Safety and wellbeing

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• Safety is the single most important consideration when doing chemistry. New exploratory reactions should be discussed with Paul or a senior lab member before being attempted.

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• Cleanliness is an integral part of safety. All communal equipment is to be cleaned ASAP, and there will be general lab clean-up at least once every two weeks, or as needed.

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• Long hours are not a badge of honor - it is better to plan well and be efficient than to risk burnout and injury (late hours and fatigue are common causes of lab accidents).

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• Always prioritize your wellness over any single reaction outcome. Sometimes we all need some extra time to focus on our wellbeing and mental health. Please don’t hesitate to let Paul know if you need this time.

 

Lab culture

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• Always be respectful towards others, appreciative of their contributions, and constructive when giving feedback. If disagreeing with somebody, do so respectfully and with best intentions.

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• Use people’s pronouns and preferred names when addressing fellow lab members.

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• There are no "stupid questions". Everybody has different strengths and skills and we can all learn from each other.

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• Recognize that nobody is correct all of the time, and that humility is important (This includes Paul - don't be afraid to question him!).

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• All religious holidays and commitments will be recognized unreservedly.

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• Exercising your right to vote is one of the most important freedoms that we have, and time off to vote will always be given for local and state elections. Federal elections will be lab holidays, although any other departmental duties (teaching etc.) may still be required to be performed.

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• Standard lab hours are 9 am - 5 pm, Monday-Friday unless otherwise agreed. Every group member can request to not be contacted outside of these lab hours except in case of emergency.

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• Family always comes first - if you require time away from the lab due to family circumstances, please discuss this with Paul.

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Research Progress and career development​​

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• Research progress will be measured by knowledge gained, not percentage success of experiments or hours worked. Every experiment should teach us something, even if it doesn't work as planned.

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• A career in academia is not the only reason to pursue research - Paul will do whatever he can to support YOUR career goals and potential, regardless of what they are.

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• Please let Paul know of any extracurricular career development opportunities that you are interested in. These will be supported with time off and financially, if possible and within reason. All such opportunities that Paul is aware of will be shared with the group.

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• Conferences are a great way to show the world what we do and learn about exciting work in our field, and attendance will be supported as fully as possible.