Rotations

Rationale for Rotations:

                Graduate student rotations are required for three reasons:  (1)  Rotations provide a diversity to graduate student training which improves their appreciation for cell and molecular biology research.  (2)  Rotations promote the exchange of ideas and methods between labs and promote collegiality.  Students are more likely to get to know each other quickly and develop relationships which may help them with technical issues and with other aspects of the graduate school experience.  (3)  Rotations serve as a period of non-commitment for a professor and a student to determine whether a student is well suited for a particular lab. 

                Rotations are to be arranged by incoming students as they identify areas of potential research interest.  Faculty are free to decline rotation requests.  The standard rotation period is 8 weeks which allows for two rotations to be conducted during the first semester of attendance.  A third rotation is strongly encouraged.  Rotations are intended to introduce the student to the research interests and methods of the lab and to learn a limited number of techniques which may be supportive of the lab’s efforts.  Rotations may involve a “mini-project” which serves a larger project goal for the lab.