10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

MONDAY, MARCH 5TH

BSE 2.102

**What They Didn't Teach You in Graduate School: 199 Helpful Hints for Success in Your Academic Career

by Paul Gray and David E. Drew

**

ACADEMIC CAREER PATH FOR PHD ENGINEERING STUDENTS

LIFE AFTER PHD: THE GOOD,

THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

Dr. Can SAYGINDr. Can SAYGIN

Mechanical Engineering DepartmentMechanical Engineering Department

University of Texas at San AntonioUniversity of Texas at San Antonio

DISCLAIMERDISCLAIMER

� Views, opinions, or strategies presented in this

workshop are what I personally think and believe

to reflect “Life After PhD”, and do not necessarily

reflect the views, opinions, or strategies of the

College of Engineering or UTSA… It is my story

and I am sticking to it. ☺

7 PHASES IN PHD

"Being a PhD student is like becoming all of the Seven Dwarfs. In the "Being a PhD student is like becoming all of the Seven Dwarfs. In the

beginning you're beginning you're Dopey Dopey and and BashfulBashful. While getting ready for the . While getting ready for the

qualify exam, you are usually sick (qualify exam, you are usually sick (SneezySneezy) and tired () and tired (SleepySleepy). After ). After

passing the qualify exam, you are passing the qualify exam, you are Happy Happy then you get then you get GrumpyGrumpy after after

you realize you still have a dissertation proposal to write and carry out you realize you still have a dissertation proposal to write and carry out

research. After your defense, we call you research. After your defense, we call you DocDoc." ."

(INSPIRED FROM: (INSPIRED FROM: http://www.cs.unc.edu/~azuma/hitch4.htmlhttp://www.cs.unc.edu/~azuma/hitch4.html))

| COURSE WORK | QUALIFY EXAM | DISSERTATION | DEFENSE |

ACADEMIA AS A BUSINES:

YOU ARE IN INTELLECTUALINTELLECTUAL CAPITALCAPITAL BUSINESSBUSINESS

McGinnis, L.F., "Life after the PhD: What I wish I had known sooner",

Proceedings of the 2010 Winter Simulation Conference

You, as an individual intellectual entrepreneur, need to

understand your strengths and weaknesses in this

business.

OUTLINE

� What is PhD?

� Fundamental Skills

� Performance Metrics: Research, Teaching, and Service

� Habits of Effective Academicians

� Job Hunting and Interview

� Non-Academic Jobs after PhD

� Dr. F. Frank Chen “Experience in Caterpillar”

� Dr. Randall Manteufel “Experience in Southwest Research Institute”

ACADEMIC LIFE: BASIC CONCEPTS

� PhD is an indication of survivorship. Public at large view PhD as a “superb intellectual achievement and reflection of brilliance”… Is it?Is it?

� In scientific experimentation, we seek a certain amount of data, replication, and sample size to make statistically meaningful conclusions.

� What is the general conclusion after you receive your PhD? “PhD is a certification of your research abilitybased on sample size of 1”… Not very scientific, is it? is it?

� Your PhD dissertation committee is making a large bet on your ability to do quality research again and again in the future ����

TRUE/FALSE

(Q1)(Q1) PhD is an indication of “superb intellectual achievement and

reflection of brilliance”? True or False?True or False?

(Q2)(Q2) PhD is a certification of your research ability that you can repeat

again and again in the future”? True or False?True or False?

YOUR OPTIONS WITH PHD

� Faculty

� Post-Doc/Research Associate

� Researcher at Non-Academic Research Lab

� Industry

� Start Up

� ?

WHAT DO FACULTY DO?

�Thanks God, it is Tuesday!!!(This is what typically people think outside academia…)

What does a professor say at the

end of a work week?

FIVE JOBS IN ONEFIVE JOBS IN ONE� TEACHING

� RESEARCH

� FUND RAISING – proposals/grants/contracts

� GRAD STUDENT ADVISING

� SERVICE/MANAGEMENT

HOUSE OF “FACULTY SUCCESS”

� Foundation

� Pillars*

�Roof

� If one of them is missing, the house cannot stand… Research Skills

and Research Tools

Fanatic

Disciplin

e

Productiv

e

Paranoia

Empirical

Creativ

ity

Passion

*Inspired from “Great By Choice” by J. Collins and M.T. Hansen

PhD is not the end… It is just the beginning. Now you have to do

quality research again and again… Can you do it? What skills are

essential to be able to do it?

Faculty

Advising

Grad Student D

evelopment

Diversified Investment: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket…

MOVIE TIME

Steve Jobs - rules for success

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuNQgln6TL0&feature=related

WHAT COUNTS FOR TENURE AND PROMOTION:

LEARN THE RULES BEFORE YOU PLAY!!!

