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An interview with a potential SURF mentor is very important, whether you do it in person (the best way), or by e-mail or phone. Plan to spend some time with this step. Don't wait until the last minute to begin this process. Rather than dropping in, call or e-mail ahead to set up an appointment to talk with a potential mentor so that he or she can set aside the time and focus on your discussion. He or she will appreciate it, and it will work to your ultimate benefit. Be sure to ask for library references or websites you can read prior to your interview so you can sharpen your questions.
This is your opportunity to find out what the project will be, why it is important, and how you might approach it. It is also your chance to find out what it will be like to work in a research group. If you have not previously done research, the interview should help you form your expectations about what the mentor wants from you and what you want from the experience. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! Your SURF experience will be enhanced if you spend some time in this initial, vital step!!
We suggest you ask some--or all--of the following questions when you contact a mentor. You will impress the mentor and help him/her think more deeply about your project. These questions are general guidelines; they are not a checklist. Ask all the questions you can think of! After you talk to your mentor, think about the discussion, and then go back and ask more questions.
Try to find out in detail what this SURF project is. What is the science? What is expected? What led to this question? Ask for more articles or literature references about the project, especially articles by the mentor or members of the research group. Then read the articles and ask questions for clarification or further information.
What specific tasks are required to do this project? What course background or skills do you need to do it? What is the likelihood of completing this project in ten weeks? What equipment will you need to use? When will it be available to you? Will you work on this project? Or will you work on something different? Ask whether you are a strong candidate for this project. (If you are not, you may want to talk to other prospective mentors.)
Who will supervise you? Will you have a co-mentor, a grad student? Has he/she been informed you will work in the lab? How many other SURF students have they supervised? How much supervision will they be willing to provide? Ask to meet the co-mentor (if it is not the faculty member or JPL staff member), and ask him or her the same questions. When your mentor/co-mentor is not available, who else can answer questions or help you?
What is it like to work in this laboratory? Are SURF students
welcome at group meetings? When are meetings? Seminars? Journal clubs? Could
you start to attend group meetings now as your time permits? Will you get a
chance to present your work to the group during the summer? Can you get a brief
tour of the lab? When do people work? Are deadlines important to the group?
If you are applying for a SURF at JPL, will you ride the shuttle bus between campus and the Lab? If you are dependent on the bus for getting to JPL in the morning and back to the campus in the evening, will arriving and leaving at the scheduled times for the bus cause any problems in the laboratory? If so, will there be any backup available (for example, at times when you have to stay late or arrive early)?
Read, mark, and inwardly digest the information you get as you ask these questions. Consider the mentor's responses--does he/she eagerly answer your questions? If he/she seems hurried or distracted, ask whether there would be a better time to discuss a possible SURF project. When you have given thought to the project and your interview, go back and ask more questions about the project; dig more deeply into the science. After you think about your interview, consider whether you want to work with this person on this project for ten weeks. If the answer to that is "no," you may want to start the process with another potential mentor.
Ask the mentor to review and comment on your proposal.
Interview guidelines were prepared by Carolyn Ash, Quondam
Director, Student-Faculty Programs.
