Preparing for an Academic Career in the Geosciences: Workshop for Graduate Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows

National Weather Center, University of Oklahoma

Workshop Overview

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Meteorologic data are projected onto a globe in the atrium of the National Weather Center. Photo by Karin Kirk.

This workshop will bring graduate students and post-doctoral fellows interested in an academic career together with geoscience faculty members from different institutional settings who have a range of expertise and experience. The workshop will provide a stimulating and resource-rich environment in which to explore important facets of an academic career. Three main goals of the workshop are for participants to become more effective teachers, stronger candidates for academic jobs, and better prepared for a quick start to teaching and research in the next stage of their career.

• Learn about roles and responsibilities of faculty members in different educational settings (e.g., two-year colleges, four-year colleges, universities) and positions in other academic institutions (e.g., museums).
• Explore aspects of effective and innovative teaching.
• Design a research plan suitable for the next career stage.
• Learn about strategies for documenting strengths and accomplishments in teaching and research and develop or revise supporting materials.
• Learn more about the job-search process.
• Meet informally with other participants and with workshop leaders from a range of educational settings.
• Develop a self-inventory of preferred options for the next career stage and a personal action plan.

The workshop will include faculty panels on academic careers and the academic job search, short presentations on various topics, structured discussions, small-group collaboration, and informal interaction and conversation. Participants will leave with a broad understanding of academic options, specific strategies for developing as teachers and scholars and for meeting competing demands, and an expanded network of colleagues. Participants will participate in electronic discussion and preparation prior to the workshop to become familiar with key issues and concepts and will follow-through with post-workshop plans.

The workshop will begin on the evening of Thursday, July 31, and will conclude after dinner on Saturday, August 2. Optional workshops will be offered in the morning of Sunday, August 3.

Apply online by March 14, 2008. An important part of each application is a statement of endorsement from a faculty member. Please arrange to have this endorsement submitted using the online form no later than March 20. When you make those arrangements, please give the email address you use on the workshop application form to the faculty member writing your endorsement letter. We use that email address to track all of your application materials, so if they submit a letter for you with a different email address, we won't know to connect it to your application.

The workshop size is limited. The final set of participants will be established with a goal of assembling a diverse and interactive group representing a range of experiences, educational environments, career aspirations, and specialties. Preference will be given to those entering or soon to enter the academic job market.

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The National Weather Center at the University of Oklahoma. Photo copyright Alicia Keys; used with permission.

The operational costs of the workshop as well as double-occupancy rooms, board, and workshop materials are covered by a grant from the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE-0127310). (We will be able to offer a few single rooms for a supplemental fee.) To be supported by these funds, a participant must be either a US citizen, a permanent resident, or in the employ of a US institution. If you don't meet these requirements and are interested in participating in this workshop at your own expense, please contact the workshop conveners.

Participants or their home institutions must provide transportation to and from the workshop. In cases where the cost of attending this workshop would cause financial hardship, you can apply for a stipend to help defray these costs. (The application deadline for stipends for this workshop is April 15, 2008).

For more information about the workshops, including selection criteria and workshop stipends, see general information for workshop participants.

The workshop will be held at the National Weather Center of the University of Oklahoma, in Norman, Oklahoma. Participants will be housed in dormitories and will eat meals on campus. Meal and lodging support begins Thursday evening, July 31 and ends Sunday morning, August 3. If you wish to arrive earlier or stay later you will need to make your own arrangements.

Contact Heather Macdonald or Robyn Wright Dunbar for more information.