Tips on Rotations
Rotations are a valuable opportunity for you to work with faculty prior to formally choosing a research advisor. You may learn new techniques, gain insight into a new field, and get to know your faculty better. A good match between you and your advisor will greatly enhance your graduate education - Do not waste this opportunity to check out potential advisors!
Before the end of your first Spring semester, you should have completed at least two rotations, and be in a position to let us know who you would like to be your Ph.D. advisor (You need not have done a rotation with a particular faculty to choose then as your Ph.D. advisor). While the Department cannot guarantee that you will be able to work with a specific faculty member, we make every effort to accommodate requests. Some of the things we consider are:
- Does the faculty want to be your advisor?
- Does the faculty have space for you in their laboratory?
- Does the faculty have sufficient funds to support you in addition to their existing students?
- Does the faculty have time to work with you?
There are some things you can do to maximize your chance of working with your first choice faculty member either on a rotation or permanently...
- Be the first person to ask for a rotation opportunity with a particularly faculty member
- Schedule a meeting to find out about each faculty members research interests
- Know something about the faculty member's research - talk to them early and often!
- Tell faculty of relevant experience you have
- Set mutually agreeable goals for rotations
- Be organized and set specific times you will work in faculty laboratories - be seen!
- Document your productivity in a final report, better yet, work up an abstract or paper!