Resources

The Photon Informed Ecology (PIE) Lab leverages remote sensing to understand plants’ role in the carbon and water cycles, linking observed remote sensing metrics to their physical and biological drivers from the leaf to the globe. This work helps quantify carbon and water fluxes, understand environmental stresses on terrestrial ecosystems, and plan for a changing climate.

We strive to cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive collaborative space. In practice that means we:

• share agendas ahead of time and invite regular feedback on how the group operates;
• listen to everyone invited to the table;
• object when a decision would negatively affect the work, and let it go when it is merely a preference;
• make strategic decisions as a group while respecting the operational roles of individuals.

Treat all group members, UCSB faculty and staff, and scientific colleagues with respect and curiosity. Diverse perspectives and experiences are valuable to the progress of science; you will not always agree with someone, but you can always treat them with dignity. Participate as an engaged lab citizen — show up for group meetings and social events and help others with your expertise. Dr. Pierrat commits to weekly group meetings and an annual lab social and will work to foster an environment that recognizes everyone’s contributions.

Meetings

• Arrive on time, or give advance notice if you are running late.
• Come to weekly meetings with a plan for what you want to discuss; a running project-notes document keeps everyone aligned on progress and next steps.
• Dr. Pierrat commits to a minimum of 30 minutes individually and one hour in the larger group each week, adjusted as needed.

Slack & email

• Join the group Slack and use it for short or urgent communications; use email for longer ones or things with a specific deadline.
• Expect — and provide — a Slack reply within about 24 hours and an email reply within about 48 hours during normal working hours. Replies are not expected in the evenings, on weekends, or during scheduled vacation.

Feedback on written work

• When you ask for feedback, give a specific date you would like it by (at least two weeks out) and note how firm that deadline is.
• Dr. Pierrat and coauthors commit to giving detailed feedback on all written work — abstracts, prospectuses, papers, proposals, posters, and presentations — typically within two weeks for papers and proposals.

Lab space & equipment

• Lab facilities, tools, and instruments are shared group resources. Keep your workspace organized and return equipment to its proper place.
• Tell Dr. Pierrat as soon as possible if something is broken, lost, damaged, or needs maintenance.

Funds & purchases

• Group funds are a shared resource. Keep meal and lodging costs reasonable while traveling and run most purchases by Dr. Pierrat for approval.
• Communicate research-support needs early — a computer, more storage, a field tool, a monitor. Funding cannot always be guaranteed, but unstated needs cannot be met.
• Dr. Pierrat commits to communicating funding availability clearly, working continuously to secure funding, and prioritizing student and postdoc travel when possible.

Curated resources

• Funding, writing, data, and coding links live in the sections below on this page (Pivot, NSF GRFP, NASA early-career programs, Writing Science, Openscapes, NASA EarthData, and more).

Hours

• There is no expectation of work outside typical hours (roughly 9–5, Monday to Friday) or during UCSB holidays.
• Gauge when you are most productive within a 40-hour week; some weeks will run heavier or lighter around deadlines and milestones.

Vacation

• Take time off when you need it. Time off around the holidays and in the summer is entirely reasonable.
• Provide advance notice (at least two weeks) for any trip longer than a long weekend (except for emergencies). Dr. Pierrat will support reasonable time off and take it too.

Planning & review

• Prepare an annual personal plan with short-, medium-, and long-term goals and major milestones, reviewed together at the start of the year, with a self-evaluation at year’s end.
• If the mentoring is not working for you, raise it. Feedback runs both directions during the annual review, and Dr. Pierrat will adjust her approach.

• Aim for the same high-quality venues you cite — for example New Phytologist, JGR: Biogeosciences, Remote Sensing of Environment, Ecology, Global Change Biology, Water Resources Research, Geophysical Research Letters, and AGU Advances although this list is non-exhaustive. Journal selection should be guided by the relevance and impact of the work and discussed prior to submission.
• Coauthorship is earned through a substantive intellectual contribution — study design, analysis or visualization that adds insight, shared code that changes the message, original figures or text, or detailed constructive feedback beyond light edits.
• Credit group members and collaborators for substantive input, and raise any concerns about credit or overlapping projects early — these are easiest to resolve at the start of a project.