Lab Manager Magazine helps provide a forum and a framework to help lab professionals hire and supervise staff, establish a laboratory, and plan a coherent research program, while keeping the goals of good science and scientific discovery at the forefront.

Most lab managers, by education and experience, are thoroughly capable of handling the technical aspects of their jobs, but their managerial skills are often obtained haphazardly.

Lab Manager Magazine is written with those managers in mind and has the distinct editorial mission of providing practical information on business, strategy, leadership and staffing as well as the industry and technology news needed to effectively manage today's lab.

Managerial skills for most lab managers are often obtained haphazardly.

Lab Manager Magazine is written with those managers in mind and has the distinct editorial mission of providing practical information on business,  leadership and staffing as well as the industry and technology news needed to effectively manage today's lab.

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Publisher: LabX

Download Lab Manager Magazine, July/August 2009

PDF format, 11MB.

CONTENTS
Valuing Diversity
There are many challenges in developing and managing laboratory diversity, but lab management would suffer without the multiple perspectives and experiences afforded by a diverse workforce. Discover how greater diversity can enhance your lab’s ability to innovate as well as its productivity.
John K. Borchardt

Perspective On: An Academic Research Lab
At academic research labs, faculty members once managed independently, not as part of a group. While this approach still exists, much more cross-disciplinary collaboration is being promoted within universities. The view seems to be that “problems that need to be solved can’t be solved by one person anymore.”
Bernard Tulsi

LEADERSHIP & STAFFING
16 Performance Reviews
With a bit of forethought, performance reviews can be developed into very useful tools to help employees focus their efforts, enhance their performance and contribute to improving their organizations’ bottom lines. Done well, they can even improve staff motivation and morale.
John K. Borchardt

TECHNOLOGY & OPERATIONS
22 Local is the New Green
Almost no one disputes the value of “going green” as a way to improve the health of the planet—it’s also good for business. Labs have begun to look at green initiatives as a way to attract top talent as they become more competitive in addressing the world’s needs.
Tanya Candia

24 What’s That Sticker on My Fume Hood Anyway?
Fume hoods are important and critical pieces of equipment in many labs, but they don’t lend themselves to proper operation. This article examines how a competent certification company can align the operator, the laboratory environment and the hood itself to improve effective hood use.
James S. Sigler

LAB DESIGN & FURNISHINGS
28 Laboratory Retrofit
As energy prices rise and commitment to sustainability increases, universities are developing methods for reducing energy consumption. An analysis of facilities at UC San Diego revealed that retrofitting constant volume (CV) air supply and exhaust systems with variable frequency drives (VFDs) could achieve significant energy savings.
Trista Little

BUSINESS & FINANCE
40 Journey to the Efficient Lab
Sometimes a new perspective from the outside can lead to unexpected and happy results. See how a university team helped this lab manager improve the efficiency of his testing environment, which led to more satisfied customers, monetary savings, and less overtime for lab staff.
Mark V. Gibson

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EDITOR'S NOTE
The Perfect Mix
A number of years ago, after I graduated from college but couldn’t yet bear to leave the academic nest, I took an administrative job in one of the campus research labs.

My memories of that brief experience circle around a cast of colorful characters who could have very well made up a United Nations roster. First there was Wang (I never knew his first name), a 6’ 3” graduate student from China who did joint research with 5’ 7” Moty (short of Mordehei), from Israel. Whatever the research was they were doing (I can’t recall) involved shouting, bickering over methods, and much laughter. I also recall Debra, married with two children, whose PhD eventually earned her a stellar career in the pharmaceutical industry.

There was also Dimitri from Greece, Karim from Iran, Alex from New York and Karen from Texas, whose sweet, slow drawl was the perfect auditory antidote to Alex’s heavy Brooklyn accent, which stood out in this northern California research setting. I remember cake and cookie celebrations for everything and anything, good humor, affection and lots of banter. These were serious researchers from every corner of the earth doing very important work in an environment that was as productive as it was delightful.

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