Frequently Asked Questions for Members (or Prospective Members) of the Jimenez Group at CU

This page contains info that I have compiled as I and other people have started here at CU, and is intended to save you time and allow you to get to the interesting things faster when you join my group. Please let me know if something is out of date, or if there is other useful info that we could post here.
  1. Which courses should I take? (for Graduate Students)
  2. If I join the group, am I supposed to do anything else than research?
  3. Will I have to work as a Teaching Assistant? If so, how much?
  4. Should I Apply for Fellowships?
  5. How much vacation time will I have if I join the group?
  6. What are the standards for Lab Safety, Cleanliness, and Organization?
  7. How do I set up my CU email account(s)?
  8. Do we have a group email list?
  9. What computer will I use? How do I set it up?
  10. What software will I use? How do I set it up?
  11. Where can I print?
  12. Which professional associations should I join?
  13. Which tools should I use to search the literature?
  14. What administrative stuff do I need to know / deal with?


  1. Which courses should I take? (for Graduate Students)

    • Independently of the department you are in, you should plan on taking the following classes as soon as you can:
      • CHEM-5181, Mass Spectrometry & Chromatography. I teach this one every Fall. This class gives an introduction to mass spectrometry instrumentation and interpretation, which is a key component of the research that we do in the group.
      • CHEM-5151: Atmospheric Chemistry (Prof. Maggie Tolbert and I will teach this one on alternate years. Maggie will teach it in 2003 / 2005... and I will teach it in 2004 / 2006 ...)
      • Clouds and Aerosols (Prof. Brian Toon)
      • Computer Science: Introduction to Programming (Freshman Undergrad Course -- Talk to me and Allison before you register)

    • If you are in Chemistry, other courses that you can take include:
      • Analytical Spectroscopy (Prof. Kathy Rowlen).
      • Reaction Dynamics
      • Electrochemistry

    • If you are in PAOS, you are required to take a lot more courses. Some of the most interesting from the point of view of my research group are:
      • Introduction to Atmospheric Dynamics
      • Remote Sensing
      • Radiation Transfer

    • If you are in Engineering, I am not too sure about the courses that you are required to take on the different departments over there. However some good courses include:
      • Aerosol Dynamics (Prof. Shelly Miller)
      • Energy & Environment Seminar: Aerosols (Fall 2004)



  2. If I join the group, am I supposed to do anything else than research?

    • YES. You will be expected to do some service to the group every year, rotating in various roles. This help us all by making the group run smoothly and ensuring that our computer infrastructure is working. Most of the time this will be very low intensity (< 1 hr / week), although there will be some periods in which more work will be required. For example:
      • You may act as rotating webmaster for the group for a year. This should not involve much work, just updating the group pages (such as this one) from time to time. Besides being a way to share on some of the common work for the group, I believe that knowing how to create simple web pages is an extremely useful skill these days! (e.g. when you are looking for a job).
      • You may organize the group meetings and make sure the group calendar is up-to-date for another year

    • Also I may ask you to help on the teaching of my graduate courses in Mass Spec. and Atmospheric Chemistry. E.g. teaching a lecture or two, typically for postdocs who have expertise in one area; and grading one homework for grad students.



  3. Will I have to work as a Teaching Assistant? If so, how much?

    • The general policy is that you will TA during your first year (two semesters) as a Ph.D. student. This helps you prepare for your oral / comprehensive exams, and also saves the group a lot of money since tuition is very expensive in your first year, when you are not yet a Colorado resident.

    • Then you will be employed as an RA, and will not have to TA again unless:
      1. You want to
      2. You are asked to do it by your department as a condition for your Orals
      3. You need to due to a funding hiccup. I expect this to be very unlikely, and as of May 2004 I have not asked anyone to do this, nor I expect to do it in the next two years.
      4. I ask you to do it if you are having serious trouble making progress with research, and I think that taking a semester off research may help you refocus. Again I haven't asked anyone to do this yet, and I expect it to be very rare.



  4. Should I Apply for Fellowships?


  5. How much vacation time will I have if I join the group?

    • The CU policy is two weeks a year of vacation for graduate students. The group's policy at the moment is three weeks.

