Past Events by Semester

Fall 2021 | Spring 2021 | Fall 2020 | Spring 2020 | Fall 2019 | Spring 2019 | Fall 2018 | Spring 2018 | Fall 2018 | Spring 2018 | Fall 2017 | Spring 2017 | Fall 2016 | Spring 2016

Fall 2021

Tuesday, November 30, 2021
3:00-4:00 pm, hybrid (Singh Center Glandt Forum and Zoom)

Open Hours with Penn Center for Innovation
Pamela Beatrice, Ph.D., Director, PCI Licensing Group, Penn Center for Innovation
Tomás Isakowitz, PhD, Manager, Penn I-Corps and PCI Fellows Program

Bring your questions and concerns about IP, tech transfer, the PCI Fellows Program (application deadline 12/15/21) and Penn I-Corps.

 

Friday, November 12, 2021
3:15-4:15 pm, LRSM Auditorium

Careers in Pharmaceutical Development and Gene Therapy
Matt Petroff, PhD
HT Downstream and Formulation Dev Lead, Spark Therapeutics, Inc.
              and
Rui Zhang, PhD
Formulation Research Lead, Spark Therapeutics, Inc.

Pharmaceutical Research and Development is an extraordinarily multidisciplinary activity, employing researchers with a range of expertise including chemistry, biology, engineering, and data science. Drs. Zhang and Petroff will describe several of their experiences within Spark Therapeutics, a Gene Therapy leader, to convey an understanding of the different functions and roles available to new graduates within Pharma.

 

Friday, November 5, 2021
Noon – 1 pm ET by Zoom

Academia & Industry & Nonprofits, Oh My! [slides]
Angela Hwang, PhD
Senior Project Manager, Academic Partnerships & University Programs, Synopsys

After earning a PhD in chemistry at UCLA, Dr. Hwang found herself navigating the vast job market that was suitable for her technical background and personality. She worked at Technovation (formerly known as Iridescent), a nonprofit geared towards training STEM professionals to teach underserved communities science concepts. She ran education and outreach programs out of Stanford’s nanofacilities (nano@stanford), and is currently working at Synopsys managing academic partnerships and university programs at a global scale. This session will discuss how to find careers outside of the traditional R&D or academic paths.

 
Thursday, October 21, 2021
3:35-4:55 PM ET, Glandt Forum
 
Careers in Innovation
This panel brings together five STEM professionals from a diversity of positions, who are at various career stages. Panelists (listed below) will share insights about their positions, career paths and general industries.  Much of the session will focus on audience questions and topics of interest raised by the audience.

Panelists
Mohsen Azadi, PhD, Quattrone Nanofabrication Facility, Singh Center, Penn
Greg Fridman, PhD, CEO AAPlasma
Paria Gharavi, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept of Electrical & Systems Eng, Penn
Hannah Hastings, MSE, Research Engineer, Universal Display Corp
Ryan Tetro, MSE, Nanofabrication & Manufacturing Engineer, Cogwear
 

Spring 2021

Thursday, April 22, 2021
1-2 pm ET, Zoom

Promoting STEM Equity and Inclusion through Engagement in Penn-West Philadelphia Partnerships
Richard Carter, EdD and Rita Hodges, MSEd
Netter Center for Community Partnerships, University of Pennsylvania

In this session, representatives from Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships will present opportunities for STEM graduate students to engage meaningfully with the West Philadelphia community. In particular, the Netter Center’s Moelis Access Science program supports partnerships that improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in K12 classrooms, as well as undergraduate and graduate STEM education at Penn. The program’s curriculum approach focuses on facilitating hands-on and inquiry-based science education in public school classrooms, as well as incorporating community-based, problem-solving learning. The classrooms are based in West Philadelphia schools with which the Netter Center has long-standing organizational relationships. In addition, the Educational Pipeline Program, operated by the Perelman School of Medicine in partnership with the Netter Center, Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine, and 4 public high schools, works to provide mentorship and hands-on education for local high school students while exposing them to a variety of careers in medicine and healthcare. This session will underscore the critical role of higher education partnerships with local K12 schools and communities in helping to realize STEM equity and inclusion.

