Onboarding

This page summarizes the first systems, people, and workflows new members usually need to get started in the Dean Lab.

First Week Checklist

  • Activate your UTSW email and confirm that you can log in to Outlook.

  • Join the shared Outlook calendars used for lab events and equipment scheduling.

  • Join the Dean Lab Slack workspace and any related shared channels you will use.

  • Request access to the Dean Lab GitHub organization.

  • Get invited to LabArchives and create or confirm your personal notebook space.

  • Register for a BioHPC account.

  • Confirm that your badge access and VPN access work before you need them urgently.

  • Complete all required UTSW onboarding and safety training.

What To Set Up Early

Communication and calendars

  • Formal institutional communication is usually handled through your @utsouthwestern.edu email address.

  • Outlook is used for lab events, shared calendars, and microscope scheduling.

  • Slack is the default day-to-day communication channel for the lab.

Computing and records

  • GitHub is the primary home for lab software, analysis code, and shared technical work.

  • LabArchives is used for digital lab notebooks and shared lab information.

  • BioHPC is the primary storage and compute environment for lab data.

See Digital Tools for the operational details of these systems.

Contacts

Start with the PI or current lab administration when you are unsure who owns an institution-level process.

Administrative contacts

Information Resources (IR)

Common IR requests and notes:

  • Internet connectivity, computer issues, and printers: submit an IR ticket or contact the department IR contact above.

  • Static 10G IP address requests: submit a ticket via the IR Request Ticketing System and explicitly request a static 10G IP address. Responses may be slow, so plan ahead. Inactive 10G ports may be automatically disabled and may need reactivation later.

  • SPAM/Phishing: report suspicious messages to IR/security (see steps below).

Reporting SPAM/Phishing via Outlook

To report suspected phishing in Outlook:

  1. Select the suspicious message in your inbox.

  2. Click the “Report Phish” button on the toolbar (it may be nested in the ribbon).

  3. Confirm by clicking “Report Phish” at the prompt.

After reporting, you’ll receive a confirmation that the message was sent to the Information Security team for review or that automated systems acted on the message.

Badge Access

  • For access to specific campus areas (badge permissions), email: BadgeAccessControl@UTSouthwestern.edu.

  • If you are locked out of a building, contact campus police for immediate assistance.

Visitors and Short-Term Appointments

Short-term visitors and visiting scientists are often processed as persons of interest (POIs). Coordinate these appointments with lab administration early so that email, badge, and computing access can be arranged in time for the visit.

Quick reference