‘Broader Impact’ throughMentoring

Lily M. Wang, PhD, PE, FASAArchitectural Engineering ProgramUniversity of Nebraska – LincolnMay 26, 2009

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NSF ‘Broader Impacts’ Criteria

How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning?

How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)?

To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?

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NSF ‘Broader Impacts’ Criteria

One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to foster integration of research and education through the programs, projects and activities it supports at academic and research institutions.

These institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students, and where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the diversity of learning perspectives.

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Brainstorming Moment

Do you buy into it? Do you see the need?

Will you take as much pride in the ‘broader impact’ of your work as you do for its ‘intellectual merit’?

Ideas for Broader Impact Activities?

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Lily’s CAREER Proposal“To reach my educational objective of building a thriving undergraduate and

graduate program in architectural acoustics, I plan to focus on the following goals:

1. Teaching architectural acoustics at a significant level of technical depth to undergraduate students receiving the BS/MAE degrees

2. Integrating current research, both methods and results, into senior and graduate level design courses

3. Inspiring graduate students to become skilled educators and ambassadors of architectural acoustics

4. Participating in or all-girl schools by outreach with teachers and students from local public schools having them aid in making acoustic measurements from real spaces (i.e. their classrooms or auditorium) for research purposes “

A large part of my success has been due to mentoring activities

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Students Mentored – PhD

Erica Bowden Ryherd (2001-2006) Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Tech▪ INCE Martin Hirschorn Award▪ ASHRAE Graduate Grant-in-Aid▪ ASA Student Paper Award in Architectural Acoustics▪ Started 1st ASA Student Chapter at Univ. of Nebraska▪ ASA Hunt Postdoctoral Research Fellowship▪ ASA Committees: Regional Chapters

David Bradley (2001-2006) Assistant Professor of Physics, Vassar College▪ ASA Graduate Fellowship for Minorities▪ Ford Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship▪ ASA Student Paper Award in Architectural Acoustics▪ ASA National Student Council President▪ ASA Committees: Education in Acoustics, Diversity in Acoustics

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Students Mentored – PhD

Jonathan Rathsam (2003-2008) NSF IRFP Postdoctoral Fellow at Ben-Gurion

University, Israel ▪ INCE Martin Hirschorn Award▪ ASA Student Paper Award in Architectural Acoustics

Michelle Vigeant (2003-2008) Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering,

Univ. of Hartford▪ ASHRAE Graduate Grant-in-Aid▪ NSERC Graduate Research Fellow▪ ASA Student Paper Award in Architectural Acoustics▪ ASA Committees: International Research and

Education

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Students Mentored – MS and MAE

13 MS and MAE (2005-present) Fulbright Scholar to Sweden PhD student in Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M Univ. ASA Graduate Fellowship for Minorities 100% job placement

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Students Mentored – Undergraduates

21 undergraduate research assistants 15 supported by UNL UCARE Program Additional support from other grants (NSF REU

Supplement)

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What are mentors? Advisers, who have career experience and are willing to

share their knowledge Supporters, who give emotional and moral

encouragement Tutors, who give specific feedback on one's performance Masters, who serve as "employers" to graduate student

"apprentices" Sponsors, who are sources of information and

opportunities Models of identity, who serve as academic role models

From (Zelditch, 1990) in “How to Mentor Graduate Students” http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/facstaff/mentoring/index.shtml

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“Embrace the Basics of Good Mentoring”

Engage students in ongoing conversations Demystify graduate school for students Provide constructive and supportive feedback Provide encouragement Foster networks and multiple mentors Look out for students' interests Treat students with respect Provide a personal touch

http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/facstaff/mentoring/needs/basics.shtml

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Individual Student Advising

Meet individually once every two weeks 1 hr for MS/PhD ½ hr for BS/MAE

Alternate meeting times with another student Schedule on days when most other teaching/service

activities are planned Guidelines for research assistants + mentoring forms Student must bring agenda to each meeting

Helps their organizational skills Helps me to keep track

Nebraska Acoustics Group (NAG)

Currently 13 members, with PhD, MS, MAE and BS students (3 UCARE students)

Meet every two weeks to share information on acoustics

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Nebraska Acoustics Group (NAG)