 

Tuesday, April 6, 2021
10 – 11 ET, Zoom

Special: Student Highlight
My Journey from Fossil Fuels to Resilience
Robert Fetell
Class of ’21, Earth Science and Class of ’22, Engineering Geology
Earth & Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania

A presentation on resilience and climate adaptation solutions, viewed through the lens of Robert’s journey that started at Shell International, B.V. in the Netherlands and led him to follow an inner calling to mitigate the consequences of climate change on his hometown of Miami Beach, FL. Robert’s experiences with the City of Miami Beach on resilience improvements taught him engineering solutions to safeguard the existing built environment, and led him to found a nonprofit, the Resilience Youth Network, to unite young people behind climate adaptation. Discussion of these topics will follow with participants.

 

Friday, March 19, 2021
11 – noon ET, Zoom

The Benefits of an Advanced Science Degree in Business Development
Francisco Buitrago, PhD
Scientist, Arkema Inc.

The job market for scientists and engineers in industry is very broad. From R&D to process development, there are a variety of positions in which a scientific background is essential. Regardless of the industry, all companies have the goal to create new business opportunities by nurturing excellent relationships with customers. Please join me to learn about my experience along the fine line between R&D and Business Development.

 

Thursday, February 25, 2021
1-2 pm, ET Zoom

Engineering at Penn: A Local History of Materials Science & Contemporary Approaches to STEM Ethics
Brit Shields, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Bioengineering Department, School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania

Brit Shields has training as a sociologist and historian of science and currently teaches the undergraduate engineering ethics curriculum at Penn.  Her scholarship focuses on the reciprocal relationship between technology and society.  This talk will include an overview of the local history of material science at Penn as well as contemporary approaches to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) ethics education today.

 

Fall 2020

Friday, December 11, 2020
2-3 pm ET, Zoom

Global Scientific Collaborations: A Key to Scientific Success

Joseph S. Francisco, PhD
President’s Distinguished Professor of Earth and Environmental Science and of Chemistry
University of Pennsylvania

Today, more than ever, research is of an international character, and “globalization” of science research is proceeding rapidly. This has important implications for the sciences. The conditions for science research around the world are continually improving, and thus global collaborations and partnerships can provide rich opportunities to enhance research and training. Diverse views and experiences give internationally connected research groups a significant competitive advantage over geographically limited ones; this is because the integration of different approaches enables much more creativity. Many of the world’s most pressing problems call for global cooperation, such as climate change, food security, public health, infectious diseases ( e.g. COVID-19), or resource conservation and environmental sustainability. Research collaborations across borders will become natural for the next generation of academics, as sharing of facilities will make it easier for them to be more productive. My talk will focus on the benefits of global collaborations and on students preparing for this future.

 

Wednesday, November 11, 2020
3-4 pm ET, Zoom

Tools for the 21st Century: science policy and diplomacy

Mahlet Mesfin, PhD
Visiting Scholar (2019-2020), Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement
Consultant, National Academy of Science’s Policy and Global Affairs Division

Mahlet Mesfin transitioned from being a PhD student in bioengineering at Penn examining chemical signaling pathways in brain cells after a mechanical injury to working in and representing the U.S. government to address how science and technology can strengthen ties between countries and impact international affairs and foreign policy.  Dr. Mesfin will discuss experiences along her career path in science policy and science diplomacy and the ways in which science and scientists will increasingly have a role to play in the challenges that the United States and the world will face in the 21st century.

 

Wednesday, October 14, 2020
10:30-11:30 am, Zoom
Select materials from this session are linked below.

Intellectual Property and Innovation


Tomás Isakowitz, PhD, Manager, Penn I-Corps and PCI Fellows Program

 

Pamela Beatrice, Ph.D., Director, PCI Licensing Group
Penn Center for Innovation 

Penn’s Patent Policy

This session will provide an overview of intellectual property and its role in technology transfer and of programs for helping the creation of startups based on Penn research. A brief overview of patents and their importance will be provided. Opportunities for Penn graduate students and postdocs to participate in the PCI Fellows Program and Penn I-Corps will be discussed.

