The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience
FAQs, Policies & Procedures (log in required)
Every Monday at noon in the CMS upstair lab room, a member of the Whitney Lab gives a 30-minute presentation either on their recent research results or on a paper of interest. A short Q&A session then follows with room for further discussion. All researchers at the Whitney (students, postdocs, faculty) will present at least once a year.
Following JC/DC, SciCom is an opportunity for discussion and feedback about presentation skills. SciCom also fulfills the journal club requirement for some students (eg. IDP). SciCom begins immediately after JC/DC, and everyone is welcome to participate.
Scientists from other institutions are regularly invited to give seminars at Whitney. Guest seminars are usually held on Fridays at 11 am. The speaker is then invited to a grad student and postdoc lunch, followed by afternoon meetings with individual labs. Students and postdocs interested in attending the seminar lunch should RSVP to Alice Scarisbrick (alice@whitney.ufl.edu).
“Pau Hana” is a Hawaiian phrase referring the time after work, usually spent casually socializing. At Whitney, pau hanas are occasionally held on Friday evenings to conclude the visit of a seminar speaker, welcome new members to the Whitney, celebrate successes, or sometimes just because. It’s a great time to get to know your coworkers outside the lab, and families are welcome!
On the first or second Thursday of every month, Whitney hosts a public lecture at 7 pm in the Lohman Auditorium. The speaker is an invited scientist who sometimes also gives an academic seminar for the lab the next day. These lectures are well-attended by the community and sometimes filled to the point of standing-room only. Whitney lab members are encouraged to attend!
One of the benefits of the Whitney lab is the sense of community feel and also the sharing of resources!
Currently, the Whitney has a shared molecular biology lab space where researchers can find open bench space and use shared equipment. We ask that each new member seek approval from the appropriate entities before using the common equipment as proper training may also be required. Our molecular lab director is Dr. Paul Linser.
Below is a detailed list of the available shared use equipment. Please communicate with the home lab for said equipment, as they oversee training and proper usage.
PCR machine (n=2) - Use the laminated sign-up sheet to reserve PCR machines.
Courtesy of/managed by the Martindale Lab
Courtesy of/managed by the Linser Lab
Courtesy of/managed by the Moroz Lab
If you would like to go out on a boat to collect samples talk to Todd Osborne and the Osborne lab members and they’ll take you out if they are doing field work.
Reservations
Trips
Returns
The number of positions for each officer or committee is indicated in parenthesis. Elections take place in the spring semester. The semesters for which each officer or committee is active is indicated in parentheses following the position description.
President (1)
The President acts as the Whitney graduate student representative and serves as a liaison between faculty and graduate students. The President conducts WGSA meetings once each semester, unless additional are necessary, coordinates the officers and committees of WGSA, sends welcoming letter to incoming graduate students and attends necessary orientations/meetings/trainings. If the faculty/administration needs graduate student opinions on any subject, the President will poll the graduate students and report the results. The President must be one of the graduate student representatives at the annual review meeting. This is an elected position, for a senior Whitney graduate student, that is held for the Summer, Fall and Spring semesters.
Vice President (1)
The Vice President is in charge of minutes during WGSA meetings and will post the minutes to the graduate student listserv. The VP will oversee the WGSA elections that are held in the Spring. In the absence of the President, the VP acts as a graduate student representative and will fulfill the Presidents duties. Elected position for summer, fall and spring.
Outreach Coordinators (3)
The outreach coordinators are in charge of organizing the Science by the Shore Event. The coordinators are in charge of organizing the dates/food choices with Alice, answer emails/questions, make the schedule and publicize the event. It is important that the coordinators work with Administration ahead of time to organize appropriate payment system. Elected position for fall and spring (possibly summer depending on when the event is held).
BGSA Whitney Lab Representative (1)
This position is for Biology graduate students only. This position is internally elected by students from the Whitney Lab. They will attend all BGSA meetings (remotely or in person). Additionally, they will be the primary contact for incoming Whitney students to main campus, sending them the Whitney graduate handbook and addressing questions. If, during recruitment weekend, there are potential new Whitney grad students and there is a fieldtrip to St. Augustine, this officer will liaise with the BGSA welcoming committee to coordinate a visit to the lab. They will also be responsible for welcoming all new students to the Whitney lab and introducing (or reminding the PI) to introduce the new students at JC/DC. If the Biology Retreat is held at the Whitney, they will help coordinate the event. Elected position for summer, fall and spring.
Nominations
Voting
Finalizing Elected Officers
Vacancies
New Officers
Modification of Election Procedures
University of Florida graduate students on appointment as a Graduate Assistant, Teaching Assistant, or Research Assistant may participate in the GatorGradCare health insurance plan. A summary of your benefits can be found here.
The current Gator Grad Care coverage decisions are outlined here. You can find information about visiting the Student Healthcare Center, Urgent Care Clinics and trips to the Emergency Room. Additionally, there is detailed information about what to do if you need to visit a doctor and you are not in Florida. These options are valid from August 16, 2017- August 15, 2020.
Graduate students can receive one dental cleaning a year at the UF College of Dentistry. To schedule an appointment call: 352-273-7954.
