3) Relationship With Dr. Webber

Dr. Webber works very hard to exceed what you might expect of a “typical” professor and advisor. Be aware of his approach and style. Be respectful and appreciative. Communicate appropriately. This section was written by past and current WEG group members to provide suggestions for creating a enjoyable and productive relationship with Dr. Webber.

Be aware of Dr. Webber’s Approach and Style:

• Do not expect Dr. Webber to micromanage. Take initiative in making your own research decisions and getting involved in outreach and activities as much as possible.
• Dr. Webber individualizes his advising style based on his assessment and observation of your working style, so be honest about your needs. There might be inconsistencies in how he interacts with you versus other group members, but his intent is to maximize overall group productivity.
• Dr. Webber likes quantitative goal setting whenever possible and is interested in your personal and professional development as well as your academic development. Goal setting is discussed in Section 8.2.
• Dr. Webber expects you to keep records of your research efforts. You are expected to take research notes in a notebook that does not have perforated pages. Dr. Webber will be happy to provide you with an appropriate notebook and pens (Section 13).
• Dr. Webber does not want resources to constrain your productivity. Let Dr. Webber know if you need any software, hardware, equipment, etc.
• Dr. Webber will review complete draft documents in priority order, not in order received. Have someone else in the group review your document before sending it to Dr. Webber. Give Dr. Webber sufficient time to review your document and realize he may have many other commitments. Communicate your deadlines with Dr. Webber when giving him a document to review.

Be respectful and appreciative of Dr. Webber:

• He might tell you that you can call him Michael, but the students always call him Dr. Webber. Just “Webber” is appropriate in casual settings. “Mike” is never appropriate.
• Realize that Dr. Webber’s time is valuable. Use it wisely and efficiently. 
  • Show up to research meetings on time with an agenda, preferably in your research notebook. 
  • Send him concise emails.
• Keep Dr. Webber posted on happenings in your life that affect your ability to perform research.
• Say thank you (really in life, not just with Dr. Webber). Dr. Webber does many things for the group that he doesn’t have to do (i.e. dinners at meetings, going to AAAS meetings to observe, group retreats). Be sure to show your appreciation.

Communicate Appropriately with Dr. Webber:

• Dr. Webber is very open with the group and encourages open communication. Do not hesitate to go to him directly with constructive criticism about the group or his approach with you.
• Dr. Webber travels a lot and has many commitments, so get used to relying on email (and possibly phone) correspondence and working independently.
• Generally, Dr. Webber will review any paper or presentation with his name as a co-author before you submit it. Even if he does not need to see it, be sure to notify him when things occur (such as submitting a revised paper that only needed minor revisions).
• To schedule a meeting with Dr. Webber, email him directly and Cc Sarah De Berry-Caperton to find a time. The Google calendar will occasionally host blocks of time where you can sign up for a meeting with Dr. Webber, but will primarily be used to show common events, 'Out of Office' reminders, etc. While Dr. Webber is happy to see you any time he is free and in his office, his free time is usually minimal. 
• Bring an agenda to meetings with visual aids to maximize efficiency of meetings with Dr. Webber.
• Write a trip report for each trip or speaking engagement for Dr. Webber describing the event, your impression of how it went, how many people were there, who the audience was, what kinds of questions you were asked, what presentations you saw and your impression of them, and any people you met at the event.
• Submit an outreach activity report after each event that you volunteer at so that it can be logged in records.