 

Wednesday, September 16, 2020
3:30-4:30 pm EDT, Presentation available here

Applying a technical degree to a career in innovation

Hannah Murnen, PhD, Chief Technology Officer, Compact Membrane Systems

Dr. Murnen has held both technical and business positions across multiple chemical manufacturers, as
well as having served large chemical multinationals in her capacity as an Engagement Manager in
McKinsey’s Chemicals practice.  Dr. Murnen will be talking about the different decision points in her
career, how they have led her to where she is now and what she has learned from each of them.


Spring 2020

Thursday, April 23, 2020
3:30-4:30 pm, Zoom delivery

Starting-Up: Technology Innovation and Company Formation

Bhavana Mohanraj, PhD, Assistant Director, PCI Ventures

Dr. Mohanraj will discuss commercialization of novel technologies and the creation of companies.  She will share some of the resources of Penn’s PCI Ventures program, as well as insights from her own career path.

 

Wednesday, April 15, 2020
3:30-4:30 pm
Edited recording here

Your online toolkit for exploring careers and applying for positions as a STEM graduate student or postdoc

Joseph Barber, PhD, Senior Associate Director, Graduate Student/Postdoctoral Fellow Career Advisor, Career Services, University of Pennsylvania

Have you been using CareerShift to identify possible employers in locations and industries that interest you? Are you an expert in navigating the alumni tool on LinkedIn, and then popping over to QuakerNet to find easily accessible contact information? Do you know how to find workplace emails for networking contacts at companies who try their hardest not to share their emails? Have you checked to see if your resume will get passed Applicant Tracking Software at companies using Targeted Resume? Have you given yourself a practice mock interview using InterviewStream and then shared your video with other to get their feedback? If you haven’t heard of these tools, or haven’t yet used them to help support your career exploration and job/internship search, then join us for this to learn about these tools and a few more provided by Career Services.

 

Thursday, February 27, 2020
3:30-4:30 pm
Reading Room, LRSM Bldg

How to communicate to get what you need (from faculty members and supervisors)
Pablo Cerdera, Associate Director of Restorative Practices, Penn
Marcia Glickman, Deputy Director Office of Student Conduct, Penn

In this workshop, we will practice communication techniques and strategies that you can use to enhance your relationship with mentors, instructors and/or supervisors.  Learn how to get what you need and how to better understand what your mentors, instructors, and supervisors need from you using open communication and listening skills.

 

Thursday, January 30, 2020
3:30-4:30 pm
Reading Room, LRSM Bldg

Science Policy – Opportunities for STEM students and researchers

This session will share information about some of the opportunities for Penn STEM graduate students and postdocs to learn about and/or become involved in science policy in ways that complement or expand their STEM technical training. The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy will share information about its programs and resources. Graduate Students, Zakaria H’sain (Mechanical Engineering) and Steven Neuhaus (Materials Science), will talk about the Penn Science Policy and Diplomacy Group and their experiences with the NSF-funded Science Outside the Lab program. There will be time for discussion—session participants are encouraged to bring questions about science policy and opportunities for broader impact and insights from their own experiences.

 

Fall 2019

Thursday, December 5, 2019
3:00-4:00 pm

Academics to Industry: Similarities, Differences, and Leveraging Skills to Succeed
Sarah Hann, Ph.D., R&D Specialist
Dow Chemical

I will share my experience in the Chemical Industry and compare it with the general experience of graduate school. The goal of this talk is to help set some expectations for what life can be after graduate school and provide some tips for using your academic experience to succeed in industry. I will speak to my journey in industry so far and give some insight into how different functions within a company can provide very different opportunities depending on your strengths.

