Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS March Meeting 2016
Volume 61, Number 2
Monday–Friday, March 14–18, 2016; Baltimore, Maryland
Session R53: Building New Pathways in Physics Innovation and Entrepreneurship EducationCareers EDU Industry Undergraduate
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Sponsoring Units: FEd FIAP Chair: Job Ganem, Loyola University Maryland Room: Hilton Baltimore Holiday Ballroom 4 |
Thursday, March 17, 2016 8:00AM - 8:36AM |
R53.00001: Tinker, Thinker, Maker and CEO: Reimagining the Physics Student as Engineer, Inventor, and Entrepreneur Crystal Bailey Physics degree holders are among the most employable in the world, often doing everything from managing a research lab at a multi-million dollar corporation, to developing solutions to global problems in their own small startups. Employers know that with a physics training, a potential hire has acquired a broad problem-solving skill set that translates to almost any environment, as well as an ability to be self-guided and -motivated so that they can learn whatever skills are needed to successfully achieve their goals. Therefore it's no surprise that the majority of physics graduates find employment in private sector, industrial settings. Yet at the same time, only about 25{\%} of graduating PhDs will take a permanent faculty position--while academic careers are usually the only track to which students are exposed while earning their degrees. In this talk, I will examine the role of physicist as innovator and how this role intersects with other similar STEM disciplines (such as engineering), and provide some insight into how implementing physics innovation and entrepreneurship (PIE) education will benefit both physics departments and the students they serve, regardless of students' eventual career choices. Additionally, I will provide resources to help faculty mentors give their students better information and training for a broader scope of career possibilities, and information about how educators can get involved in the growing community of PIE educators. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 17, 2016 8:36AM - 9:12AM |
R53.00002: Impact of the Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Programs for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education in Physics Douglas Arion The Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Programs has worked diligently to develop recommendations for what physics programs could and should be doing to prepare graduates for 21st century careers. While the `traditional' physics curriculum has served for many years, the demands of the new workforce, and the recognition that only a few percent of physics students actually become faculty - the vast majority entering the workforce and applying their skills to a very diverse range of problems, projects, and products - implies that a review of the education undergraduates receives is in order. The outcomes of this study point to the need to provide greater connection between the education process and the actual skills, knowledge, and abilities that the workplace demands. This presentation will summarize these considerations, and show how entrepreneurship and innovation programs and curricula are a particularly effective means of bringing these elements to physics students. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 17, 2016 9:12AM - 9:48AM |
R53.00003: Introducing a Framework for Physics Innovation and Entrepreneurship (PIE) Education. Bahram Roughani A desired outcome for Physics Innovation and Entrepreneurship (PIE) education is preparing physics majors with an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset who are capable of opportunity recognition and adept in leveraging physics knowledge to address specific needs. Physics as a discipline is well-recognized to prepare students who become problem solvers and critical thinkers, gifted in dealing with abstract ideas and ambiguities in the context of complex and real-world problems. These characteristics when enhanced through appropriate combinations of curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular programs can prepare physics majors for careers and future challenges that may involve translating physics knowledge into useful products and services either as part of a technical team within an organization or through startups. A viable PIE education model prepares graduates for various career paths in addition to the traditional options such as pursuing graduate studies or becoming a science teacher. Having a well-defined ``third option'' for physics will benefit the robustness of the physics discipline through recruitment and retention of prospective students who in principle are interested in physics as a subject, but in practice they may overlook physics as their preferred major primarily because they are uncertain about a viable career path based on an undergraduate physics education. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 17, 2016 9:48AM - 10:24AM |
R53.00004: Resources to Support Physicists as Versatile and Progressive Innovators Randall Tagg Physicists are trained first with broad fundamental knowledge and then through experience with exquisitely refined and specialized models and instrumentation. This is a superb platform from which to address real-world problems when it is augmented by ready access to additional practical resources. We have explored a systematic three-part approach to providing those resources: (1) creating an organized environment that stockpiles technical artifacts, tools, and instruments; (2) developing curriculum for on-demand learning of new technical competencies; (3) providing a community of like-minded physicists who enjoy connecting physics with innovation. For physicists early in their training or careers, we hope that this is a particularly attractive basis for exploring a wider range of professional options. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 17, 2016 10:24AM - 10:36AM |
R53.00005: Lessons Learned in Student Venture Creation Edward Caner The Physics Entrepreneurship Master's Program (PEP) at Case Western Reserve University is now in its 15th year of operation. PEP is a 27 credit-hour Master of Science in Physics, Entrepreneurship Track. The curriculum can be tailored to the needs of each student. Coursework consists of graduate-level classes in science, business, intellectual property law, and innovation. A master's thesis is required that is based on a real-world project in innovation or entrepreneurship within an existing company or startup (possibly the student's). PEP faculty help students connect with mentors, advisors, partners, funding sources and job opportunities. In this talk I will chronicle several pitfalls that we have encountered with our "real world" student projects and start-up businesses, several of which met their complete demise despite showing great promise for success. I will discuss how we have learned to avoid most of these pitfalls by taking surprisingly simple actions. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 17, 2016 10:36AM - 10:48AM |
R53.00006: Advancing Successful Physics Majors - The Physics First Year Seminar Experience. Jason Deibel, Douglas Petkie In 2012, the Wright State University physics curriculum introduced a new year-long seminar course required for all new physics majors. The goal of this course is to improve student retention and success via building a community of physics majors and provide them with the skills, mindset, and advising necessary to successfully complete a degree and transition to the next part of their careers. This new course sequence assembles a new cohort of majors annually. To prepare each cohort, students engage in a variety of activities that span from student success skills to more specific physics content while building an entrepreneurial mindset. Students participate in activities including study skills, career night, course planning, campus services, and a department social function. More importantly, students gain exposure to programming, literature searches, data analysis, technical writing, elevator pitches, and experimental design via hands-on projects. This includes the students proposing, designing, and conducting their own experiments. Preliminary evidence indicates increased retention, student success, and an enhanced sense of community among physics undergraduate students, The overall number of majors and students eventually completing their physics degrees has nearly tripled. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 17, 2016 10:48AM - 11:00AM |
R53.00007: Towson University's Professional Science Master's Program in Applied Physics: The first 5 years Rajeswari Kolagani It is a well-established fact that the scientific knowledge and skills acquired in the process of obtaining a degree in physics meet the needs of a variety of positions in multiple science and technology sectors. However, in addition to scientific competence, challenging careers often call for skills in advanced communication, leadership and team functions. The professional science master's degree, which has been nick-named as the `Science MBA', aims at providing science graduates an edge both in terms of employability and earning levels by imparting such skills. Our Professional Science Master's Program in Applied Physics is designed to develop these `plus' skills through multiple avenues. In addition to advanced courses in Applied Physics, the curriculum includes graduate courses in project management, business and technical writing, together with research and internship components. I will discuss our experience and lessons learned over the 5 years since the inception of the program in 2010. [Preview Abstract] |
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