In the Young Lab, we are a team working together towards a common goal of building your research and communication skills and doing great, exciting science!

I use my core philosophies to guide our group dynamic and set the tone for our work. These are:

• I believe that the best way for all of us to accomplish great things is with support from others who are invested in our success, and through supporting others in return. I have brought this to my lab in the form of a mentor-mentee contract that outlines both the ways I support my students as well how I expect my students to support me. Working in this way supports all of us and gives our group the best path to success.
• My students know that I think progress is fueled by seeing results both big and small. I meet regularly with my students to discuss results as they come in and also to generate big ideas that drive the next steps of the project. Research is comprised of a series of small results that lead to larger story or a trajectory that drives the next research question. I value seeing what students “have been up to”, talking with them about their results, and helping keep them on track in their projects.
• While other professors may think you can only be successful by focusing on chemistry all of the time, I believe that in order to do our best work, we must pursue balance in our lives and see the bigger picture. My students see me purposefully and unapologetically create time to pursue other parts of my life like supporting my family, playing squash, or going running. The Young Lab leads an outreach team to do STEM outreach trips to pre-K classrooms. These activities make me a complete person and I expect my students to be their own complete people as well. We are all people outside of Lehigh and need to have balance in our lives to be able to do our best work while at Lehigh.
• My goal is to remain open to new ideas and different ways of doing things as I work with and mentor my students.

We have implemented a series of documents and activities that help keep us all on the same page and moving in the right direction!

These items include

	Tools for working in the Young Lab An overview document of the tools we use in the lab to open communication, build and asses skills and make plans for your success.	Tools for Working in the Young Lab v2022 06
	Mentor-Mentee Contract This contract is intended to serve as a guideline to facilitate communications between a trainee (mentee) and his/her mentor (Prof Young).	Young Lab Mentor_Mentee Contract
	Semester Quad Chart Each semester (and summer), we make a semester (or summer) plan to reflect on your progress and identify SMART goals for the upcoming term.	Young Lab Semester Quad Chart (pdf version)
	Yearly IDP (Individual Development Plan) IDPs help address two needs: (1) it provides a structure to systematically identify training needs and competencies, establish goals and take stock of progress thereby helping you stay on track. (2) it helps you plan and prepare for your post-Young Lab future.  IDPs can serve as a tool to facilitate communication between trainees and their mentors. A Sigma Xi survey showed that trainees with a structured plan are more satisfied, more productive and have fewer conflicts with their PI.	Young Lab IDP (pdf version)
	Ground Rules for Diversity Discussion (and generally working in our group!) During our regular Diversity Discussions, we strive to use these ground rules to help us have meaningful and productive dialogues where we can openly discuss our ideas and benefit from the knowledge and experience of others.	Young Lab_Diversity Discussion Ground Rules
	Group Meeting Slides Each week at group meeting, students present their research progress. They bring the lab up to speed on results and practice communicating their science. We use this template to organize our group meeting presentations.	Young Lab Grp meeting slide template