 

Thursday, November 14, 2019
3-4 pm, LRSM Reading Room, 3231 Walnut Street

Intellectual Property and Innovation
Pamela Beatrice, Ph.D., Director, PCI Licensing Group
Tomás Isakowitz, PhD, Manager, Penn I-Corps and PCI Fellows Program
Penn Center for Innovation 

This session will provide an overview of intellectual property and its role in technology transfer and of programs for helping the creation of startups based on Penn research. A brief overview of patents and their importance will be provided. Opportunities for Penn graduate students and postdocs to participate in the PCI Fellows Program and Penn I-Corps will be discussed.

 

Tuesday, October 8, 2019
3-4 pm, LRSM Reading Room, 3231 Walnut Street

Management in a Scientific Career – From people, to projects, to yourself
Jonathan Kiel, Ph.D.
Managing Scientist, Exponent 

A career in science will involve managing people (both groups and individuals), projects, and yourself.  However, management skills and practices are rarely, if ever, taught or even discussed.  This talk will focus on my experiences in learning how to manage from both good and bad managers, and my attempts to put those skills into practice.

 

Wednesday, September 11, 2019
3-4 pm, Glandt Forum, Singh Center for Nanotechnology

A Perspective on Life After Grad School and Beyond
Gerald Lopez, Ph.D.
Director of Business Development, Singh Center for Nanotechnology

Life after grad school isn’t captured in a singular equation and not should be decided by anyone but yourself. Should I get a job? Pursue a PhD? Become faculty? How can I get from point A to point B? In this open discussion, I’ll speak from my life experience thus far and will openly welcome questions that so many have in common when pursuing advanced degrees and beyond.

 

Spring 2019

Monday, April 29, 2019
2:00-3:00 pm, Singh Center – Glandt Forum
 
Communicating Science: How to Talk to the Press & Science Writing Careers
Jessica McDonald, Ph.D. Science Writer for FactCheck.org
 
Interested in science writing as a career, or looking for tips on how to share your research with lay audiences? I will talk about my day-to-day work fact-checking what politicians say about science, and cover my transition from bench scientist to journalist. I’ll also give advice on how to best communicate your work to reporters and other non-experts.
 
Thursday, March 28, 2019
2:00-3:00 pm, LRSM Reading Room, 3231 Walnut Street
 
How to be Ready When that Career Opportunity Knocks
Lisa Kozlowski, PhD Associate Dean for Student and Postdoctoral Affairs Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University
 
As graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, you are preparing for your next career step every day.  However, the majority of the skill sets that you are learning are field-specific and technical in nature.  What other skill sets do you need to be competitive in today’s job market?  How can you gain those skills while still a trainee?  What else should you be doing to be the most productive while a graduate student or postdoc? This seminar will provide information about the whole range of skill sets and the opportunities that will allow you to be trained and gain experience in those skills.
 
Friday, February 22, 2019
2-3 pm, Location TBA
 
Building Your Brand
Stan Najmr, PhD Senior Scientist, L’Oréal USA
 
Every career path is unique, yet there are common resources and trends you can tap into to make yours flourish. In this session, I will share my recent path from materials research at Penn to the beauty industry at L’Oréal and the experiences I found most valuable during the journey.
 
Thursday, January 31, 2019
2-3 pm, Singh Center – Glandt Forum
 
“Alternative” Careers – Patent Law
Riverside Law Pallab Singh, Ph.D. Ming Chen, B.Eng., J.D. Phil Nigon
 
This session will provide a background into careers in patent law. We will provide a brief overview of patents and discuss how scientists and engineers can transition into a successful career in patent law. We will discuss requirements, typical career paths, and the important skills necessary to make the successful jump.

 

Fall 2018

Wednesday, December 5, 2018
2-3 pm, Singh Center – Rm 221
 
What the History of Nanotechnology Tells Us about Its Future
Jody A. Roberts, PhD Director, Institute for Research Science History Institute
 
What social and ethical issues might arise from the research and development of new nanotechnologies? And what can be done to address these issues proactively? In this session, we’ll explore the connection between historical narratives, present-day research, and future outcomes. In particular, we’ll examine how research agendas get framed in these histories and how those agendas can yield very different sorts of social and ethical issues to be addressed. Participants will leave with a sense of how social and ethical issues arise, and their own role in addressing these issues in a meaningful way.
 