� “Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted” Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein

� THINK ABOUT BUILDING YOUR RESUME…

� WHAT ARE THE PERFORMANCE METRICS? DO YOU KNOW?

FROM:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins162052.html#ixzz1o4xzCW3n

AL

TENURE AND PROMOTIONTENURE AND PROMOTION

UTSA’S HANDBOOK OF OPERATING PROCEDURES (HOP)

(HTTP://UTSA.EDU/HOP/CHAPTER2/2-10.HTML)

UTSA’S HANDBOOK OF OPERATING PROCEDURES (HOP)

(HTTP://UTSA.EDU/HOP/CHAPTER2/2-10.HTML)

One thing we definitely do not teach you is TEACHINGwe definitely do not teach you is TEACHING during your

PhD… then when we recruit a fresh PhD as an Assistant Professor,

we expect them to teach well… What is the logic here?

UTSA’S HANDBOOK OF OPERATING PROCEDURES (HOP)

(HTTP://UTSA.EDU/HOP/CHAPTER2/2-10.HTML)

UTSA’S HANDBOOK OF OPERATING PROCEDURES (HOP)

(HTTP://UTSA.EDU/HOP/CHAPTER2/2-10.HTML)

� Annual Review; 3rd Year Review; 6th Year P&T; +5

year P; +6 years post-Tenure,… ALL USE THE

SAME CRITERIA…

SAYGIN’S APPROACH TO BUILDING A STRONG

RESEARCH PROGRAM: LEVERAGE 3P’S

Publications Proposals

Projects

OVERLAP

3P’s

Publications Proposals

Projects

Publications Proposals

Projects

Unfunded Proposals

Unfunded Proposals;

Effort Publishable

Funded (competitive)

Proposals/Projects

Industry Contracts

(Non-competitive,

Not publishable)

Publishable Results from

Non-competitive projects

Publications from

Unfunded Effort

MAXIMIZE THE OVERLAP

Competitive Proposals

Funded Research Projects

Publications

IDEAL LEVERAGE

1:3

Publications

Proposals

Projects

MAXIMIZE THE OVERLAP

Competitive Proposals

Funded Research Projects

Publications

� “Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933 (79 years ago, yesterday)

�DO NOT BE AFRAID OF FAILURES…Learn from your failures… Smart people learn from others’ failures.

MOVIE TIME

Michael Jordan – “failures”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgW48mBQJ14&feature=related

“I can accept failure, but I can't

accept not trying.” Michael Jordan

SO WHAT GETS YOU SO WHAT GETS YOU

“THERE”?“THERE”?

ANOTHER MOVIE…

Make yourself indispensibleDr. Rob Jenkins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N3prkIASeM

(More: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_ZHa_ahLqY&feature=related )

AL

A MORE A MORE

PHILOSOPHICAL PHILOSOPHICAL

APPROACH…APPROACH…

BALANCE: MIND-BODY-HEART-SPIRIT

1. http://sourcesofinsight.com/four-sources-of-strength/

2. “The 8th Habit” by S.R. Covey

[1][1][2][2]

TIME MANAGEMENT: LEARN TO PRIORITIZE

� Keep 3P model in mind… High Leverage – Low Leverage – No Leverage

�� Things you Things you love doinglove doing and things that and things that countcount and and can be countedcan be counted fall into this quadrant?fall into this quadrant?

THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE

PEOPLE… � Habit 1: Be Proactive - Take initiative in your

academic life: Decisions/Actions/Consequences

� Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind – Have

long/medium/short term targets.

� Habit 3: Put First Things First - Plan, prioritize,

and execute your week's tasks based on importance and

leveraging rather than urgency.

� Habit 4: Think Win-Win – Learn to work with others

and provide them “value”.

THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE

PEOPLE… (CONT’D)

� Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be

Understood – First listen. Learn to listen. In

academia, people who “know” are people who “no”

(“Think Better” by Tim Hurson).

� Habit 6: Synergize - Combine strengths of people

(colleagues, students, etc) through positive teamwork,

so as to achieve goals no one person could have done

alone.

� Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw - Balance and renew your

resources, energy, and health to create a sustainable,

long-term, effective academic life. (Wood-chopper)

� Sounds trivial, right? How does it work? Be persistent…

stick with it… make it a “habit”, not a one-time activity.

