WEP Graduate/Faculty Networking Lunch Seminars

Moving up the Career Ladder in Industry and Academia; How to set goals and reach them; Strategies for achieving your goals.

Linda A Koffenberger, Managing Director, Amerchol Corporation and UCAR Emulsions Systems (UES)

Janie Irwin, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Computer Science & Engineering

Linda Koffenberger, Managing Director, Amerchol Corporation and UCAR Emulsions Systems (UES)

Why Choose Academia?

• Because you love teaching
• Because you love research and are excited by being able to set your own research agenda

• Strong research focus
  • PSU, MIT, Stanford, UCB, UIUC, …
  • But good teaching is also important
• Strong teaching focus
  • Rose Hulman, Goucher, Clarke, ..
  • But some research is also required

• Negotiating the Offer
• Find out about start-up packages
  • summer funding for you for first year(s)
  • laboratory space and equipment monies
  • support for RA for first year(s)
  • flexibility in course assignment for first year(s)
  • conference travel monies
• Don’t be afraid to ask for more (both starting salary and package)

• 71% of institutions had a tenure system in 1987
• 64.% of faculty were tenured in 1987/88
  • *59.2% of women, 74.9% of men

• First make sure you understand the rules (get the University tenure guidelines)
• Find out the evaluation process
  • Yearly oral evaluations by Dept. Head
  • Regular written evaluations by Dept. P&T, Committee, Head, and Dean
  • Sixth year promotion and tenure review with external letters of recommendation

• Teaching
• Research and Scholarship
• Service

• Find out campus instructional development programs and use them
• Ask colleagues for suggestions/help in assignments, project ideas, exam questions
• Use texts that provide support material (e.g. prepared power point slides)
• Attend Peggy Johnson’s WEP Lunch presentation

• Articulate your research goals/plans – write it p and update it often
• Attract graduate students toy our group
  • Offer grad level reading course as overload
  • Use start-up RA monies wisely
  • Learn when and how to say “No”
• Target prime funding opportunities
  • Industry donated career development monies
  • NSF/ONR career competitions

• Your department head
  • work hard to establish and maintain good communication channels
• Senior faculty in your department
• Research colleagues
  • faculty and students at your institution
  • academic and industry colleagues elsewhere
• Your family and yourself

• Don’t underestimate the importance of networking
  • Remember those sixth year tenure review external letters of recommendation?
• Learn how to network
  • Attend key conferences in your area; make a point to meet leaders in your field
  • ”Invite” yourself to give colloquia elsewhere
  • Develop a mailing list for your best preprints

• Find out if there are faculty development workshops offered either by you institution or by your professional society; attend at least one
  • CRA-W Workshop on Careers for Women in CSE, www.cra.org/Activities/craw
  • DAC Women’s Workshop, “Making the Right Choices,” www.dac.com/women.html

• Your university may have a formal mentoring program, if so make sure you are assigned an effective mentor and change early if necessary
• If no formal mentoring program exists, find your own mentor
  • trusted colleague in your dept. or college
  • a colleague from a similar institution and/or background

• For Faculty in Support of Themselves
  • Do not expect more of your female colleagues in terms of support than you do of male colleagues
  • Learn how to mentor your colleagues
  • Say “no” when you need to and do not feel guilty about it
  • Learn exactly what is expected of you in order to gain tenure, be promoted, or receive any other including tenure
  • Develop collaborative working relations both in and out of your department
  • Participate in the activities of the women’s caucus of your professional organization
• For Graduate Students
  • Practice the fine art of externalizing; don’t let negatives get you down
  • Don’t discount your own experiences
  • Recognize  your own styles and learn how to balance your and your advisor’s style
  • Pick good role models and mentors
  • Select advisors carefully
  • Be aware of the future consequences of career0related decisions
  • Belong to active networks of peers as well as professional groups

References
AWIS, A Hand Up: Women Mentoring Women in Science, AWIS, ISBN 0-9634590-2-3, 1993.

Ginorio, Warming the Climate for Women in Academic Science, AAC&U, ISBN 0-911696-63-6, 1995.

NAS/NAE, Advisor, Teacher, Role Model, Friend, NAS, ISBN 0-309-06363-9, 1997.

Toth, Ms. Mentor’s Impeccable Advice for Women in Academia, Univ. Penn Press ($15.95 by calling 1 800 445-9880)