Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS March Meeting 2011
Volume 56, Number 1
Monday–Friday, March 21–25, 2011; Dallas, Texas
Session V8: Enhancing Graduate Education in Physics: Focus on Skills |
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Sponsoring Units: FEd FGSA Chair: Megan Comins, Cornell University Room: Ballroom C4 |
Thursday, March 24, 2011 8:00AM - 8:36AM |
V8.00001: Teaching graduate students The Art of Being a Scientist Invited Speaker: Graduate education in the classroom traditionally focuses on disciplinary topics, with non-disciplinary skills only marginally discussed, if at all, between graduate student and adviser. Given the wide range of advisers with different types and quality of communication skill (or lack thereof), the professional coaching delivered to students often is restricted to just the technical aspects of research. Yet graduate students have a great need to receive professional training aimed at, among other things, helping their graduate career be more efficient, less frustrating and less needlessly time-consuming. We have addressed this gap in graduate education by developing the one-credit course ``The Art of Being a Scientist.'' This course covers a diverse range of topics of importance to being an effective and creative researcher. Topics covered include the following: What is science? Choosing a research topic, department, and adviser. The adviser and thesis committee. Making a work plan. Setting goals. Ethics of research. Using the scientific literature. Perfecting oral and written communication. Publishing papers and writing proposals. Managing time effectively. Planning a scientific career. Applying for jobs in academia or industry. In evaluations of the course, students invariably comment that they could have avoided significant problems in their graduate study and saved valuable time if they would have taken the course earlier on. This is an indication that the course not only useful for students, but also that it is best taken early in a their graduate career. The material covered in the course is captured in the book ``The Art of Being a Scientist: A Guide for Graduate Students and Their Mentors,'' published by Cambridge University Press; more information can be found at: {\tt www.mines.edu/$\sim$rsnieder/Art\_of\_Science.html} From this website one can download a description of the curriculum used in the class, including homework exercises. Currently we are expanding of professional education by offering more lectures and workshops in order to better prepare graduate students for a career in science. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 24, 2011 8:36AM - 9:12AM |
V8.00002: Got Skills? On-the-Job Activities of Physicists Invited Speaker: It goes almost without saying that physics doctorates do a lot more than just physics research or teaching at their jobs. But what exactly do they do? First, I will share basic data showing where physics doctorates are employed. Then I will present data from two of AIP's surveys about the employment of physicists. The first set of data comes from our survey of physics PhDs one year after doctorate. We will consider how often physics doctorates do a variety of activities on the job, including management, technical writing, teamwork, design and development, programming, and advanced mathematics. The second set of data comes from AIP's new survey of PhDs in physics 10 to 13 years after graduation. Data for many of the same activities will be shown for physics doctorates who have been in the workplace about a decade. Depending on the type of job, most industrially employed physics doctorates do some type of physics at work, but they are also very likely to report managing projects, writing for technical audiences, working on a team, and collaborating with non-physicists, among many other activities. This examination of the types of activities physics doctorates perform in the workplace will provide insight on the non-scientific training that would benefit graduate students the most. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 24, 2011 9:12AM - 9:48AM |
V8.00003: Communication and Critical Thinking Skills Invited Speaker: This talk will discuss how faculty can help graduate students (and even postdocs) improve non-technical professional skills required for success in scientific careers. Examples to be covered will include a) planning and delivering high-quality presentations b) listening critically to others' presentations c) writing grant proposals, cover letters, and CV's d) reviewing manuscripts and responding to referee reports. The faculty member(s) involved must be prepared to project a welcoming attitude, to convey the importance of these skills, and to make a consistent investment of time. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 24, 2011 9:48AM - 10:24AM |
V8.00004: Tuning Higher Education Invited Speaker: In April 2009, the Lumina Foundation launched its Tuning USA project. Faculty teams in selected disciplines from Indiana, Minnesota, and Utah started pilot Tuning programs at their home institutions. Using Europe's Bologna Process as a guide, Utah physicists worked to reach a consensus about the knowledge and skills that should characterize the 2-year, batchelor's, and master's degree levels. I will share my experience as a member of Utah's physics Tuning team, and describe our progress, frustrations, and evolving understanding of the Tuning project's history, methods, and goals. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 24, 2011 10:24AM - 11:00AM |
V8.00005: Shedding light on molecular dynamics: The role of physicists in the age of biomedical science Invited Speaker: Fundamental discoveries of the physics of imaging in the areas of microscopy, MRI, and CCD image sensing have produced innovations throughout the 20th century and continuing into the 21st. Not only have these fundamental discoveries received recognition from the Nobel Foundation in 1953, 1986, 1986, 2003, and 2009, but they have also revolutionized basic interdisciplinary research in areas such as biophysics and biomedical physics to the point at which applied physicists, engineers, and medical clinicians are working together to design experiments and develop tools for use in a broad range of areas including clinical diagnosis and pharmaceutical clinical trials. In this presentation, I will describe several innovative approaches in physics combined with engineering that have revolutionized the frontier in the biomedical sciences. Specifically, I will present examples of basic research as well as design, development, and commercialization of photonics research in the biomedical area within the context of biophotonics and molecular imaging. These examples will include the use of optical, photonics, and imaging techniques to (1) understand and elucidate the fundamental physics and chemistry of biological functions; and (2) understand and describe the critical role of these techniques for disease diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, and treatment with novel noninvasive (or minimally invasive) procedures. [Preview Abstract] |
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