Thursday, November 1, 2018
2-3 pm, Singh Center – Glandt Forum
 
Intellectual Property and Innovation
Pamela Beatrice, PhD Director, PCI Licensing Group and Tomás Isakowitz, PhD Director, PCI Fellows Program
 
This session will provide an overview of intellectual property and its role in technology transfer and of programs for helping the creation of startups based on Penn research. A brief overview of patents and their importance will be provided. Opportunities for Penn graduate students and postdocs to participate in the PCI Fellows Program and Penn I-Corps will be discussed.
 
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
2-3 pm, LRSM Reading Room
 
From Academia to a Start-Up: A Journey of How Micro-Bio Robots Led to Micro-Aerial Robots
Denise Wong, PhD Robotics Engineer Exyn Technologies
 
Planning the next steps of your career can be intimidating, especially after years in academia where the curriculum is structured and your focus is very narrow.  We become subject matter experts and often forget about the broadly applicable skills valued in industry.  In this discussion, I’ll talk about my transition from academia to working at a fast-paced, early staged tech start-up.
 
Thursday, September 20, 2018
2-3 pm, Singh Center – Glandt Forum
 
Words Matter
Sharon L. Haynie, PhD
 
Independent Consultant Hypatia Technology Works, LLC I offer anecdotes, insights and personal stories that demonstrate how words (from others or challenges in crafting words) impacted my career.  I wish I had received more communications training during my science journey that would have supplemented the intensive training on shaping ideas and sharpening my technical acumen.  I will share some broad examples—from words that sent my career aloft—an invaluable postscript for mentors; words used in technical papers or presentations; or words I choose even in casual conversation or dialogue with colleagues and general audiences.  It is my belief that language and presentation skills are critical to your professional success.  I am convinced that words are a critical component in our science interactions; thus, I urge participants to pay more attention to the words they select—words can be welcome, wisdom, and warning and sometimes a weapon.

 

Spring 2018

Thursday, April 26, 2018
2-3 pm, Singh Center – Room 035
 
From Goal Setting to Goal Meeting
Faisal Khan, EMTM, MAPP Transformational Coach & Management Consultant, 1ExtraordinaryLife.com Laura Taylor Co-creator of the Penn Program for
 
Flourishing Have you ever set goals and had a hard time meeting them? Join Faisal and Laura to learn some scientifically researched ways to increase the odds of not just setting, but meeting your goals. Walk away with strategies to create, motivate, and pursue your personal goals that increase your chances of meeting them. Tap into your agency and pathways to engage to see meaningful progress.
 
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
1:00-2:00 pm, Singh Center – Glandt Forum
 
Marketing & Research (not a Star Wars Story)
Denis Bendejacq, PhD Corporate Research Lab Director, COMPASS UMI 3254 Solvay
 
In private firms, almost regardless of the structure they adopted, two worlds have usually coexisted: that of research & innovation, where scientists propose technologies and can somewhat pursue their thirst for understanding, and that of business, where customers often dictate the pace at which research must produce results. Although this paradigm has been evolving over the last years, it is always in this seemingly contradictory but challenging situation that marketing comes into play: among all of the​scientific topics that​ ​researchers could be working on,​ ​marketing can help discern those​ ​that could answer a need of the market and generate revenues. ​In a world where funding ​​becomes increasingly tied to ​​the value​ of an innovation, it is essential for scientists whose ambition is to work for a private firm, as well as those who are destined for Academia, to understand how to play with marketing in order to become impactful contributors tomorrow.
 
Monday, March 19, 2018
2:00-3:00 pm, Singh Center – Glandt Forum
This session is co-sponsored by Penn Engineering’s Advancing Women in Engineering and the Penn Women in Chemistry group.
 
