Support our research group with your research, behavior, commitment, and citizenship 

The Butler Group does research in the area of biofilm and microbial ecology, structure, and function in the context of Environmental Engineering systems – primarily for the advancement of wastewater treatment but also in drinking water treatment and natural systems. Graduate education is important for many careers in environmental engineering where people value strong analytical skills and independence.  An undergraduate degree is the completion of a specified curriculum to achieve a set of knowledge and skills. A Master’s degree suggests advanced knowledge in a specialized area. I expect that at the time of completion a student has completed a body of work that demonstrated comprehension. If you can convince me that you have met this ideal, then you are ready to defend your thesis. A PhD indicates that you are an expert in a well-defined area of science or engineering and that you have the skills needed to do research at a high level. If you can convince me that you have met this ideal, then you are ready to defend your dissertation. If you join my lab as a postdoctoral researcher, I expect you to lead research at a high-level in our group. In all cases, our work has no value if we are not disseminating that science/engineering. Passion and industriousness and collegiality are critical for success in our research. 

More information on the departmental expectations of graduate students are available in the Student Handbook

Safety 

The physical and mental health of the people that work in our lab are paramount. Following safety guidelines and procedures is the single most important thing that you can do for your own safety and the safety of those around you.  Therefore: 

  • Attend and remain current with your Environmental, Health and Safety trainings: ehs.umass.edu 
  • Follow our lab protocols and write new lab protocols for new procedures. 
  • If you need personal protective equipment (PPE), order it – no questions asked 
  • If your health status changes, tell me in private so that we can investigate how this might affect your ability to work in the lab 
  • If you see someone acting in an unsafe manner, remind them what they need to do. If it persists, please contact me privately so I can work through and address the issue(s). 

Career development is a continuous process 

You should have a list of things you would like to learn and apply to your research. These can be as simple as improving time management, developing better writing or speaking skills, analytical skills, learning a new instrument or technique, etc. You will never develop these skills unless you work on them. Plan ahead at the scale of daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly for when and how you will develop these skills. 

General expectations for group members 

Effort 

  • I expect you to work hard and put in the hours necessary to complete research of high quality. 
  • If you need a remote work arrangement, you and I will discuss balancing your goals and needs with project needs and requirements. 
  • If you are not engaged and motivated to come to work in the morning, we need to talk 
  • Be your own worst critic 
  • Seek to improve yourself without feeling the need to compete against your colleagues 

Research 

  • I have a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism and data fabrication 
  • I expect you to document your work in detail in a way that your future self (and others) can understand reproduce your work.  
  • I expect that you capture video and images of your work to help support documentation and dissemination of your work 
  • I expect you to attend our regular meeting (group and individual). If you are not able to or you have not made enough progress to discuss in a meeting, I expect advanced notice. 
  • Present at a national or regional meeting or conference each year (see below) 
  • Apply for funding that is available for research and travel 

Reading 

  • 3+ papers per week 
  • Read broadly and within your specialty area 
  • Sign up for alerts; review search terms regularly 

Writing 

  • Write every day, at least a paragraph – writing doesn’t happen well in large chunks/block 

Citizenship 

  • Be a good citizen of the department. Attend CEE and EWRE events. Support graduate students in other groups. Get involved in student groups. It will help you develop a new knowledge and a network of people who will support you in your work. 
  • Share your protocols, “life hacks”, and short-cuts with other members of the lab 
  • Give information about career development opportunities as you learn of them – post to the group Whatsapp  
  • Provide support to colleagues in the lab by reading drafts, engaging in discussions, and being a positive influence 
  • Acknowledge and build off the work of others in the lab 

Conference Presentations, Seminar Presentations, and Defenses 

  • Organize a practice talk 
  • Practice talk with me and lab 
  • Practice talk with your colleagues 

Vacation 

  • I expect that you will take vacation each year 
  • Let me know in advance 
  • Vacations/ Time off (see GEO and Postdoc guidelines for details) in addition to holidays and seasonal days 

Personal well-being 

  • If you are sick physically or mentally and it is impacting your research, degree progress or courses, I need to know (not the details of your health but how your work is impacted) 
  • We can work out leaves of absence, reduced hours, altered expectations, etc 
  • I respect and uphold all relevant University policies regarding professional conduct, including but not limited to:  

Time Management 

  • Productivity expectations will be communicated to Dr. Butler on a weekly basis 
  • You will work with Dr. Butler to determine time-management strategies that work best for you 

Communication 

  • All members of the Butler Research Group will communicate with each other on respectful terms. 
  • In a group, there will always be opportunities for miscommunication and misunderstanding. In these cases, all parties will listen and communicate with empathy and respect in seeking a resolution 
  • Butler group members will regularly check Whatsapp and email to stay informed about research group business 

