1. Success as a DRE Student ESC 720 Dan Simon Fall 2014

2. Difference between DRE and PhD – Traditionally, application vs. theory – CSU’s DRE program began around 1974 – Practically, no difference – CSU’s goal is to convert the DRE to a PhD program 2

3. Outline 1.DRE Program Requirements 2.Positioning Yourself for Success 3.Industry, Academia, or Postdoc? 3

4. Non-ABE Course Requirements (includes master’s) – 6 CH Advanced math: ESC 702, 704, 706, etc. – 6 CH Non-engineering courses Must count toward a degree of the offering department – 3 CH ESC 720 or alternate writing course – 12 CH Specialization core courses – 12 CH Specialization electives – 21 CH Flexible credits – 20 CH xxx 899 (Doctoral Dissertation) – 10 CH xxx 895 (Doctoral Research) or xxx 899 Total = 90 credit hours minimum Note: CH = credit hour 4

5. Plan of Study forms DRE Procedures Proposal Approval Form Forms, FAQs, procedures, etc., available at DRE web site: www.csuohio.edu/engineering/academics/doctorate.html www.csuohio.edu/engineering/academics/doctorate.html 5

6. If you want an exception to the Plan of Study requirements: Work with your advisor Submit a petition to the Graduate Affairs Committee (GAC) – Chemical/Biomedical: Jorge Gatica – Civil/Environmental: Walt Kocher – Electrical/Computer: Nigamanth Sridhar – Mechanical: Ton van den Bogert – Doctoral Program Director: Dan Simon – Two student representatives 6

7. Typical DRE Timeline Year 1: Courses, advisor, qualifying exam Year 2: Courses, research – Form your committee (think long-term …) – Dissertation proposal approval form – Candidacy exam (two chances) – Plan of study form Year 3: Research, journal paper submissions Year 4: Dissertation, oral defense 7

8. Outline 1.DRE Program Requirements 2.Positioning Yourself for Success 3.Industry, Academia, or Postdoc? 8

9. Publication Write conference papers before journal papers – Conference travel; aim for one per year; great networking opportunities – Expand class projects into technical papers Journal papers – Find a good match for your paper (impact factor) – Open access is often a much faster publishing option – Your advisor’s help is critical here – At least one submission required for graduation One accepted paper required for ECE students One acceptance and one submission will eventually be required for all doctoral students Don’t be discouraged by rejection 9

10. After you dissertation defense, or shortly before: Get your advisor’s help with job applications and job offers – Cover letter – CV – Statement of teaching philosophy – Statement of research objectives – Negotiations – Etc. 10

11. Write, publish, and give presentations Network – Volunteer Committees Student organizations Paper reviews Etc. – Help other students – Position yourself to get good reference letters 11

12. Outline 1.DRE Program Requirements 2.Positioning Yourself for Success 3.Industry, Academia, or Postdoc? 12

13. Industry, Academia, or Postdoc? Most PhDs want academic careers Most PhDs work in industry – about 80% (?) Postdoc positions are becoming more important for academic careers – In 1975 there were 16,000 postdocs – In 1995 there were 35,000 postdocs – In 2010 there were 50,000 postdocs 13

14. Academia Tenure-track: Get tenure or get fired Tenure is based on research, teaching, service It typically takes 5 or 6 years to get tenure Research requirement for tenure – The main component at research institutions – Typical requirements are 1 or 2 journal papers per year, $200K total grant funding; large variation in requirements, depending on the university Teaching requirement for tenure – The main component at non-research schools – Continual improvement is important – Mentoring students is important (theses) 14

15. Academia (cont’d.) Service requirement for tenure – University committees Curriculum Committees, Admissions and Standards Committee, Petition Committees, … – Conference and journal paper reviewing I typically review 20 or 30 papers per year – Conference and journal editorial boards (later …) Non-tenure-track positions are growing – Research professors: no teaching – Lecturers: no research – Faculty: Typically higher teaching load, less research – Year-to-year contract 15

16. Industry Large variety of options Most industry positions include less variety than in academia Less freedom, less independence than academia Better chance to see applications and results More practical, results-oriented research Greater need to adapt to change Faster time scale for results Pay scale is generally higher than academia 16

17. Industry (cont’d.) Less chance to interact with other experts Less chance to mentor young engineers Less stability compared to tenured position – Less opportunity to take risks More brand loyalty required Less time pressure than academia; family-friendly More time constraints on your daily schedule Summary: You can have an interesting and rewarding career in either academic or industry 17

18. Postdoctoral Work Usually a two-year or three-year position Supervised by successful professor May lead to a faculty position – See what academic life is like – Write additional publications – Write grant proposals Provides increased breadth in your research Provides additional training Requires mentoring / advising students Often doesn’t pay much 18

19. Postdoctoral Work (cont’d.) A postdoc can be academic, industry, or government You need the right mentor: a balance of careful supervision and independence Volunteer to teach a course 19

20. How to get a postdoc position Publish while you’re still a student (now!) Start applying several months before you graduate (same for faculty positions) Network (conferences) – talk to someone who knows someone – drop names – Most positions are not advertised Contact a lot of people in your field (email) but be selective enough to not waste time Interview carefully – talk with the mentor’s previous PhD students and postdocs 20

21. How to get a postdoc position (cont’d). In your application: – Mention that you plan to apply for funding – Why do you want to work for this professor? – Be enthusiastic about the position you’re seeking – See the “Job Applications” lecture in this course for other tips 21

22. Industry vs. Academia Resources http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pcbi.1000388 http://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs201/projects/women-faculty/industry.html http://greatresearch.org/2013/08/30/industry-or-academia-a-counterpoint http://www.pgbovine.net/academia-vs-industry.htm http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/2006/08/26/working-in-industry-vs-working-1 http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/2009/12/23/academia-vs-industry-an-update http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/tools_tips/outreach http://chronicle.com/article/What-I-Tell-My-Graduate/126615 22

23. Postdoc Resources http://www.bu.edu/agep/resources/career-resources/resources-for-prospective-postdocs http://web.mit.edu/mitpostdocs/resources.html https://icc.ucdavis.edu/files/FindingPostdocPosition.ppt http://www.weizmann.ac.il/YoungPI http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/postdoctoral-affairs/finding-position.html http://chem.virginia.edu/graduate-studies/test-links-pg/finding-a-postdoctoral-position http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-08/postdoc.aspx http://bitesizebio.com/8015/how-to-land-a-postdoc-position http://individual.utoronto.ca/shamighosh/postdoc.htm http://karldcollins.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/how-to-get-that-postdoc http://icanewsletter.com/2013/05/01 http://postdoctraining.com 23