Getting Started

Sanford Internet Access

For access to wired internet in SCRM, submit your machine ID via this ethernet form.

Printing

To get set up with printing go to the SCRM Printing website. We use the 3rd floor printer. Ask someone in the lab for the account password.

Reserving rooms in SCRM building

To reserve rooms in the SCRM building, use their clunky room reservation website. You need to be physically located in the SCRM building to use it, as it will only work for building occupants. You could also be fancy and VPN in.

Access to Compute Environments

The lab currently uses two compute clusters, which each require separate access. To gain access, an email request must be sent to the admins. CC Gene Yeo on the email.

TSCC

For TSCC, new user access will be requested from Jim Hayes. You will need to ask him to be added to the groups yeo-group and scrm-group.

Oolite

For Oolite, new user access will be requested from Qian Liu. You will need to ask him to be added to the group yeolab.

Online Resources

There are a few internet resources utilized by the lab. You will have to make accounts on these websites:

  • Github – Code repository, for sharing code within the lab.
  • Slack – For lab communication. Chat client with integration with Github, etc for sharing code and FIGURES! No more emailing random figures
  • Asana– Task manager.
  • Dropbox – File sharing.

Internal Resources

Google Drive

There is a folder on Google Drive that contains information shared within the lab. Ask anyone with access to invite you to this folder. Once invited, please insert your own information into the ‘Yeo Lab personnel’ document.

Google Calendar

There is a Google Calendar that has Gene’s and lab member’s meeting schedules and out of town dates. Ask someone with admin level privileges to give you access.

Currently: Olga Botvinnik

Mailing Lists

There is a shared mailing list that goes to every member of the lab. Ask someone with admin level privileges to add you to this mailing list.

Currently: Dave Nelles

Sauron web server

At some point you may require access to our web-server Sauron in order to make data web-visible. Ask someone with admin level privileges to create a user account for you.

Currently: Shashank Sathe

Lab meeting etiquette and protocols

For speakers

  1. Please be there early and set up your talk. The audience should not be waiting for the speaker to get ready. When I go give a talk, I’m still there 10 minutes early to make sure AV is set up properly or the stupid lights in the room are ideal.
  2. For our lab meeting, keep to 30 minutes worth of slides, leaving 10-15 minutes for discussion. It’s not the audience’s fault if you go over time, it’s yours because as a speaker we have to control/direct the discussion. It’s good practice for public talks where we have to keep to a given time slot and yet leave room for discussion.
  3. Have a progress update slide with the date of your last lab meeting and what were the to-dos then, and what were the to-dos successfully accomplished by this lab meeting, and which ones weren’t. It’s ok if some things weren’t followed up, but it’ll be good to go over what we decided not to follow up on some of the to-dos. It’s good training for students who are wondering why some things were dropped.
  4. Keep Background at most 3-5 slides, but definitely cite papers (with XX et al, or snapshots of the title of the paper) that provide strong evidence that support the importance/gravity of the OPEN QUESTION / NEED being addressed by your research project/technology. Some folks do this, some folks don’t, but this is a good habit to instill. Set up the audience.
  5. In the Results slides, list which results you already had at the last lab meeting, which ones still hold, and which ones are new. It definitely helps us as a lab see the reality of how some results are harder to come by than others. Or if you are just not getting results, why not? It’s usually boils down to will or skill, and the lab should be able to help with both (to some extent).
  6. Conclude with highlights of what you discovered, what’s novel relative to what’s known, or if it’s a new technique, why it is better (if it is).
  7. Finally, list the To-dos for next lab meeting (or for the paper to be submitted for example) and during the lab meeting at the end, we’ll add to that - u can edit your sides at the end of discussion. This is the most important slide for me.

For the audience

  1. In the past, I’ve not encouraged folks to bring their laptops, but as note taking is easier on the computer and we are doing the google doc for the speaker, that’s fine. Except, please be honest and gracious to the speaker and not be doing something else on your computer the majority of the time. Speakers, at the end, it’s your responsibility to make your talk exciting enough for folks to want pay attention. As a good practice for folks that will be teaching or presenting in a company setting, you can also call on the audience or reference them. IT’s a great way to keep the audience on their toes. I still do this at invited talks at universities - halfway through i sometimes point out a colleague of mine in the audience with relation to a result I’m presenting. they better stay awake.
  2. For the critique section at the end - it’s NOT for pointing out technical/scientific aspects of the talk - that’s for discussion of the science. The critique section is meant to give suggestions on WHAT THE SPEAKER COULD DO TO IMPROVE their delivery of their talk for NEXT TIME. For example, was it clear; were the fonts too tiny; was the speaker pacing around; proper use of a laser pointer (if he/she were using one); too many “ums”; did the speaker exude confidence and calmness during the delivery or seemed unsure of the material; was the speaker unnecessarily defensive (or offensive) etc.
  3. I really dislike the current lab meeting room because while there are enough chairs, it doesn’t facilitate discussion and the energy-level always seem low compared to our 3rd floor room. To help, please try to sit as close to the front - do not leave empty chairs up front. Except maybe the first 2 rows - they are way too close. Fill them up from the front, before sitting in the back. If you are sitting in the back and there are empty spots up front, please encourage each other to move up. Stefan and postdocs, please help set good examples.