    • Please put the days you'll be away in the Group Calendar , so that we can organize around it.

    • Note that Spring Break is only a break from classes, and it is NOT a vacation period from research.

    • Field studies can be very draining, with continuous 15-hr workdays for several weeks and no weekends. Obviously one needs to recover after these. The current policy (borrowed from Darin Toohey's) is that you can take one extra day off for each three days you were in an intense field study.

    • Finally, please do not schedule vacations within a month of an important deadline (two months if possible). Examples include a conference you may be presenting at (AAAR in October and AGU in December are the main ones), a paper deadline, etc. Experience shows that these periods are very intense and your continuous presence is needed. For the same reason, scheduling your vacations AFTER a deadline (conference, etc.) is generally a very good idea.



  6. What are the Standards for Lab Safety, Cleanliness, and Organization?

    • By joining the group, you are accepting to maintain high standards of safety, cleanliness, and organization in the lab. I don't care if some other's group lab is less clean or organized, that's their problem. We need to all work on this on a day-to-day basis. E.g. we should not have scattered items on the various counters. Please put things (tools, pens, tapes, cables..) away after you use them. Everything should have a place in the drawers / cabinets. If it does not, choose an empty drawer or cabinet, put the stuff in, and label it appropriately (the labeling materials are in the "office supplies" drawers towards the front of the lab).

    • Be especially careful NOT to lay any cables or tubes on the ground or at a low height, as these are accidents waiting to happen. Route all cables and tubing high off the ground.

    • If you are working on a given location and want to keep some tools nearby, get a box, bin, or something like that, label it as yours, and keep everything there.

    • If we let someone else use our lab (don't do this unless you check with me first), make sure that they understand the rules for safety and organization in our lab. Please make sure that they take their stuff (and leave ours) after they are done.

    • For cardboard packing boxes, there are only two possible fates:
      1. If we decide to keep it (which we should do for expensive stuff that we may return for repair, such as instrumentation), write on them what they are for (e.g. "DMA Column") in big letters, and store them safely on top of the cabinets.
      2. If we are not keeping it, recycle it that same day, when you leave for the evening. The corner near the entrance of the lab is not a storage location for boxes.

    • It seems that the recyclables (paper at least) in the lab are not picked up very often. If you see the recycling person, please ask him/her to come to the lab that same day, and to continue coming on a regular basis.

    • We need to clean the lab ourselves, as having janitors clean the lab can be dangerous. We need to establish shifts for cleaning the lab with the small vacuum cleaner (I think we can borrow a bigger one from the janitors as needed) and with static dusting cloths (for the counters).

    • The only place for food in the lab is the chocolate white "bin." Please no food of any kind anywhere else. The microwave is for silica gel and other lab uses, not for food.

    • If anyone borrows a tool or something else from us, please ask them to sign it out on one of the sign-out sheets near either lab door. This is extremely important. Of course do the same if you borrow something from e.g. Maggie's lab. If they don't have a sign-out sheet, put a post-it on their door.

    • Please remember that we have lots of rechargeable batteries. The chargers (one universal, the other Ni-Cd only) are by one of the windows to the atrium. Please be careful not to throw away rechargeable batteries as these are expensive. Also if in the field, or if loaning stuff to people in other labs, please let them know about the rechargeable batteries. You'd be surprised how many of these get thrown away by people who do not pay attention.


  7. How do I set up my CU email account(s)?

    • Everyone in the group gets two email accounts, one with CIRES and one with CU. So one will be e.g. jose.jimenez@cires.colorado.edu and the other jose.jimenez@colorado.edu. Regardless of whether one uses the CU account, it is important to sign up for it to get the CU "IdentiKey" for group calendar, dial-up, DSL, and wireless access. The CU address can be set up to redirect to the CIRES account.
    • Make sure to request both accounts when Nancy Lanthrop requests an email address for you (as a new employee). The CIRES account is established the same day, and there is a three day delay for the CU account. Along these lines, the CIRES HowTo site (intranet) is very helpful, as is the CU ITS Helpline at 303-735-HELP.
    • CIRES webmail or CU Webmail can come in handy when new group members are still “floating” within Boulder, or while on travel.
    • As of Feb 2005 the best deal for internet access from home is to sign up for Qwest DSL, with CU as the internet service provider. If you have Qwest as your local phone company and request the slower 250 Kbps speed (which is plenty for almost anything), this only costs $15/month. The DSL modems (Actiontec) are also wireless hubs, so you get wireless at home for the same price.