Tales from my professional journey (so far)
Lisa Friedersdorf, PhD [bio]
 
Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office United States National Nanotechnology Initiative Please join me for a discussion about career options in industry, academia, and government for graduates of technical programs. This conversation will be based on my observations over the course of a non-traditional career as a woman engineer. I will share key lessons learned (e.g. wear your hair back around power tools!) and resources for students to create their own path.
 
Thursday, February 22, 2018
1:00 – 2:00 pm, Singh 035
 
Nailing your scientific pitch to different audiences
Vanessa Chan, PhD [bio] Professor of Practice, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Materials Science & Engineering Dept., Penn
 
In this conversation we will discuss how to take a scientific topic (e.g., your thesis, your invention) and create pitches that will resonate with a wide range of communities.  We will use Carbon 3D as an example and share with you their Science paper, the business articles that have been written about them as well as the TED talk and scientific talks that their founder has given.  Coming out of this conversation, you will learn how to hone your story so that it resonates with different audiences since ultimately, communicating what you are doing is a critical component of your success!
 
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
12-1 pm, Room TBA
 
Discussion:  Mentoring
Russell Composto, Associate Dean for Undergrad Education, Penn Engineering; Professor of Materials Science & Engineering
Kristin Field, Education and Professional Development for the Singh Center and REACT project
Michaile Rainey, Director, Advancing Women in Engineering
 
Audience focused discussion on mentoring, networking and generally tapping into community resources for your professional benefit as well as for participating in the community to help others build their careers.

 

Fall 2017

Monday, December 4, 2017
12:30-1:30 pm, Singh Center, Glandt Forum
 
Creating Multiple Career Possibilities through Education, Passion and Networking
Laura Stubbs, PhD Director, Office of Diversity & Inclusion School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania
 
Dr. Stubbs will share her career path emphasizing that while fo Roomal education is a solid foundation for a career, it is not the primary factor to career movement and success. Dr. Stubbs has over 25 years of military, private and public sector experience in Technology Transfer, Quality and Supply Chain Management. She entered the U.S. Navy as the first African-American Naval Nuclear Power School instructor and later transferred to the US Naval Academy as an Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department. She left active duty and continued in the Navy Reserve until she retired as a Captain. Dr. Stubbs received her PhD in Mechanical Engineering (University of Maryland at College Park) and BSE and MSE in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (University of Pennsylvania).
 
Wednesday, November, 15, 2017
12:30-1:30 pm, Singh Center, Room 035
 
Research in Industry and Academia
Cherie Kagan, PhD Stephen J. Angello Professor, University of Pennsylvania
 
After finishing her PhD at MIT in Electronic Materials, Dr. Kagan spent a couple years at Bell Laboratories before joining IBM’s T. J. Watson Research Center for 9 years. She joined Penn’s faculty in 2007 and, among many other activities at Penn, has served as a director for Penn’s Nanofab facility, the Energy Commercialization Initiative, and Pennergy: The Penn Center for Energy Innovation. Dr. Kagan will discuss her career path and provide insights on how research careers in industry and academia differ.
 
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
12:30-1:30 pm, Singh Center, Room 035
 
Intellectual Property and Innovation
Pamela Beatrice, PhD Director, PCI Licensing Group and Tomás Isakowitz, PhD PCI Fellows Program Director
 
This session will provide an overview of intellectual property and its role in technology transfer and of programs for helping the creation of startups based on Penn research. A brief overview of patents and their importance will be provided. Opportunities for Penn graduate students and postdocs to participate in the PCI Fellows Program and Penn I-Corps will be discussed.
 
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
12:30-1:30 pm, Singh Center, Room 035
 
Navigating the Social Implications of Science and Technology
Sam Nicaise, PhD Postdoctoral Researcher, Bargatin Lab, University of Pennsylvania
 
In both research and industry, we carry an underlying expectation that our work, as scientists, engineers, and technologists, is important to or demanded by society. Seldom are we fo Roomally, or even info Roomally, taught how to discern the relationship between STEM and the rest of our culture or society, despite this relationship commonly dete Roomining the ultimate success/failure of our life’s work. In this session, we will dissect how scientific innovation is made, framed, interpreted, and used by exploring academic and practical sociotechnical tools as taught at the Winter School on the Anticipatory Governance and Responsible Innovation of Emerging Technologies.

