by Suzanne on January 4, 2010

Happy New Year! Now that 2010 has begun, it's a good time to start thinking about how you want to spend your travel money (or which meetings you want to nudge your PI about spending their travel money on for you). So to help (read on...)

by Suzanne on December 21, 2009

Perhaps at no other time of year like the winter solstice is the mixture of religious beliefs and daily life more intertwined.  Most people, regardless of race and country of origin, come from a faith that believes in God or a (read on...)

by Suzanne on November 9, 2009

In a previous article, I listed some ways that people annoy their co-workers and many of you added some of your own pet peeves. Now I would like to discuss some ways to be the lab favorite, also known as the "golden child". Does (read on...)

by Victoria on August 18, 2009

Most people that do scientific research for a living seem to have mixed feelings about their job. Many that I know are routinely day dreaming of quitting. This contrasts with the well-established, romantic image of the dedicated (read on...)

by Suzanne on July 29, 2009

If you ask any finished graduate student, most of us starting a Masters or PhD program were very excited at what awaited us and if you were anything like me, you were foolishly idealistic and thought you were going to pull on a (read on...)

by Nick on July 16, 2009

Criticism is not just valuable, it is essential for a person's development as a scientist, or anything else for that matter. Well that's not entirely true. Not all criticism is valuable, it has to be the right kind of criticism. (read on...)

by Nick on June 16, 2009

Really great presentation skills. Some people in science seem to have them, and some don't. I am one of the don'ts. Sure, I can get up in front of people and talk when needed, but it won't be a polished performance by any means. (read on...)

by Paul on June 3, 2009

As well as having had some negative work experiences, I've also had the pleasure of working with some wonderful people, including some of my previous bosses. Life is too short to deal with some of the idiosyncrasies described in (read on...)

by Nick on May 20, 2009

Going to conferences normally involves a significant investment of time and money. So it's important to get as much as you can out of them. One of the most valuable things you can get from a conference is contacts. These can (read on...)

by Dan on March 13, 2009

In the ~2 years since I defended my PhD, due to circumstances (mostly) out of my control, I've been jumping between brief stints in three jobs. It was hard to miss the differences between the heads of each lab. Each had their own (read on...)