  8. Do we have a group email list?

    • Yes, and you need to sign up for it in order to be able to receive and send emails. For this you need to:
      1. Send an email to listproc@lists.Colorado.EDU
      2. In the body of message put: "subscribe jimenez-group Your-full-name"
      3. The subject of the email does not matter

    • We don't list the complete list name on web pages to avoid getting spammed

    • The group list is subscribed to the aerosols@lists.colorado.edu mailing list. This is a list that Jim Smith and I created to share information and advertise events for the Colorado Front Range aerosol research community. You do not need to sign up for the aerosols list individually, if you do you'll probably get the messages twice.

    • The group list is also subscribed to the CIRES main list, which is used by the CIRES message center, mainly to advertise talks and other events.


  9. What computer will I use? How do I set it up?

    • A lot of the work that we do is computer-intensive, either because we may be programming a new instrument or modifying an existing one, or because the data we generate are multidimensional and extremely complex, and their analysis often requires programming.

    • Unless you are not going to do any field work, you'll need a laptop (rather than a desktop) computer (PC). I'd like that laptop to be your computer also when you are at CU, so that you have already learned how to use it effectively by the time you go in the field (it has taken me a long time to learn some of the tricks that make you much more effective when using a laptop, and I still learn new things often). There are two options, you can get your own (but see me before you buy it to discuss the mimimum configuration you need, including support options) and then you keep it, or I can buy one for you, or give you one from someone that has left the group (in this case I keep it when you leave).

    • We have good support for the laptops from Dell. Most of our laptops have "Gold Technical Support," and a technician will often show up the day after you call and install the parts needed. Just call Gold Technical Support at 866-876-3355 and explain your problem.

    • As of May 2004, we are ordering new computers with Windows XP Professional. Most of the older computers have Windows 2000, and all of our software should work in either operating system.

    • Windows vs. Mac vs. Linux. Some of the software we use is Windows-specific, so a Mac or Linux-PC would not work, sorry. There are also many subtle incompatibilities when trying to share files betwen a Mac and a PC, and finally Macs do not work with some hardware I have encountered in the field (e.g. we found that Macs could not connect to certain network hubs or printers, and those were the only units available at the field site). This choice does not imply that I have positive opinion of the role of Bill Gates or Microsoft in the computer (or the wider) world, it is just a practical necessity.

    • You need to ask me (or someone else in the group) for the Password _____________ for the common computers in the lab. The shared username is "jimenez."

    • Set your computer name to your name (e.g. "Peter" or "Allison"). Do not change the names of the shared lab or instrument computers as it would create problems. Please reserve your creativity for research or other endeavors, not for funky group computer names.

    • To make sharing files across computers easy, you should set the workgroup for your computer as "JIMENEZ." This allows us to see each other's computer on the network neighbourhood, which makes sharing files much easier.

    • Again to make file sharing over the network easy, yet safe, please create a "jimenez" user with the shared password. Then create and share a folder called "Network Exchange" in your "My Documents" folder. You may need to set the permissions for access of this folder. DO NOT SHARE YOUR ENTIRE HARD DRIVE as this can be dangerous.

    • Please get a chain for your laptop and use it. Laptops are easy to steal and sell, and for better of for worse, our lab is in a very conspicuous place. E.g. everyone can see the laptops from the atrium if they are left in the lab. It is not that hard to get in, and some door may be left open by mistake or "just for a moment while I go do something." Even during normal hours, someone can come in, grab a laptop, and be out of the lab in 5 seconds. The same applies to anything both valuable and easy to carry (digital cameras, etc.).


