Graduate Institute Workshops
Becoming a Better Researcher: From Graduate School to the Workforce
How is one to be as effective as possible during the conduct of research? This Workshop will present pointers on research effectiveness that will help undergraduates working in laboratories and beginning graduate students who are preparing to undertake their thesis or dissertation work.
Proposal Writing Workshop
This extensive Workshop will prepare graduate students for the task of writing their first proposals as Assistant Professors; intended for those students that are planning to apply for academic positions. At the end of the Workshop, students will leave with a proposal that can serve as their submission for the highly competitive National Science Foundation “CAREER” award.
From Resume to Curriculum Vita
Research positions generally require the submission of a Curriculum Vita (CV), which is much more extensive compared to a one- or two-page resume. At the end of this Workshop, students will have a clear idea of how to prepare an effective CV that can be competitive for both academic and industrial research positions.
The Mentor / Advisor Relationship (Panel)
This faculty panel will promote discussion between the audience and the panel members on the topic of effective strategies for developing a productive relationship with ones advisor. The panel will consist of Assistant, Associate, and Full Professors, providing the student an opportunity to ascertain differences in style and involvement between professors at different stages of their careers and how that affects the connection to the student.
Writing It Up: Thesis and Dissertation Skills
This Workshop will present strategies for following writing an effective process during the writing of a thesis or dissertation. Important strategies include organizing all the necessary background literature with plenty of time, developing flowcharts that connect previous results with the students one results, and writing a compelling Conclusions chapter.
Getting Published
This Workshop will cover all the ins-and-outs of preparing and submitting a manuscript, and responding to editors and reviewers throughout the process of manuscript evaluation, which will result in a published document of high impact in the scientific community.
Scientific Integrity and Research Ethics
The ethical conduct of research is of paramount importance in this highly competitive, high-stakes, research environment. Case studies of misconduct in research will be analyzed and boundaries between ethical and unethical behavior will be explored.
Presentation Skills
Strategies for preparing and delivering convincing, effective, research presentations will be discussed.
The Job Interview / Academic or Industrial (Panel)
This panel of faculty and industrial researchers will present and discuss the process of interviewing, with special emphasis on academic and industrial research positions, which require much more extensive time commitment. Typical academic and research job interviews extend over two days and result in the candidate meeting a variety of people. The panel will discuss these details and provide pointers on how to present an optimum picture that will result in a job offer.
Managing Work / Life (Panel)
This panel will consist of faculty at several different stages of their career. The panelists will discuss how to cope with the difficult task of managing personal time with work and excelling at it.
Fellowships and Funding Opportunities (Panel)
This panel will consist of government representatives that will present current fellowship and funding opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as post-doctoral researchers.
Managing a Research Team / Academic or Industrial (Panel)
This panel of faculty and industrial researchers will describe effective management strategies for running a highly effective research group. Emphasis will be placed on strategies for Assistant Professors and beginning researchers.
Engineering Research Symposium
This symposium will feature a series of invited speakers that will discuss their latest discoveries with the intention of promoting collaborations among participants and audience.
The Thesis / Dissertation Proposal and Qualifying Examination
This Workshop will prepare graduate students for the crucial task of preparing their dissertation proposal and passing the qualifying examinations. The presenter will showcase strategies for effectively organizing time and other activities around these two necessary and important milestones in the career of a graduate student.
Applying for Academic Positions (the application packet) + Working in Research vs. Teaching Universities
At the end of this Workshop, participants will leave with a draft application packet for academic positions as well as with a clear understanding of the differences between research and teaching universities.