 

Spring 2017

Wednesday, April 19, 2017
1-2 pm, Singh Center, Room 221

The intersection of Science and Policy
Vijay Kumar, PhD Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering, University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Kumar is the Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering with appointments in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Computer and Info Roomation Science, and Electrical and Systems Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Since joining the faculty in 1987 he has served Penn Engineering in many capacities, including Deputy Dean for Research, Deputy Dean for Education, Chai Rooman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics and Director of the GRASP Laboratory, a multidisciplinary robotics and perception laboratory. Dr. Kumar has served as the assistant director of robotics and cyber physical systems at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (2012 – 2013). At this Singh Center Professional Development session, he will discuss how science and policy influence each other, how scientists can affect policy and whether or not they should become involved with the political process.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017
1-2 pm, Singh Center, Room 313

Publish or Perish
Georgia C. Papaefthymiou, PhD Professor of Physics, Villanova University

Publication of research results is the main vehicle of communicating and sharing new scientific knowledge and is fundamental for the advancement of Science. In academia, it has become the litmus test of a scientist’s productivity and worth for professional advancement and tenure. Thus, it must be taken very seriously by those who aspire to a career in Academia. In this presentation we will discuss the various stages in the process of manuscript submission and ultimate publication of research results and the roles that authors, reviewers and editors play in this highly interactive process. We will discuss various issues that dete Roomine a successful submission from choosing the appropriate journal to responding to reviewers’ comments and utilizing their valuable input to revise and improve the quality of your original submission.

Thursday, February 23, 2017
1-2 pm, Singh Center, Room 035

From Nonlinear Optics to Watching Paint Dry: How What You Learn in Grad School Can Be Applied in Industry
Heather Eckenrode-Stiffler, PhD Technical Service Manager, Dow Coating Materials, Dow Chemical Company

For many, the graduate school experience gives students a chance to learn about careers in academics. This discussion will focus on giving students some insight into what an industrial career looks like and the skills that are learned in graduate school that are valuable for a career in industry. Dr. Eckenrode-Stiffler will share her experience going from working in the L.R.S.M. on nonlinear optics to working in industry as a technical service manager in coatings. She graduated from UPenn with a PhD in Physical Chemistry. She joined Rohm and Haas Company (now part of the Dow Chemical Company) in 2005 as part of a rotational PhD program. Her roles at Dow have ranged from R&D to her current customer facing role as a technical service manager.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017
1-2 pm, Singh Center, Room 313

How to and why you would ever want to run a technical conference
George Patrick Watson, PhD Director of User Programs, Singh Center for Nanotechnology, University of Pennsylvania

There may be a point in your career where you are asked, or you volunteer, to put together a research conference. This can consume a large part of your life for several months, but it can be incredibly rewarding. I will discuss my experience as the Program Chair of the 2016 EIPBN, a nanotechnology meeting of 400 researchers, why I am glad I did such a crazy thing, and why you should consider running one too.

 

Fall 2016

Friday, December 9, 2016
12:30-1:30 pm, Singh Center, Room 035

Engineering Consulting as a Career Option
MariAnne Sullivan, PhD Associate, Mechanical Engineering Practice Exponent, Inc.

A possible career path that may be less explored after graduate research is consulting. It is a great way to apply your new PhD knowledge into true engineering applications. MariAnne Sullivan is a recent PhD graduate, and has Materials Engineering degrees from Lehigh University and Auburn University. She is an Associate at Exponent, Inc., located in Philadelphia. Exponent is a multi-disciplinary engineering and scientific consulting fi Room that brings together more than 90 different disciplines to solve important engineering, science, regulatory, and business issues facing our clients. MariAnne will talk about her experience finding a career after graduate school, and will also talk about Exponent as a consulting company.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016
12:30-1:30 pm, Singh Center, Room 221

Intellectual Property and Innovation
Pamela Beatrice, PhD Director, Physical Sciences Licensing, Penn Center for Innovation Tomás Isakowitz, PhD Director, PCI Fellows Program, Penn Center for Innovation, University of Pennsylvania

This session will provide an overview of intellectual property and its role in technology transfer. A brief overview of patents and their importance will be provided. Opportunities for Penn graduate students and postdocs to participate in the PCI Fellows Program will be described.