NAG benefits Acoustics family and identity Undergrads see what grad students are doing Grad students have opportunities to mentor undergrads Quickly disseminate acoustics-related info▪ Upcoming conference and student group activities▪ Discuss acoustics in community▪ Review resources (Interlibrary Loan, how to become PE, new equipment,

research interests)▪ Research projects

Web identity … helps to maintain link with alumni www.ae.unl.edu/acoustics Facebook group Picasa photo page

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Nebraska Acoustics Group (NAG)

Social events Winter Party End-of-the-Year Party with

certificates of achievement NAG Game Night at ASA meetings

NAG swag Letter opener Pens Clappers Keychain

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Identify/Create Opportunities

UNL opportunities Grant Writing Workshop “Preparing Future Faculty” program Grad Studies Office resources

Funding/Scholarship opportunities UNL, College of Engineering Professional societies (ASA, ASHRAE, INCE) Other organizations (NSF, Ford, AAUW, etc.)

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Identify/Create Opportunities

Teaching opportunities GTA… visit their class to give feedback AE 9300 “Current Topics in Architectural

Acoustics”▪ Students lead class on recent journal article

for three sessions (lecture, study guide, quiz)▪ Peer review and instructor review▪ Grant-writing assignment, peer-reviewed

article assignment

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Identify/Create Opportunities

Research opportunities Boystown National Research Hospital (1 PhD student,

Layman Award) National Research Council of Canada (1 PhD student) Boston University (1 PhD student)

International opportunities International research collaborations▪ Technical University of Denmark (2 PhD students)▪ RWTH Institute of Acoustics, Aachen, Germany (NSF IREE

Supplement) (1 PhD student) International conferences▪ Joint ASA conferences: Paris (2008); Hawaii (2005); Cancun (2001)▪ International Congress on Acoustics: Japan (2004); Spain (2007)

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Identify/Create Opportunities

Professional contact opportunities Boystown National Research Hospital

Weekly Journal Group Roundtable with Industry at Acentech

(Boston) – Spring Break 2004 and 2007 Industry mentors for certain classes

(e.g. Sp. Topics: Acoustic Design Competition)

Host distinguished speakers lunch with students… in 2008-09:▪ Dr. Jim West, Johns Hopkins University▪ Doug Sturz, Acentech (Boston)▪ Elliott Berger, E-A-R Institute (Indiana)

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Identify/Create Opportunities

Service opportunities Consulting on community projects▪ Involve students in “Central Acoustics” consulting work

Professional Society service▪ ASA national student councils (2 presidents out of ~8

total)▪ Attendance at Technical Committee meetings▪ Involvement with other standing committees▪ Encourage your professional societies to give breaks to

students and early career▪ Free registration for students▪ Reduced registration for early career

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More on Professional Conferences and Publishing

Professional Conferences Have students present at professional conferences▪ Set up practice session to go over presentation (1 hr practice for

15 minute presentation) … invite other students▪ Give helpful hints (memorize first few slides, give axes labels, 1

slide per minute)▪ Let them answer the questions at the conference!

Introduce them to network at professional conferences

Publishing Lily’s minimum guidelines to students: MS = one paper;

PhD = two additional Lily = first author on 1st peer-reviewed paper on research Student = first author on all subsequent peer-reviewed

papers on research

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Costs of Mentoring Extra Time

Scheduling meetings each semester Organizing NAG agendas, social events, swag, certificates Upkeep of websites+ Multiple recommendation letters Helps to be a very organized person…

Extra Money End-of-the-Year Party ($300) NAG Game Night ($100) Assorted meals with distinguished speakers Set a budget...

But be generous … mentoring is very rewarding and definitely worth it!

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Measures of Success + Reward

3 out of 4 PhD graduates have academic positions

All 4 were at last week’s ASA meeting Presenting their own research Had their own students presenting research Chairing special sessions On committees planning future technical activities

Industry colleague complimented me on quality of our graduates: “You have really put Nebraska on the (Architectural Acoustics) map internationally!”

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Questions? Discussion?

Thanks for listening!Feel free to contact me with questions.

Lily M. Wang, PhD, PE, FASAArchitectural Engineering ProgramDurham School of Architectural Engineering and ConstructionUniversity of Nebraska – Lincoln

Email: LWang4@UNL.edu