  10. What software will I use? How do I set it up?

    • In the group we use a pretty standardized set of software packages to do the different things we do. This is not to say that these packages are the best, I am sure we could do the same work with a completely different set of programs. However standardizing is very useful to be able to help each other learn and use the software and work effectively. These packages are:

      1. You should install Norton Antivirus from the CD in the lab. According to Alex, these days it is no longer enough to run a single Antivirus program, so for a second one you can choose between the free antivirus program provided by CU or another free antivirus program on the web (recommended by ITS to Alex).
      2. Igor Pro for data analysis
      3. Matlab (if needed) for mathematical programming (though Igor can do most things at similar speed).
      4. Microsoft Excel for smaller data analysis and various numerical things
      5. Powerpoint for sharing results (e.g. with me) and for presentations
      6. Visual Basic 5.0, Visual Basic .NET (7.), and / or Labview for Data Acquisition & Instrument Control
      7. Microsoft Word for papers
      8. Adobe Acrobat for distributing papers & posters
      9. Endnote for literature reference management
      10. Direct HTML programming for group web pages
      11. Pete recomemnds the free Picasa photo software to make web pages of pictures to post on the group page. It also organizes and searches all the pictures in your hard drive.

    • It is very possible to use other software packages for specific projects in which they have a key advantage, but please discuss it with me first.

    • All of the CDs for installing the software should be kept in a specific location in the lab (ask anyone in the group if you don't know where this is). If you take them, please return them promptly as someone else may need them soon.

    • If you want to create an email list at CU, go to the List Request Page

    • Backups of your data and documents: you have to be disciplined about making a copy of your data and documents every week (at least of what you have changed during the week). I have seen a surprisingly large number of people (myself included) loose work, sometimes months or even years of work, for not having a backup. One approach is to make a folder for yourself on the external hard drive attached to the Jimenez_Lab1 computer in the lab, and backing up your data there at regular intervals.

    • You need to set up your laptop for VPN ("Virtual Private Network") connection into the CU network. See http://vpn.colorado.edu and follow the instructions there to install the VPN software. This will be needed when you are in the field, especially if you want to look at Journals or other resources that require a CU IP address.

    • In case of serious computer problems that Dell and other group members cannot solve, you can contact the CIRES computing facility for help. We do have to pay for their services (~ $30/hr), so use this only when it is really needed (e.g. your computer is dead and you have a deadline to print a poster for a conference). You can email trouble@cires.colorado.edu or call them at (303) 492-6611. As of May 2004, we almost always work with Okki Luomanen (okki@cires.colorado.edu), or occasionally with Matt Bernick. Qi has worked a lot with him so you may want to discuss your problem with her first to see if Okki may help.


  11. Where can I print?

    • Group Printer: we have a group printer in the lab (Ekeley E150), which can print double sided and color. If you need to print to it from a new computer, ask me for the CD with the software, or download the drivers for the HP4600dn from the HP web site. If the printer is low on paper, get more from the CIRES copier room on the third floor (it is covered through the CIRES office supplies policy). If the printer complains about low toner, get the toner out and shake it (try not to get the ink all over yourself as I often do).

    • If this doesn't work, change the toner, and MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER NEW TONER CARTRIDGE OF THAT COLOR. If not, please let me know so that I can order a replacement. The printer will not print if one of the toners is empty. In particular, it will not even print in B&W if one of the color toners is empty. For this reason we need to always keep one spare of each toner, otherwise we can be stuck without a printer for several days.

    • Toner cartridges are very expensive (hundreds of $$) and we change them often, so they are a significant cost for the group. There are restrictions on how to pay for them, so please conserve them by not printing unneeded stuff (e.g. don't print a 100-page report if you really only need to read two pages), and print in B&W if you don't need color.

    • A printer identical to the group printer (HP 5600) is provided by CIRES on the computer and printer room on the second floor. The IP address of the printer is 128.138.136.18. It uses the same driver as the printer in the lab, so once you have installed the lab printer it is very easy to add this one. This can also help in case the lab printer is down.



  12. Which professional associations should I join?

    • I very highly recommend AGU and AAAR. The next most interesting possibilities are ASMS, ACS (especially if you are in chemistry), AWMA, and AAAS (you get the journal Science with the later one). Other possibilities include AMS, ASME, AIChE, etc., but they are less relevant and it gets expensive after a while!



  13. Which tools should I use to search the literature?

    • You should immediately learn to use Web Of Science, which is the most useful by far. Especially learn to follow the trail of forward and backward citations.