Thursday, October 20, 2016
12:30-1:30 pm, Singh Building, Room 035

Career Evolution: Turning Change into Opportunity
Lou Graziano, PhD Associate Director of Corporate Outreach for Physical Sciences, Penn Center for Innovation

Setting a career path is smart. But rarely does the path we plan match the road taken. I will give some perspective on my career path and the surprises that came along the way, with an emphasis on embracing the unexpected to create new opportunities.

Thursday, September 29, 2016
12:30-1:30, Singh Center, Room 035

Networking: Tips and Resources
Rosanne Lurie and Rosette Pyne Senior Associate Directors, Career Services, University of Pennsylvania

Networking is frequently listed as one of the most important tools for career building. Why is it so important? Does it really work? What are best practices for successful networking? Career Services’ Senior Associate Directors Rosanne Lurie and Rosette Pyne discuss effective strategies for networking and resources available to build your network and improve your skills.

 

Spring 2016

Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Noon – 1 pm, Singh Center, Room 035

Team Dynamics and Multicultural Communication
Alan M. Barstow, PhD Director and Senior Scholar, Organizational Dynamics Programs, University of Pennsylvania

Science and technology today is perfo Roomed in a global context – from collaborating with international partners to working intimately at the bench with researchers from different countries. How do teams function best when they consist of members from a diversity of nations, backgrounds and/or cultures? How can you have the most impact when you join a professional environment in a foreign culture or country? How can you make your team more productive when you host professionals from other cultures? This session will discuss the intersection of team dynamics and multicultural communication and provide tools for understanding and navigating these environments.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Noon-1 pm, Singh Center, Room 035

Communicating Science to the Public
Evan Lerner Science News Officer, University of Pennsylvania

Public polls repeatedly show that “scientist” ranks amongst the professions most worthy of respect, so how can we reconcile that fact with the misunderstanding and distrust that seem so pervasive within the scientific issues of the day? More important, how can we remedy this situation? As scientists, you’ve been trained to communicate your work in a very specific way to a very specific audience: your peers and colleagues. In this talk, you’ll learn about ways to translate that kind of communication into language and concepts non-scientists will better understand and appreciate.

 

Thursday, February 18, 2016
Noon-1 pm, Singh Center, Room 313
This session is co-sponsored by the Institute for Biomedical Info Roomatics

Give me the money: Communicating science to non-academic bosses and funders
Marc Rigas, PhD Managing Director, Penn Institute for Biomedical Info Roomatics

Many Ph.D. scientists go on to non-academic careers in private industry, government, or non-profit foundations. Those who do stay in academic careers must constantly sell their ideas to people at Federal agencies that fund research. These audiences are often knowledgeable and may have a scientific background, but their motivations and interests will be different than academic colleagues from your discipline. In this short session, we will begin to think about how you craft your message about complex research or scientific topics so that others will support what you want to do in your professional career. Dr. Rigas will share insights drawn from his experience as a researcher and from 13 years in research program administration at NIH, NSF and at Penn.

Friday, January 22, 2016
Noon – 1 pm, Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter, Reading Room

Innovation: the intersection of technology and the zeitgeist: A view from a Research Fellow in a consumer product company
Russel M. Walters, PhD Research Associate Director, Fellow, Johnson & Johnson

This session will share the career path and new skills gained by a research fellow in a personal products company. Dr. Walters, a University of Pennsylvania Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department alumnus, will give an evolutionary perspective on technology change and the development and launching of new products for consumers.