The "small world" effect of HN never ceases to astound me. It's always so cool to have somebody chime in with an anecdote about (what appears to an outsider as) something totally niche and out-there.

Sean was just Ok.

Sean is the kind of advisor that makes being a graduate student both exciting and sustainable. He's always upbeat, supports us professionally, etc., so it's always particularly sad for me to hear from students who have had bad experiences with their advisors.

It's nice to see that he has found the time to really keep your minds ticking.

It's the way he explains things that makes them crystal clear - it builds a strong bond with his students. None of them are ambi-valent about it.

Sounds like a keeper. The first PI I worked for as a research assistant was similar.

Yes! He's one of the warmest, nicest people. I did undergrad research in the lab next door to Prof Barrett's when he was Director of Undergraduate Studies. He always took time out to mentor me even though I wasn't his student.