Hello-
I have just accepted my first graduate student into my lab. I am a
new faculty member (8 months and still alive) and I will confess to
being a little nervous about advising. Having looked to my (male)
mentors for advice for so many years, it hardly seems possible that I
am going to perform this role now.
I would like to hear from others concerning their development as
graduate student advisors. What sage advice can you give? Where
do you draw a line between letting the student find their own way vs.
jumping in and helping? How do you get a student started on a
research project and encourage them to present their own ideas? The
general project area is already defined by grant money for the
assistantship. What pitfalls should I look for and avoid?
Since I am asking this question, I will introduce myself. My name is
Carol Auer and I am in the Department of Plant Science at the Univ.
of Connecticut. My background is in both Botany and Horticulture
with emphasis on plant hormone biochemistry. I am interested in the
biosynthesis and metabolism of cytokinins, especially as it relates to
the control of plant development.
I look forward to hearing from the net.
Carol Auer
Dept. of Plant Science
Univ. of Connecticut
cauer at canr1.cag.uconn.edu
