat clean, sleep, socialize, spend time with your loved ones, and enjoy your creative outlets. I don’t want my students and postdocs “living” in the lab. I expect them to have lives outside of work, and I would be interested to hear about them!

7. Clear expectations

   • People need to know what is expected of them before they sign up to do a PhD or postdoc. And expectations go in both directions.
     Here is what my students and postdocs can expect from me:

     • I will support them in pursuit of their personal goals.

       • Does the student or postdoc want to work towards a career in industry, academia, or government? It’s okay to not know! In any case, we will strategize together how to best set them up to meet their goals.

     • I will make time to meet with them on a weekly basis to touch base, work through research problems, give advice, and answer any questions they have.

     • I will finish work that they need from me in a timely fashion.

       • Comments on manuscripts/proposals, recommendation letters, repairs to instrumentation - delaying these things can get in the way of a student’s or postdoc’s progress. I will always put my group members first, and will complete these sorts of tasks in a time that is reasonable for the amount of work it requires.

     • I will be a champion of their mental health.

       • One in two PhD students experiences psychological distress (Levecque et al. 2017). Let’s not deny the facts! Doing a PhD is mentally stressing. I should know, I’ve been through it! I will always support my students and postdocs mental health as best I can. I want my group members to succeed!

     What do I expect from my students and postdocs?

     • Show up (and be present).

       • A research group cannot thrive if the lab members are constantly absent. There will be weekly group meetings, meetings with visiting scientists, seminars, classes, workshops, conferences, and much more. All of these things are important for the development of early career scientists as well as the progress of science.

     • Communication.

       • Good communication is crucial for a healthy student- or postdoc-advisor relationship.

     • Be curious and willing to learn.

       • Science involves tons of learning, and the learning never stops - Even after you become a PI! I expect my students and postdocs to take on new learning opportunities as they emerge.

     • Make errors.

       • Yes, you read that correctly! Some people have this idea that failed experiments are a bad thing. No! It’s extremely valuable to fail. This is where the most learning occurs. The only exception is…

     • Be safe.

       • Lab safety is no joke. There will be pressurized toxic gases flowing through glassware in my lab. Because of the inherent risks, there will be several tests group members will have to pass before they will be allowed to run experiments unsupervised. I expect my lab members to champion safety while they are in the lab.