Research descriptions for department

Follow the link to the chemistry depatrtment website.

Selecting an Advisor

By now you have hopefully decided on the area (for example inorganic) of chemistry in which you are interested, and perhaps some specific topics in that area. Arrange to speak with faculty members who share your interests and tour their labs. You don't need to wait for the lunch-time seminar of a faculty member before you talk to them. In fact, personal interviews are a good way to determine if this is someone you could work for.

Assume now that you've arranged a first meeting with a potential advisor. What do you say and do? A good first question is 'will you be able to take any new graduate students this year?', if you haven't already asked when you set up the interview. Assuming the answer is 'yes', here is a list of good questions to ask:

• What areas of your research are open to a new student?
• Are there other students in the group (or postdocs) working on this project? (If so, you may end up being 'apprenticed' to such a person)
• What special skills will be required or acquired in this area? (Some physical chemistry groups require a lot of math to understand the work. Some inorganic groups may require the ability to do X-ray diffraction...) (Don't let this discourage you - many things that you don't know you will learn as your research progresses.)
• How many other groups around the world do this sort of research?
• Are they collaborators or competitors? How serious is the competition?
• What are the applications of this research in the nonacademic world? (This is more appropriate now than ever...)
• Is this area of research stable? (Will there be future funding available? It's never too early to think about funding!)
• What is the general time frame for completion of a Ph.D.?
• What opportunities exist after the Ph.D. in this area?
• How many former students have graduated?
• What are they doing now and for whom?
• How many papers have former students typically published?
• What are your working hour expectations? (Don't forget this one! Many have been surprised...)
• Are there regular group meetings and/or study sessions? (Some areas of chemistry have cumulative exams and studying for them is partially a group effort)
• Is participation in reading/discussion groups (e.g. about journal articles) available or encouraged?
• Are there opportunities (or requirements!) to travel, be it going to conferences or even working for extended periods at another place?
• Are there teaching opportunities?
• Who in the group provides the mentorship?
• What fraction of the advisor's time is spent on leading the research group (vs. administration, teaching, etc.)?

In addition to asking questions, you may find yourself answering some. Expect the following, as a minimum:

• What research have you done before?
• What course work have you done?
• How did you do in the course work?
• What interests you about this group?

After speaking with the faculty member, the next step is to talk to group members. Talk to them inside and outside the lab! You may be surprised at the difference it makes. Try to get a feel for the cohesion of the group, the work habits and expectations, the group morale, and the interests of the members. If the professor is not yet tenured, be aware of the possibility that the lab may have to leave the university. Remember, this choice is going to affect you for the next five years, so find out all you can to make an informed decision.

You can also find out about a faculty member/research group by talking with students outside the group. A student within the group will rarely tell someone who is considering joining the group anything negative about his advisor or the group dynamics. Remember, a person in a group chose that group. An outsider may have a different perspective, so try to recognize rumors and half truths. Ultimately, this is your decision and the more input you have from a wide array of sources, the closer you are to the unbiased truth.

With the above process completed for the groups of interest, you should have plenty of information and a 'feel' for the groups. Now the decision is upon you. You're on your own here, but there is one good bit of advice we can give: the two most important questions you should be able to answer are 'can I work productively in this group for four(+) years?' and 'what do I see myself doing immediately after getting a Ph.D. (other than going to Disneyland)?'

The following are the results of a survey which asked students questions about their experience when deciding on a research group. Most said that they moderately researched the available choices, and mostly asked questions and talked to people within the department. The following are responses to the question, what would you have done differently when deciding which research group to join.

"I would have asked more questions regarding available projects."

I would have "looked more closely at possible hurdles toward finishing," asked "is there limited apparati, (waiting your turn extends your stay)," and the "feasibility of project, (waist time chasing geese)."

"Look more closely at exactly what is done on a day-to-day basis."

"My circumstances are such that probably no other group would have been practical."

"I like my choice - no regret!"

"I would have observed the actual procedures that I would be responsible for. I would have gotten more involved in the group prior to making a definite decision."

"Hard to say since I got #3 'choice'."

Before Thanksgiving, you will turn in a list of your top two choices of research advisors. Once the lists have been turned in, the faculty will get together to match graduate students with advisors. They will do their best to match students with their first choice, although sometimes this is not possible.