MOVIE TIME

Michael Jordan – Persistence (To those great professors out there!!! They make it look so easy!!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zSVu76AX3I&feature=related

TEACHING…TEACHING…

LEARNINGLEARNING

LEARNING STYLESLEARNING STYLESLEARNING STYLESLEARNING STYLESLEARNING STYLESLEARNING STYLESLEARNING STYLESLEARNING STYLESBy Professor Richard FelderBy Professor Richard FelderHoechst Celanese Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University

Co-Director of the National Effective Teaching Institute

For more info, see:

http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/RMF.html

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY OF EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

5. Synthesis

Propose, create,

invent, design, improve

4. Analysis

Classify, predict,

model, derive

interpret

6. Evaluation

Judge, select,

critique, justify,

optimize

1. Knowledge

List, recite

2. Comprehension

Explain, paraphrase3. Application

Calculate, solve,

determine, apply

START

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY OF EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

5. Synthesis

Propose, create,

invent, design, improve

4. Analysis

Classify, predict,

model, derive

interpret

6. Evaluation

Judge, select,

critique, justify,

optimize

1. Knowledge

List, recite

2. Comprehension

Explain, paraphrase3. Application

Calculate, solve,

determine, apply

ME 3263ME 3263

� Focus on sensory input

� Practical

� Observant

� Concrete: Facts and Facts and

datadata

� Repetition

� Focus on subconscious

� Imaginative

� Look for meanings

� Abstract: Theory and Theory and

modelsmodels

� Variety

Sensing Learners Intuitive Learners

� Methodical

� Detail work

� Complaint: “Not real

world.”

� Tests: Run out of time.

� Quick

� Concept work

� Complaint: “Plug and

chug.”

� Tests: Carelessness

Sensors... Intuitors...

Which are you--sensor or intuitor? How strong

is your preference? (Strong, moderate, mild)

� “Show meShow me.”� pictures

� diagrams

� sketches

� schematics

� flow charts

� plots

� “Explain it to me.”

� spoken words

� written words

Which are you--visual or verbal? How

strong is your preference? (Strong,

moderate, mild)

Visual Learners Verbal Learners

� Process actively

� Think out loud

� “Let’s try it out.”

� Jump in prematurely

� Like group work

� Process introspectively

�Work quietly

� “Let’s think about it.”

�Delay starting

� Like solo or pair work

Which are you -- active or reflective? How

strong is your preference? (Strong, moderate,

mild)

Active Learners Reflective Learners

��Function with Function with partial partial understandingunderstanding

� Steady progress�Explain easily

�Analysis, details

(the trees)

��Need big picture to Need big picture to functionfunction

� Initially slow, then major leaps

�Can’t explain easily

� Synthesis, systems-ecological thinking(the forest)

Sequential Learners Global Learners

Which are you--sequential or global? How

strong is your preference? (Strong, moderate,

mild)

WHAT IS BEST?

� Professionals (“You and Students in Your Class”) need to function as sensors and intuitors, visual and verbal learners,… all of them…

� You need to improve your weak side…

� Balance: Teaching style must match the learning styles in a class…

� How: Content material & its format and active involvement by students

% INFO RETAINED VS TIME

% Info

Retained

70%

20%

0 10 min 50 min

Active LearningAL

JOB HUNTING: A RESEARCH PROJECT

� Make Well-Informed Career Choices: Search broadly and start early (not right before you defend… things take time)

� Be prepared:

� Research and Teaching Statements;

� Resume with publication (published, in-print, in-review, under preparation), proposal writing experience, project experience, teaching experience, MS student (co)supervising experience.

� References beyond your dissertation committee (attend conferences and meet people)

� YOUR PRESENTATION

� Pick a place where you (and your family) would like to live.

� Interview is a two-way street…

WHAT ELSE?� Professional Societies and Networking (future external reviewers)

� Get to know top 50 people in your area. Keep an eye on what they

are working on.

� Be a good teacher. Learn to communicate well. Practice.

� Attend “Grants/Proposal Writing Workshops”. It takes time to learn

how to write good proposals.

� Serve on NSF, NIH,… review panels.

� Review papers for journals and conferences.

� Every paper can be published if the right target is determined.

� Conferences papers, maybe, not that important but conferences are.

� Do not get involved in department politics (at least as an asst prof).

� E-mails!!! Do not waste time responding to emails in a synchronous

manner. If possible, turn off e-mail when it is research time.

� Form a research group & facilitate interaction among your students.

� Learn new things over time.

PhD inPhD in

NonNon--Academic AreasAcademic Areas

“Experience in

Caterpillar”Dr. F. Frank Chen

Lutcher Brown Distinguished Chair in Advanced Manufacturing

Director, Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Lean Systems

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Before returning to academia in 1991, he was with Caterpillar Technical

Center and held positions as a Manufacturing Systems Engineer in the

Machining & Automation Division, a Senior Manufacturing Systems

Engineer in the Metrology and Process Control Division, and a Project

Manager leading a corporate research and technical services group with

specialization in design and control of manufacturing cells.

� Senior Research Engineer (1991-1997)

� Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses at

Southwest Research Institute

“Experience in

Southwest Research

Institute”Dr. Randall D. Manteufel

Associate Professor

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Any Questions?Any Questions?