BGS Career Development

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Center for Teaching and Learning (Penn)

CTL Graduate Fellowship Nominations 2021-22

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Center for Teaching & Learning

This Fellowship honors graduate students who are dedicated to excellent teaching and is designed to foster conversations about teaching to help graduate students develop as teachers. Fellows participate in regular teaching discussions with the other Graduate Fellows, organize departmental and university-wide teaching workshops for graduate students, and mentor other graduate students in teaching, consulting with and observing current teaching assistants as demand arises. Fellows receive $6,000 award for the school year. Candidates must be nominated by their department. See the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) website for more details.

Nominations must come from the graduate chair and are due by noon, Friday, March 26. They may be sent electronically to ctl-help@lists.upenn.edu. If you have questions, please contact lenthall@upenn.edu. 

Upcoming CTL Workshops

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Teaching Students to do Research in STEM
Katerina Placek, CTL Graduate Fellow, Neuroscience
A key part of undergraduate university education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is firsthand experience in experimental research. TAs, teachers, and mentors can guide effective undergraduate experimental research experiences (e.g. for an Honor’s thesis) that convey the value of STEM research and impart students with lifelong skills. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn to connect day-to-day student activity on a research project with student development of broader skills in critical thinking, discipline and professionalism, and creative problem-solving.

March 13, 2019 – 5:00-6:30 PM
CTL/OLI Conference Room – 133 Van Pelt Library

RSVP here.

Contact Katerina Placek for further information.

Balancing Teaching and Research in the Sciences: A Panel Discussion with Drs. Masha Lester, Andrea Liu, and David Raizen

Convened by: Phoebe Askelson (Chemistry) and Katerina Placek (Neuroscience), CTL Graduate Fellows

Faculty positions in academic science challenge individuals to balance time and effort between instructing courses and maintaining active research laboratories. Distinguished Penn faculty members Dr. Marsha Lester of Chemistry, Dr. Andrea Liu of Physics, and Dr. David Raizen of Neurology successfully navigate these challenges, leading ground-breaking programs of research while also teaching undergraduate and graduate courses at Penn. In this panel discussion-based workshop, Drs. Lester, Liu, and Raizen will reflect on their experiences and discuss how to successfully balance teaching and research in the sciences. This workshop will be especially valuable to graduate students and postdocs interested in improving their own balance between the laboratory and classroom, and those who aspire to faculty positions in academic science.

March 14 2019, 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm
CTL/OLI Seminar Room, Van Pelt Library Room 134

Please RSVP here to participate in this discussion!

Contact askelson@sas.upenn.edu  or placekk@pennmedicine.upenn.edu for more information.

CTL: Teaching Outside Your Area of Expertise

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Dr. Heath Schmidt, Associated Professor of Nursing and Psychiatry, and Katerina Placek, CTL Graduate Fellow

At some point in your academic career in the biomedical sciences, you are likely to be asked to teach a topic outside of your particular specialization. This may include serving as a teaching assistant on an upper-level course that covers material far removed from your graduate dissertation work, or leading an introductory survey course spanning a wide variety of topics. In this workshop, Dr. Heath Schmidt will draw on his teaching experiences as a graduate student, postdoc, and faculty member to help workshop attendees meet this challenge, with an emphasis on skills you can develop and use in your teaching.

Counts toward the CTL Teaching Certificate.
Contact Katerina Placek for more information.

When: February 21 2019, 11:00 am to 12:30 pm
Where: BRB 1201
Please RSVP here to attend!

CTL Workshop: Teaching as Community Service and Outreach

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Are you passionate about giving back to the community? Do you want to encourage interest and increase public literacy in STEM? If yes, come learn how to use your knowledge of scientific research to engage and educate the public. This workshop with Dr. Lori Flanagan-Cato of the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology will focus on helping attendees develop and incorporate teaching skills in community service and outreach activities.

Counts toward the CTL Teaching Certificate.

When: October 24, 2018, 3PM – 4PM

Where: BRB 0801

RSVP here. 

CTL Workshop: Conveying Technical Information to Non-Experts

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Researchers in the biomedical sciences must often explain technically-complex material to non-experts, with ‘non-experts’ comprising diverse individuals including collaborators, new lab members, or audiences at a conference talk.

In this workshop, we will discuss best practices for tailoring the communication of technical information with Dr. Casey Greene who leads the Integrative Genomics Laboratory. Attendees will learn and practice these important communication skills, and benefit from the advice from a BGS faculty member with extensive experience! Counts toward the CTL Teaching Certificate.

                                             When: Oct 10 2018, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
                                                                  Where: BRB 1201
                                                                         RSVP here.

                                          Contact Katerina Placek for more information.

 

CTL Workshop: “Preparing Students for Midterms and Exams in STEM Fields”

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At the university level, midterms and exams in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses increasingly challenge students to think critically and apply classroom knowledge to novel problems. TAs, teachers, and mentors can equip students with the skills to effectively study for and take tests in STEM, enhancing the opportunity for success.

Come and learn to assess the structure and content of an exam/midterm, design sample test questions, recommend study strategies for your students, and teach helpful test-taking strategies.

Counts toward the CTL Teaching Certificate. Also counts as a follow-up workshop for students in TA Training.

 

When: Oct 03 2018, 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Where: CTL/OLI Seminar Room, 134 Van Pelt Library

RSVP here.

Contact Katerina Placek for more information.