Welcome to the Bahlai Lab of Applied Computational Ecology! I'm very excited that you're here. In this lab, we study a variety of habitats, taxa and processes, with the core elements of using data, math and computational techniques to gain better understanding of ecological systems. We're committed to applying what we learn to making the world a better place- by supporting sustainability and productivity in working ecosystems, by making the work we do accessible to the broader community, and by drawing in diverse viewpoints to enhance mutual understanding of science, scientists, and the needs of the world.
First and foremost, the Bahlai Lab is an open science lab. There are several major facets to this, but the core is: the way this lab operates is grounded in my personal belief that participation in science is a public act, and done in the public good. Science allows us to be part of something bigger, and to foster a healthy, collaborative and truly inclusive and equitable scientific enterprise, it's essential that we give back at least as much as we take from the community. I could get down into the weeds about specific tools and techniques that we use in our open science infrastructure here, but those tools are used to support these values, they themselves are not the values. What we commit to do, as open scientists, is:
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Seek out expertise from conventional and unconventional contributors in our work. Invite comment and participation. Maintain a dialogue. Welcome feedback. Break down the barriers that prevent any and all interested parties from engaging in your corner of science.
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Make supporting research data freely available whenever possible, to support future use in meta-analyses, reviews, and revisitations of our work.
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Respect privacy and confidentiality in cases where data or research products contain sensitive information, or information that otherwise does not belong to you. Do no harm.
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Produce and share reproducible, re-usable data manipulation and analysis code, so people can understand our assumptions and workflows, and so future scientists can learn from our efforts without duplicating them.
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Publish final manuscripts AND intermediate research products in the most universally accessible formats available to us.
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Acknowledge contributions to our work. Provide territorial acknowledgements. Cite the ideas of others. Don't pretend we work in a vacuum. Use your platform to lift others and give them a platform, too.
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Act as ambassadors of open science, and science in general, to the broader scientific community and the world. Help people see what we do, but respect the constraints others must work under.
I believe that the role of a mentor is that of a guide and a support for you as you work towards your goals. I strive to maintain an open dialogue with my mentees about their goals and directions, and provide direction, support, and resources wherever I can, and connect you to people that can help, when I can't. I believe the single most important product of science is human capital- people who can go forward in the world, work hard, and make changes to make lives better. I am deeply invested in helping you develop as a colleague, a scientist, and a citizen of the world. I mainly ask that you bring a willingness to work hard and think hard, be open to changing and developing yourself, and a commitment to science, truth, and kindness- I will endeavour to bring the same things to our relationship.
I expect all lab members to maintain a commitment to professionalism while working in the lab. I know 'professionalism' is a loaded term that many use to police people into looking and behaving in a way congruent with the dominant culture. I mean it in a slightly different way, but there is some overlap in practice with the typical definition. I expect you to reliably attend and contribute to scheduled meetings. I expect you to be engaged and respectful when your colleagues are sharing their ideas. I expect you to approach your work ethically and engage with your research and the broader community earnestly and honestly. I expect you to make your education, research and development a priority- not your only priority, but really, to grow as a researcher, it needs to be up there near the top of your list. I expect you to put earnest effort in becoming an expert in your area of research by reading the literature and other relevant texts deeply, and I expect you to seek out opportunities to broaden your knowledge by participating in conferences, seminars, and other engagements. Professionalism, to me, is taking your development as a scientist and a community member seriously.
I prefer to be a cheerleader to a boss, however, there will be situations where I will have to push you, make tough calls, and offer correction- this is to be expected- you're learning. I do expect my personnel to bring considerable self-motivation to the table: for this relationship to work, I need you to want to not just learn and attain a credential, but to take responsibility for, and leadership over, your individual projects. I can't make you the world expert on what you do, but you can- and that is your job now. Read deeply, ask lots of questions, think creatively. Science in my lab is very different from science in the classroom- we don't have right answers, we chip away at figuring out how things work, in the context of what other people, chipping away, have found. Learning to thrive figuring out stuff at the edge of the unknown- that's what science is to me, and what I hope it will become for you. You will be wrong. All the time. That is normal.
I generally offer positive feedback profusely, and negative feedback in the form of re-direction. This sounds good on paper, but it doesn't work great for people who want/need a lot of very specific guidance from a supervisor on their project. Part of this is intentional- I want you to take the lead in your project. If something isn't working and I offer suggestions for dramatically different paths, it means it's because I perceive you are stuck and I would like you to try something new to get unstuck. Being stuck is the worst- I would rather you tried 10 different wrong things than not try anything because you're stuck on finding the right way to start. Not all of my suggestions will be the final word! Seek feedback from others, research the problem deeply, but more than anything- keep trying, keep doing.
I believe that science is better when it's diverse and inclusive, and that means removing barriers and meeting people where they are, whenever possible. If you want to work in the Bahlai Lab, or are currently working here and facing a barrier affecting your ability to do work and contribute to your fullest extent, please let me know (in as specific or nonspecific terms as you are comfortable) so we can work together with campus resources and build necessary accomodations.
This may seem obvious, but to be clear: to work in my lab, I expect all graduate students to have strong interests in insects (and/or other taxa, I'm cool with plants and stuff), math and modelling and programming and informatics and quantitative ecology, and drive for doing original work that advances science. I also want to you think about why you want a graduate degree- how does this program and this research advance your personal goals? I am here to support you but I also have very high expectations for you- I expect all of my students to be driven: to do, to learn and to make, in pursuit of their goals. I expect you to be committed to immersing yourself in your program: I want you to have a full life with friends and family and hobbies but a graduate program, by its nature, will take a lot of you, and a lot of time. This IS A BIG COMMITMENT and you need to be both available and open for it. We can do amazing things with your work but the ultimate drive needs to come from you. I will not drag you through a graduate program.
The expectations of graduate students enrolled in our MS and PhD programs in the Kent State University Department of Biological Sciences are outlined in our graduate student handbook. The back of this guide contains links to specific forms, including a checklist of degree completion requirements for both the MS and PhD programs. We will use this as a template for your individual expectations within the lab. I generally expect incoming PhD students to come in with an MS or equivalent research or work experience. Incoming MS students may decide to matriculate into a PhD program at a later date, if that is their goal, in consultation with me, their committee, and given good research progress early in their program.