“Successfully Managing Dual Graduate, Postgraduate Careers and Beyond”

1. “Successfully Managing Dual Graduate, Postgraduate Careersand Beyond” Preparing for an Academic Career in the Geosciences: Workshop for Graduate Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI Sunday, August 5, 2007 Ashanti J. Pyrtle, Ph.D. apyrtle@marine.usf.edu

2. Session Goals • Present strategies for successfully managing dual • Undergraduate • Graduate; and • postgraduate careers • Topics covered will include successfully managing individual and joint activities including: • internship opportunities; • organizational leadership experiences; • entrepreneurial endeavors; • financial management and planning; • extracurricular activities; and • Present “How to tips” regarding obtaining positions at the same university

3. Background/Qualifications • Drs. Frank and Ashanti Pyrtle, who began dating as undergraduates, will celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary in August, 2007. • Throughout their 16 years together, the Pyrtles frequently negotiated decisions related to: • individual and joint professional careers; • academic and personal pursuits; • extracurricular activities; • graduate school decisions; • post-graduate career opportunities; and • family • The Pyrtles are Univ. of South Florida Asst. Professors • Dr. Frank Pyrtle, III. is an Asst. Prof. of Mech. Eng. • Dr. Ashanti Pyrtle is an Asst. Prof. of Chem. Oceanography

4. Undergraduate Experience • Both attended Texas A&M Univ.-Galveston • FP, III.-Marine Eng./Mech. Eng. major; • AP-Marine Sci. major • Activities: • Student Govt., Resident Advisors, Multicultural Activities, Minority Student Recruiters, Sorority and Fraternity • B.S. degree completion • AP- graduated in 4 years • FP, III.- graduated in 5 ½ years (switched major & campuses) • Both graduated with >3.0 GPA’s • Undergraduate professional activities • AP- Polymer Chemist intern for 4 summers, Christmas Breaks at Texas Instruments in Dallas, TX • FP, III.- 1 summer as a youth camp counselor; 3 summer REU experiences; 1 summer internship at 3M in Austin, TX

5. Strategies • Communication before making decisions • Extracurricular campus activities • Work on projects together and separately • Acknowledge shared interest/benefit in achieving goals • Willingness to compromise • During summer internships: • Communication via telephone, letters and cards • Scheduled weekend visits • Always remember that school comes first! • Build in a little “play time”

6. Graduate School Experience • Both attended Texas A&M Univ.-College Station • FP, III.-Mech. Eng. major • AP-Chem. Eng./Chem. Oceanography major • Graduate degree completion • AP- Ph.D. in 5 years (switched major after first year) • FP, III.- M.S. in 2 ½ years, Ph.D. in 5 years • Both graduated with > 3.0 GPA’s

7. Graduate School Experiences • Fellowship awards • GEM (FP, III.), NSF GK-12 (FP, III.) • Ford Foundation (AP), EPA STAR (AP), AAUW (AP) • Professional activities • AP- Research Geologist for 1 semester at Exxon in Houston, TX • FP, III.- Research Engineer for 3 summers at Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Michigan

8. Graduate Survival Strategies • Activities • exercise • hobbies • “down-time” • community service • mentoring • cultivate a network of “like-minded” individuals • Support System • confidants • study groups • family • church • organizations (student-centered, culturally-centered, professional societies) • fellowships, graduate assistantships, internships

9. Extracurricular Activities • AP - joined a sorority (AKA) in 1991 • FP, III. - joined a fraternity (A Phi A) in 1997 • AP - Texas A& M-Galveston student body president and FP, III. was vice-president • AP - Texas A&M Black Graduate Student Association president • FP, III. - Georgia Tech Black Graduate Student Association president • Co-directors of church's youth department in Texas • Co-taught in church's marriage ministry in Georgia • Purchased and sold houses in Texas, Georgia and Florida. • Owned businesses in Texas and Florida

10. Job Search • Began researching options 2 years before FP, III. anticipated graduation • Considered positions in academia, government and industry • Both went on job interviews/site visits • Negotiated as a “package deal” to some extent with two universities • individual offers and start-up packages • Did not entertain the idea of a split position • Listed advantages and disadvantages of job offers • FP, III. was the tie-breaker • Accepted tenure-track assistant professor positions at Univ. South Florida

11. Dual Career Strategies • Negotiated schools and cities • FP, III. completed a M.S. degree at the same school that was AP’s first choice doctoral program (Texas A&M) • Moved to Atlanta, GA so that FP, III. could attend his first choice school (Georgia Tech) for his doctoral degree. • While FP, III. Attended Georgia Tech, AP worked as • Georgia Tech Postdoctoral and Research Scientist • Savannah State Univ. Research Professor • Acknowledge that AP’s career options were more limiting than FP, III. • Decided to focus on finding the 'best-fit" for AP and a 'good-fit' for FP, III. • For the past 1.5 years engaging in “baby toss” between offices with FP, IV.

12. Final Thoughts • Stay Focused!!! • When things appear overwhelming refocused by asking… • What is my/our purpose? • Why am I/are we here? • What are the rewards? • What contribution am I making/ can we make as a result of this experience? • How am I/are we growing? • What am I/are we learning? • What is the purpose of this experience?