Thinking of switching advisors, what would be the right path?

[heyheythrowaway]

tl;dr - Need to know order of people to talk to about switching advisors, look for italics.

 

Posting this under an anonymous username since it'd be easy to track my other account.

 

I'm in my first year of my PhD program (I'm getting my MS this year) in engineering. I like my advisor, and I think he likes me enough, but frankly I'm not motivated to do his work and the end product shows. He is also being considered for tenure right now (it's a nearly sure thing, but you never know) and will be taking a sabbatical next year assuming he gets it.

 

There's a new assistant prof in the department that is doing some work I'm a bit more interested in. He seems to be a "rock star" and I don't think he has any students right now but is recruiting.

 

So my question is, what is the most appropriate way to broach this subject?

 

I have a professor in the department that I feel comfortable talking about this, but I don't want to commit a faux pas when it comes to office politics. My department is very genial  and supportive, for which I'm grateful. 

I will need to talk do the following things, but I don't know which order:

 

a. Talk to the prof I feel comfortable with

b. Talk to my perspective advisor (don't know if he would want me or not)

c. Talk to my current advisor

 

There is a possibility of finding a project that would allow me to work with both, but frankly I don't know what it is. I should also note I have half funding this summer through another prof in the department.

 

 

[rising_star]

The order is B then A, if necessary, then C, again only if necessary.

[iowaguy]

Would it be possible to add the new "rock-star" advisor on as a co-advisor?  Maybe you could use the upcoming sabbatical of your advisor as rationale to add a co-advisor?

 

I don't have much experience with this (take my comment with a grain of salt - YMMV), but am trying to figure out myself how to hedge my bets with a potential advisor who's close to retirement age by possibly adding on a co-advisor, so thought I'd throw it out for your possible consideration...  I know a PhD grad whose advisor got severely ill for a couple of semesters and she added on a co-advisor which seemed to work out reasonably well for her...

Edited March 19, 2013 by iowaguy

[heyheythrowaway]

Thanks for the advice so far.

 

Would it be possible to add the new "rock-star" advisor on as a co-advisor?  Maybe you could use the upcoming sabbatical of your advisor as rationale to add a co-advisor?

It of course comes down to money. Whoever is paying me will be whose project I work on. This year I am funded through the graduate school, so technically my advisor is not paying me yet. Even if I had this other guy as a co-advisor, unless he pays me I likely won't be working on his project.

Of course, if an external fellowship comes through (a long shot, but you never know) then this is all moot.

[arnds]

Pardon me, but it sounds like you are heading for huge amount of unneeded risk for absolutely no good cause. I'm not aware of the academic environment of your country, or your gradschool to be precise, but in most cases your move would be deemed as possible career suicide since almost all grad students long for tenure track faculty as their advisor (as you know better than I) who has good funding and who's personable. So unless you are moving to the new lab to join a very exciting and very prospective project, I don't see any reason for jumping the ship.