Responsible Conduct of Research, Part I

Last week I was forced to attend a mandatory seminar for postdocs on the responsible conduct of research. I had avoided it for two years, but after some threatening emails I have now participated in this day-long affair. For the most part, it was mind-numbingly dull. Don't get me wrong, I think it is fantastic to teach people about research ethics and foster discussion about all the murky grey

Responsible Conduct of Research, Part II: Mentoring

Imagine that you are at a big party and someone across the room catches your eye. You make your way over to them and after a brief chat you find each other interesting enough that you decide to go out on date. You have a lovely dinner together, during which you find you get along really well and have similar interests. At the end of the date, the other person whips out a contract and asks you to

Group projects

I am a big fan of group discussion. Getting your students into small groups can be really helpful for fostering discussion, particularly for those who don't feel comfortable speaking up in front of a large class. At the senior-undergraduate and graduate levels, small group seminars can produce some excellent discussion and exchange of ideas. Group projects, however, are a whole other kettle of