Specific expectations by category 

Me 

  • I care deeply about the work that we do and the people who do it. 
  • I will do everything in my power to bring in funding to support our work. 
  • I do my best to mentor you to receive a PhD in 5 years and Master’s in 2 years. Though I cannot guarantee these timeframes. 
  • I promise to consult the lab when new people will potentially join us 
  • I will to my best review drafts within 2 weeks of receiving them, 2-3 days for conference abstracts and short documents 
  • I will make room on my schedule to meet with you within 2 days of request in addition to our regular meetings. 
  • I will share opportunities for career development and funding opportunities as I learn of them 
  • I will be your biggest advocate 
  • I will nominate you for awards as appropriate 
  • I will do my best to support you to attend one conference per year assuming you have a poster or talk to present – therefore, you must submit abstracts!!!! 
  • I will advise you in a project that has the potential to generate at least 3 papers that belong together in a dissertation for PhD students and at least 1 paper for Master’s student. 
  • I will invite you to work on side projects – it is up to you to say yes or no. But once you say “yes”, it becomes difficult to reassign that project to someone else 
  • I will be enthusiastic about your work 
  • I will protect confidence and will not discuss you with any other students. I may seek mentoring advice from people I respect and will always do so with your best interest in mind and in their confidence as well. 
  • I will do my best to maintain a team of scientists that is demographically and scientifically diverse 
  • If you think that I have broken these promises, then you have the right to call me on it. If you do not think that is likely to be productive to discuss this directly with me, you should contact the departmental head, Dr. John Tobiason,?who can set up an independent arbitration process. 

Ph.D. students 

  • Obtain at least a B in each of your courses 
  • Take the initiative to collaborate with labmates and colleagues inside and outside our research group to develop the lab skills that you need to be successful in your research.  
  • Do your best to prepare for and pass preliminary exams on your first try at the end of your first year as a PhD student as per the EWRE guidelines (exception can be made to accommodate altered course work schedules). If unsuccessful, you will try again within one semester (or reasonable amount of time decided by the exam committee) and follow the recommendations of the exam committee to strengthen your knowledge and work. 
  • Defend your prospectus 1 year following your written exams as per EWRE guidelines (exceptions can be made to accommodate alter unique research or personal circumstances). 
  • Independently develop new analytical skills and techniques that benefit your research  
  • Develop the concepts for your prospectus with me, but write it independently of me 
  • Investigate and apply for appropriate funding opportunities with discussion and advice from your faculty mentor(s). 
  • Submit at least two manuscripts for publication before you defend your dissertation (but you will be able to get three or more).  
  • As a senior graduate student, you will help mentor undergraduates and junior/new graduate students 
  • By the time you defend, you should be the most knowledgeable person in the room on your topic 
  • Communicate your career goals to me as they develop 
  • If you are interested in TA-ing beyond the departmental requirements, speak with me before volunteering 

Master’s Students 

  • Obtain at least a B in each of your courses 
  • Work with Dr. Butler to create a research plan for your thesis. Dr. Butler will advise, not direct you on what to do. 
  • Collaborate with labmates and colleagues inside and outside our research group, to develop the lab skills that you need to be successful in your research.  
  • Investigate and apply for appropriate funding opportunities with discussion and advice from your faculty mentor(s). 
  • Produce a body of research that is of sufficient quality for at least one journal publication.  
  • Consider mentoring an undergraduate or more in support of your research. 
  • By the time you defend, you should be the most knowledgeable person in the room on your topic 
  • Communicate your career goals to me as they develop 
  • If you are interested in TA-ing, speak with me before volunteering 

Undergraduate Honor Thesis Students 

  • Obtain at least a B in each of your courses 
  • Work with Dr. Butler and likely also a graduate student mentor to create a research plan. 
  • Collaborate with labmates and colleagues inside and outside our research group, to develop the lab skills that you need to be successful in your research.  
  • Investigate and apply for appropriate funding opportunities with discussion and advice from their faculty mentor(s). 
  • Support the writing and data analysis for research manuscripts. 
  • Communicate your career goals to me as they develop 

Postdocs and Research Fellows 

  • Finish papers from your PhD in a timely manner, if applicable 
  • Talk with me about pursuing funding opportunities 
  • Work with me to find a project 
  • Own and drive your project 
  • Look to me more for suggestions than direction 
  • Publish at least a paper a year 
  • Look for opportunities to mentor graduate and undergraduates 
  • Contracts are to be renewed each year depending on progress towards these goals 
  • My goal will be to give you three months notice, or at my very earliest knowledge, if funding is short or I think it is time for you to move on 
  • When you start, you should have a sense of your career goals, communicate those to me so that I can help you to work towards them 

Current Butler Group Apps and Resources 

Skip to toolbar