Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Visiting the old lab

I had to perform a study at a hospital in the quaint city that houses my old run-of-the-mill R1 grad school. So I got to check out the old lab and see what they've been up to. Turns out: not so much. They've published once since I left. Once! 

I'd understand one pub if the lab was full of first- or second- year grad students and if there wasn't as much money rolling around. But there are several active big grants in their 2nd-4th years. A couple 2nd year grad students, a few 3rd year, a couple 5th year ready to defend, a masters student, a couple techs, and a couple post-docs. To be fair, one of the 5th years was writing a manuscript. So I was wondering what the problem was. Was it that my former advisor got tenure, so he slowed down? We're the kids in the program slow workers? Was it just a slump?

Then my old advisor asked me to talk with one of his students. The student (let's call him Second Year, or SY) has been stuck for 5 months. He's been building a device to make some crazy measurements but has not been able to get each subsystem working to 100%. Best he's been able to do is 50% on one of them. The rest hover around 10% operational. So I look at this, and begin to explain what I feel is going wrong.  He is unfamiliar with any of the concepts I'm referring to. These are very simple concepts that I know the average undergrad could pick up. It blew my mind. After I got SY's project back on the correct track, and helped a couple other students along the way, my old advisor wanted to go up to his office to chat.

He had miscellaneous papers piled up all over the place, and looked as though he's been stressed in trying to get the army of researchers he has to do the right things. So I found the answer: the researchers working for him suck. I don't want to toot my own horn, but I was part of a cohort of 3 PhD students that came in at the same time that as he says: "Changed the course of the lab."  The 3 of us implemented proper protocols, changed improper reagents, built new devices, etc.  My old advisor came straight out of grad school and did not have the breadth of experience required if you're going to start new types of projects. We added this experience and the lab started pulling in a crazy amount of money because of it. Since we came at the same time, we left at the same time. And we all thought the lab would have a couple issues, but it appears they're having major issues. So, who's to blame here? I polled my two former cohorts:

Cohort 1: Old advisor is at fault, he's recruiting the wrong students

Cohort 2: We did fine with little oversight. The students need to step it up

I took a different tactic: we didn't leave the lab in a good enough place where 'green' students couldn't keep up the pace. Part of this has to do with the fact that my old school isn't the most highly regarded (even though it is R1), so the students aren't as good. But we knew this, and should have helped the lab more instead of getting our letters and getting the fudge out of there. 

I'm certain my old advisor will be able to recover, but the core deficiencies are worrying me. I suspect he'll just have to do more babysitting. I hope he's not too attached to his hair...

4 comments:

  1. Don't blame yourself! The professor has to find the proper people. Since you're in industry: don't higher-ups blame the manager for a bad hire. Move along with your own stuff, and don't worry about a former bad boss.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I worry because that lab shaped who I am today, professionally and personally. It's like seeing your childhood home go away. It's tough to sit idly by, and so I blame myself.

    ReplyDelete
  3. There is such a thing as too much money. You get good people, good data, you get money, are pressured to hire, and then you hire the wrong people. I see it all the time.
    Having good people is absolutely critical; I make a point of hiring good people when available and the money will eventually come. The worst thing is having money and nobody to spend it on and then you are stuck with duds.

    I keep my operation really lean these days, wtih strong emphasis on hiring only the best students. It's done wonders for me keeping my hair and for productivity.

    3-5 crappy people spend 3-5 RAs.
    One good person is more valuable than 3-5 bad or mediocre people, and costs way less.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will always agree with that. Unfortunately, it takes experience to know who's good and bad. That is not something my former adviser has

      Delete