    • Which research journals should I keep an eye on?
      This depends on your research topic and what you are interested on doing in the longer term, but will likely be a subset of (in approximate order of relevance to us):
      • Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres
      • Environmental Science & Technology
      • Atmospheric Environment
      • Aerosol Science & Technology
      • Journal of Aerosol Science
      • Geophysical Research Letters
      • Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics
      • Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association
      • Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry
      • Analytical Chemistry
      • Journal of Physical Chemistry
      • Science
      • Nature
      • Mass Spectrometry Reviews
      • Chemical Reviews
      • Progress in Energy & Combustion Science

    • How do I access JAWMA online?
      See me for the username ____________ and password ___________



  14. What administrative stuff do I need to know / deal with?

    • We do most of the administrative work with the help of the CIRES Administrative Staff (a very efficient and personable bunch!)

    • Your mail will be delivered to the group mail box at the CIRES Mesage Center (3rd Floor, box #137).

    • Your mailing address (e.g. for deliveries) is:

      University of Colorado, UCB 216
      CIRES Bldg., Room 318
      Boulder, CO 80309-0216

    • You will get an email from the CIRES Message Center when you receive a package or a fax there (CIRES 3rd Floor). For this reason it is a good idea to use the CIRES main fax as your default fax number: 303-492-1149

    • To arrange for your RA or salary to be paid (if applicable), see Ruph Gebre-Mariam AND Jennie Bell (CIRES 3rd floor).

    • You will need keys for the building, the lab (Ekeley E150), and the Copier & Fax-Printer rooms on the 3rd floor of CIRES. The key number for the lab is ABM41-030 (the last three numbers may refer to my copy of the key, but I am not sure), while the key number for the building and the CIRES copier/fax/printer is ABM1-344. For this you need to see Rob Schubert (CIRES 3rd floor), or Ted DeMaria (also at CIRES 3rd floor) is Rob is out.

    • You need to get from me the Copier Codes for both the CIRES ___________ and the Chemistry ______ copiers.

    • You need to get from me a Long Distance Phone Code ____________ for when you need to make research-related long distance calls. These are linked to specific grants, so they will change from time to time and you may have to use more than one if your work is charged to more than one grant.

    • You will need an Acquisition Card (A-Card) in order to be able to buy research supplies. For this see Jennie Bell (CIRES 3rd floor). Everytime you buy something on the card, you get an email with the date, purchase item, and amount. You then need to turn that in with the packing slip or receipt for whatever you bought, so hold on to those. The receipt needs to have the exact same amount as the A-Card email, otherwise Jennie will ask you to get a new receipt with the correct amount. Then write the category for the purchase (normally one of "Lab Supplies," "Field Supplies," or "IT Supplies"), the speed type or account number, sign, and leave on the bin marked "Jennie A-Card" in Jennie's office. As with the long distance accounts, you may need to charge different purchases to different accounts, so check with me if in doubt.

    • You need to have business cards made. For postdocs see Julie McKie (CIRES 2nd Floor). For students, see the link in the group reference page.

    • Office Supplies (for research use only): We can get office supplies through CIRES. We don't pay for them directly since they are covered by the research overhead (so we pay for them indirectly anyway). CIRES keeps some of the most common supplies in a small room at the CIRES Message Center (3rd floor). For everything else, look up what you want on the Corporate Express Catalog (there is one in the lab, and another one on the CIRES message center) and email Linda Pendergrass (lindap@cires.colorado.edu) with all the items you want in the following format:
      • One (1) three-ring binder, item B on page 301, p/n AVE-79-783, $19.80
      • One (1) High capacity CD wallet, item A on page 530, p/n FEL-85331, $12.36
      • One (1) Copy holder. item B on page 569, p/n KMW-62060, $10.95
      • Two (2) USB cables, 10', Item I on page 497, p/n CCP-60096, $9.45

      Note that you can't be reimbursed for office supplies that are not purchased in this way.

    • Plane tickets for conferences, field trips, etc. CU does not allow anyone to purchase plane tickets on the web (this is trogloditic, but that's the way it is right now). If you buy a ticket on the web, you will NOT be able to be reimbursed.