Gator Grad Care provides coverage for spouses/domestic partners, child(ren) and whole family coverage. Dependents do not get dental coverage through Gator Grad Care.
NOTE: Each year you will be prompted to re-register for Gator Grad Care Coverage. If you fail to do so you will not be covered for the upcoming school year. These emails should not be ignored.
Teaching responsibilities and opportunities vary by department. In the Biology department, students are required to complete two semesters as a teaching assistant, which most students do during their first year while taking required classes in Gainesville. Currently there are no teaching assistant positions on site at Whitney. Additional teaching and outreach opportunities specific to Whitney are available here.
There are a variety of funding opportunities for graduate students at University of Florida.
Teaching Assistantship
IMPORTANT: You will want to start preparing for graduation at least one full semester before the term in which you plan to defend! For example, if you plan to defend in November, you’ll want to begin gathering materials and writing in January or February. If your goal is to defend any time in the Fall semester many application materials (like a complete first draft of your thesis or dissertation) may be due near the beginning of your graduating semester (august or September). This applies even if you defense date is in December.
Below is a general UF grad school requirement checklist, but you will need to check with your department, committee, and your advisor to be sure you have met all of their requirements as well.
First go here (http://graduateschool.ufl.edu/media/graduate-school/pdf-files/graduation-checklist.pdf) to get the current list of official requirements.
CHECK ALL DEADLINES WELL IN ADVANCEhttps://gradcatalog.ufl.edu/graduate/calendar/
You must verify your degree at https://student.ufl.edu/. Open the page and on the left there are dropdown menus. Select “My Record” and click “Certificate/Degree Application” (you may need to turn off popup blocks). Scroll down on the new window, click “Add degree application” and fill out/submit this form.
Then go to GIMS: https://gradschool.ufl.edu/gimsportal/gatorlink/portal.asp. Enter GIMS and on the right side of the “Degree statement” (above committee member list) there is a green check mark where you can verify all information is correct. If any of your information is incorrect you may need to contact your department or the Registrar’s Office to fix errors.
Snow submit required thesis/dissertation drafts according to deadline schedule. Be sure to allow your committee plenty of time (at least five weeks is suggested for dissertation) to review drafts- you may need to make major revisions.
Other helpful links:
Thesis and dissertation official guidelines (http://graduateschool.ufl.edu/about-us/offices/editorial/thesis-and-dissertation) and help (http://helpdesk.ufl.edu/application-support-center/graduate-editorial-office/format-requirements/)
Current Graduate School Handbook contains information that may not be in each link: http://graduateschool.ufl.edu/media/graduate-school/pdf-files/handbook.pdf
UF has an international student center on main campus that specializes in caring for international students. Their main website has helpful information for adjusting to life in the US, maintaining your F1 student visa status etc. Each student is assigned an International Advisor based on the first letter of your last name; you will be notified of your advisor via your UFL email (or visiting this website). These advisors are very helpful, so you are encouraged to utilize their services.
When you arrive at the University of Florida to start your program, you need to visit to the University of Florida International Center (UFIC) as soon as possible. UFIC is located in 1765 Stadium Road, Suite 170 Hub. in Gainesville. Website Information.
When leaving the country, it is essential your I-20 document is signed by your international student advisor. Please check the second page of your I-20 form for the travel signature, for you and any dependents if you have them. The signature for travel is good for 1 year from the date it was signed, unless you are currently on OPT. Email your International Advisor to have this form updated. These forms are usually available for pick up on main campus, however, since we are off campus, ask your advisor to have it mailed to you at Whitney (estimate ~1 week to complete this and do not wait until last min during holidays especially).
The international center has put together a student handbook with helpful information to provide students with a general overview on what to expect as a student in the US. These include information about Immigration, Getting a driver's license, Housing, Health Requirements, Getting Along With Americans etc. Some of these are tailored to life in Gainesville, so scan the relevant Whitney sections for St. Augustine specific modifications.
Student visas at UF are issued for the duration of your study, however there are instances where you may need a visa extension if your expected graduation date is not on track. Also, as a PhD student, often the duration of your program is 6 years, however UF only allows a 4 year long F1-Visa to be issued. As such, during your 4th year as a graduate student you will need to make plans to have your Visa extended. These extensions are issued on a yearly basis until the end of your degree (yes, this is very annoying, but use it as motivation to wrap up your projects).
Roughly, this process is as follows:
During your enrollment, you may be invited to teach as an assistant for non-UF institutions, or be awarded a non-UF affiliated internship. If you are to be paid by a non-UF entity, you need to seek approval from the International Center/Immigration - or risk jeopardizing your student visa status. Internships during your enrollment are classed as Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and require that you submit an application for approval of this status here. Approval of this status will be documented via an amendment on your I-20 form. If this coincides with your I-20 extension, both your CPT and I-20 extension documents need to be in order to proceed.
The trailers north of the lab building provide temporary housing for students still living part-time in Gainesville, new lab members while they look for long term housing, and for visitors to the lab. Your PI can help you reserve a room in one of the trailers via Gail White.
In general roommates are found by networking with others at the Whitney, however the housing section of Craigslist can also be useful. This can be done by either responding to an ad in the “rooms/shared” section or by placing an ad of your own.