BGS Career Development

Making It Count!

Career: Teaching (university)

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!

Career Services: Preparing for Academic On-Campus Interviews

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“This program is open to doctoral students and postdocs as part of the Academic Job Search Series.

If you are applying for faculty jobs, and want to be able to communicate effectively during interviews, then plan on attending this workshop to learn about effective strategies you can use during on-campus interviews. We will discuss how to prepare, what questions you might get asked, and share tips and strategies to help shape your answers.” (Via Penn Career Services)

When: Tuesday, Jan 29, 2019, 12-1:30 PM

Where: McNeil Building Conference Room 97 (3718 Locust Walk)

Register via Handshake.

Workshop: Preparing for Academic Screening, Conference, and On-Campus Interviews

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Penn Career Services continues their Academic Job Search Series with a workshop on, “Preparing for Academic Screening, Conference, and On-Campus Interviews.” The workshop is designed for doctoral students and postdocs. It will cover preparation strategies as well as typical questions you might encounter during the academic screening process.

When: Thursday, November 29, 2018, 12-1:30 PM

Where: Graduate Education Building 007

RSVP here.

OITE: “Basic Overview: The US Academic System”

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For students interested in pursuing an academic career path, the NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) Careers Blog provides this overview of the US academic system. It provides information on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This listing allows you to search by classifications including graduate programs, undergraduate programs, enrollment profile, and more. The article then describes the types of jobs available within various institutions, as well as different classifications of funding.

Read more here.

Science: “Like virtual reality for careers: A new online resource helps scientists explore job options”

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ISTOCK.COM/SORBETTO

This article in Science describes the career exploration path of Shengpei Wang—a fifth year Ph.D. student at Syracuse University in New York. While considering a move toward a career in data analytics, Shengpei found herself unsure of whether she was capable of the career switch. She visited her university’s career support center, where she learned of a set of online “job simulations.”

The author describes how the simulations helped Shengpei and other scientists at various points in their careers to explore various industries before making a decision. Each simulation takes about 4 to 8 hours, considerably less time than is required to explore potential careers through training, internships, or interviews. Topics include business, clinical trials, science communication, regulatory affairs, and more.

Read more here.