Resources for Success as a Graduate Student at Carnegie Mellon

1. Resources for Success as a Graduate Student at Carnegie Mellon Chad Ellis Chemistry Department September 18, 2009

2. Outline • What good is my advice? • Success—The 10 Year Plan • Resources • Ex: Structure and Timing of my “career”

3. I. What good is my advice? • 6th year in Chemistry…graduating this Spring • Academic career goal • Post-doc applications • Writing papers, thesis • TA for 8 semesters • Generalizations of my experience… • How many 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 5th +??

4. II. Success • Unique experience • Less than 1% of U.S. has a Ph.D. • Academic structure • You make it what you want—set goals • Thrills and depressions • Support and destruction • NOT for everyone—opportunity cost is BIG • Love the pursuit of truth • Mentoring • Determined Intellectual Exploration!

5. Why get a M.S. or Ph.D.?

6. II. Success—you define it • Make a 10 Year Plan… • Incorporate and anticipate changes • Example: In 10 years, I want to… • Don’t know??? Set goals to maintain options.

7. III. Resources • Your Structure and Timing • Your10 Year Plan • Your Network • Carnegie Mellon • Your Determination and Resilience

8. Structure and Timing • Work back from your 10 Year Plan • Year 5 needs…(Ph.D. graduation) • Papers, teaching, research skills, funding, conferences, leadership, thesis… • Work back from each requirement to Sept 18, 2009 • What does my CV need to look like?? • Use models (and do better than they did) • Older grad students • Seek out a mentor… • Models become nodes in your network

9. Network • In making your 10 Year Plan, develop good relations with… • Mentors, faculty, staff, administrators • Collaborators • Peers and friends • Friends of friends • and… • Your advisor is probably the most important node in your network

10. Advisors • Choose wisely…(you can switch) • R. Tannenbaum, W. Schmidt. How to Choose a Leadership Pattern, Harvard Business Review, May-June 1973. • Ask questions to the advisor, his students, students in other groups, alumni • Different answers could indicate trouble… • Would you work for this advisor again? • How does he/she manage resources/money? Projects, Conflict, Authorship, Funding, Group dynamic, Communication? • Work in a number of groups prior to selection.

11. Advisors Project Management Total Freedom / Oblivious Very Specific / Intrusive TIME Supportive / Altruistic Personality Destructive / Parasitic

12. University Resources • Your 10 Year Plan, Network, and Advisor are taking shape…GREAT! • Sort out the departmental requirements in Plan • Do them in 0-3 years • Grad student handbook • Coursework, entry exams, comprehensive exams, seminars, proposals, leadership roles, teaching… • In 2-6 years…conferences, papers, thesis… • What can the University or departments offer in terms of support toward your Ph.D.?

13. University Resources • Financial • Technical • Logistical • Professional Development • Legal • Organizational • Emotional, Social, Health

14. Financial Resources • Travel Funding • Graduate Programs Office • Departmental • Conference organizers • Bigger grants • NSF, NIH • Private funders (Dreyfus, generous alumni…) • GPO • HUB—student billing questions • 46% say important

15. Technical Resources • Computing • Help Desk 268-HELP • Departmental directories, shared servers • Back-ups • Software • Learn relevant software early!! • Endnote, Mathematica, Sigmaplot

16. Logistical Resources • Library • Illiad, Cameo • Stockroom • Shipping and receiving facilities • Maintenance personnel • Add these important folks to your network!!!

17. Professional Development • Teaching • Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence • Teaching Club • Graduate Programs Office • Lecture Series • http://grad.msu.edu/prep/ Michigan State: PREP • Presentations, publications, and writing • G. Whitesides, Adv. Mater.2004, 16, 15, 1375. • Writing Consultant • Mentors • > 60% say important!

18. Legal Resources • Allegheny County Bar Association • Legal Referral Service online: $30 for 30 minutes • Neighborhood Legal Services Association • Carnegie Mellon’s Office of the General Counsel • Carnegie Mellon’s Tech Transfer Office—IP

19. Organizational / Interdisciplinary • Graduate Student Assembly • your student government • University Clubs • Sporting, Outdoors, Cultural, Project Oriented • Skiing • Solar Splash • Buggy • Entrepreneurial and investing

20. Social, Emotional, Health • Great athletic facilities, events, and IM sports • GSA events • Happy hours • Rafting trips • Sports • Wine tasting • Carnegie Mellon Student Health and Counseling Services—Health Insurance • Departmental events and resources

21. Resources…revisited • Your Structure and Timing • Your10 Year Plan • Your Network • Carnegie Mellon • Your Determination and Resilience --decide to persevere, overcome all obstacles

22. IV. Halfway through my 10 Year Plan • Goal: • Chemistry professor at a top liberal arts university • What I’ve done • Current state of affairs • Post Doc application process

23. Getting a Post Doc • Identify post doc advisor one year before graduation • Send a perfect cover letter, CV, and research summary (see Mentor) by email and hard copy • Use your network • Follow up if no response • Send letters of recommendation if asked • Supportive faculty who know you and your work • Best case: one-two writers know post-doc advisor • Phone interview, site visit, presentation, dinner • The offer… • papers, thesis, external post-doc funding…

24. Acknowledgements • Nancy Klancher • Suzie Laurich-McIntyre • Questions??