Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS March Meeting 2011
Volume 56, Number 1
Monday–Friday, March 21–25, 2011; Dallas, Texas
Session W5: Educating Physicists for Industrial Careers |
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Sponsoring Units: FIAP FEd Chair: Mary Lanzerotti, Pacific Lutheran University Room: Ballroom C1 |
Thursday, March 24, 2011 11:15AM - 11:51AM |
W5.00001: SPIN-UP and Preparing Undergraduate Physics Majors for Careers in Industry Invited Speaker: Seven years ago, the Strategic Programs for Innovations in Undergraduate Physics (SPIN-UP) Report produced by the National Task Force on Undergraduate Physics identified several key characteristics of thriving undergraduate physics departments including steps these departments had taken to prepare students better for careers in industry. Today statistical data from AIP shows that almost 40{\%} of students graduating with a degree in physics seek employment as soon as they graduate. Successful undergraduate physics programs have taken steps to adapt their rigorous physics programs to ensure that graduating seniors have the skills they need to enter the industrial workplace as well as to go on to graduate school in physics. Typical strategies noted during a series of SPIN-UP workshops funded by a grant from NSF to APS, AAPT, and AIP include flexible curricula, early introduction of undergraduates to research techniques, revised laboratory experiences that provide students with skills they need to move directly into jobs, and increased emphasis on ``soft'' skills such as communication and team work. Despite significant success, undergraduate programs face continuing challenges in preparing students to work in industry, most significantly the fact that there is no job called ``physicist'' at the undergraduate level. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 24, 2011 11:51AM - 12:27PM |
W5.00002: From Grad School to the Glass Industry: One Perspective Invited Speaker: This presentation will reflect one physicist's thoughts regarding a research and development career in the glass industry. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 24, 2011 12:27PM - 1:03PM |
W5.00003: Applying Physics: Opportunities in Semiconductor Technology Companies Invited Speaker: While many physicists practice in university settings, physics skills can also be applied outside the traditional academic track. ~Identifying these opportunities requires a clear understanding of how your physics training can be used in an industrial setting, understanding what challenges technology companies face, and identifying how your problem solving skills can be broadly applied in technology companies. ~In this talk I will highlight the common features of such companies, discuss what specific skills are useful for an industrial physicist, and explain roles (possibly unfamiliar) that may be available to you. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 24, 2011 1:03PM - 1:39PM |
W5.00004: How a Physicist Can Add Value In the Oil and Gas Industry Invited Speaker: The talk will focus on some specific examples of innovative and fit-for-purpose physics applied to solve real-world oil and gas exploration and production problems. In addition, links will be made to some of the skills and areas of practical experience acquired in physics education and research that can prove invaluable for success in such an industrial setting with a rather distinct and unique culture and a highly-collaborative working style. The oil and gas industry is one of the largest and most geographically and organizationally diverse areas of business activity on earth; and as a `mature industry,' it is also characterized by a bewildering mix of technologies dating from the 19th century to the 21st. Oil well construction represents one of the largest volume markets for steel tubulars, Portland cement, and high-quality sand. On the other hand, 3D seismic data processing, shaped-charge perforating, and nuclear well logging have consistently driven forward the state of the art in their respective areas of applied science, as much or more so than defense or other industries. Moreover, a surprising number of physicists have made their careers in the oil industry. To be successful at introducing new technology requires understanding which problems most need to be solved. The most exotic or improbable technologies can take off in this industry if they honestly offer the best solution to a real problem that is costing millions of dollars in risk or inefficiency. On the other hand, any cheaper or simpler solution that performs as well would prevail, no matter how inelegant! The speaker started out in atomic spectroscopy (Harvard), post-doc'ed in laser cooling and trapping of ions for high-accuracy time and frequency metrology (NIST), and then jumped directly into Drilling Engineering with Schlumberger Corp. in Houston. Since then, his career has moved through applied electromagnetics, geological imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance logging, some R and D portfolio management, and more recently, management of applied physics research for evaluating reservoir rocks and fluids and enhancing the productivity of reservoirs. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 24, 2011 1:39PM - 2:15PM |
W5.00005: Internet Courses for Career Path Redirections Invited Speaker: The Internet provides a cost-efficient means to reach out to larger audiences, not only to graduate students soon to enter the work force, but also to practicing scientists and engineers who wish to update their own knowledge base and perhaps consider new career directions. In this presentation we describe experience with several graduate courses at the University of California, Berkeley, that were broadcast live over the internet and posted first as Google videos and later at www.youtube.com. Full graduate class lectures, typically 28 per class, together with all presentation materials available for download, plus homeworks (and solutions upon request) are found at www.coe.berkeley.edu/AST/srms and www.coe.berkeley.edu/AST/sxr2009. The video lectures are also available at www.youtube.com by clicking on ``videos'' and then searching ``david attwood''. Based on e-mail queries and personal feedback it is clear that the lectures are widely viewed, both as training lectures in industry and as classes at various universities worldwide. [Preview Abstract] |
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