General Information

Things you need to know

1. Know your stuff

If there is any paramount advice that will help you acclimate to your new position, it is to be informed. In both the SPACE study and in general PLL operations, you need to know the ins and outs of how things work in order to properly delegate, answer questions, and produce high-quality work of your own.

2. Know your staff

Go through the RA Information tab thoroughly before the semester begins. This will give you info on getting new RA's and yourself situated in the lab, highlights how current RA work has been structured this past year, and will help you get organized.

3. Know your people

The NSF staff is pretty expansive and you will cross paths with many people, but the two individuals with whom you will work the closest are David and Annika. David is incredibly talented at programming and anything technical. If you have an idea, more often than not he can make it happen digitally. He is also good to consult if you can't figure out how the coffee maker works or if the eye tracker is being feisty. Annika is your coordinator/manager counterpart at UC Davis. She is incredibly organized and efficient. If you need data, information, or support to get something done quickly, she is an incredible resource for you.

Valerie is another person whom you should get to know well. She organizes the coding assignments at Cornell, which is a massive undertaking. When it comes to knowing which RA's are reliable and deserve promotions, Valerie is your girl! You will also find that several RA issues that you may encounter also pertain to Valerie, so be sure to keep her in the loop if RA's are changing shifts, requesting time off, or are in need of more coding.