The myHub Travel Award allowed me to attend the Strategies and Techniques for Analyzing Microbial Population Structures (STAMPS) course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. This course was directed by leaders in the field of microbiome studies including Amy Willis, Ph.D. (University of Washington), and Titus Brown, Ph.D. (University of California, Davis). The course consisted of didactic lecturing and laboratory instruction, which provided valuable insight on current methods used in microbiome, metagenomic, and multiomic analysis.

I recently had the opportunity to attend the five-day Advanced Comprehensive Toxicology course organized by the American College of Toxicology (ACT). This intensive course provided a deep dive into the principles of toxicology, the effects of xenobiotics on organ systems, and contemporary toxicological concepts, among other topics.

One of the reasons I chose to attend the University of Rochester for my PhD was the URBEST program. While I thought I wanted to become a PI when I started, I was still interested in exploring other career options.

Most people tend to associate gaining outside experience solely with internships. However, as a full-time graduate student, committing to an internship limits you to one role, one company, and one perspective. Job shadowing offers more extensive exposure to the job, company, and workflow of the team.

As an international PhD student, not all grants or awards cover my expenses for school-related or career advancement ventures. By actively participating in activities organized by student-led organizations at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (UR-SMD), I learned more about myHub and the opportunities it constantly creates for all graduate students at UR-SMD programs.

My internship experience with the Genomics Research Center (GRC) directly stemmed from my research interest in the role of microglia in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Hence, it is only fair if I give a very brief introduction on the research field, before getting to why I chose this internship. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common age-related dementia, accounting for the progressive cognitive impairment and compromised life quality of millions of people worldwide.

Clinical laboratory science is an essential service to anyone who seeks medical care; however, very few people think about what happens behind the scenes after a biological specimen has been collected. Every blood draw, drug test, swab, and biopsy are sent through an intricate network of laboratory procedures to find a long-awaited diagnosis for a patient. Frequently, these tests have life-long effects on patients and their families: early detection of cancer that can now be treated with a much higher success rate, finding out a new diabetes medication is finally able to manage blood sugar levels, and identifying a match for a donor heart that a patient has been waiting for are only a few examples.

An old adage in the field of toxicology explains that anything can be toxic, given the dose and duration of exposure. This message dates back to the 16th century, yet there is still misconception surrounding toxic substances in the environment. I think that most people are aware that pollution is bad, but may not fully understand the societal impacts of toxic exposures. More work needs to be done to communicate the risks of toxic exposures to the public.

My career path as a graduate student began the way many do – with the belief I was going to stay in academia. I loved pouring over the literature and writing (and editing and re-editing…) papers and grant applications. I especially enjoyed brainstorming for the best questions and experiments for projects. I checked all the academic boxes, and my path was set. Until it wasn’t. 

My dreams became set on becoming an academic in part because that was what I was led to believe would be the most fulfilling career path in science, but also because the only other option fell into a gray box called, “industry.” After six years of observing my peers, mentors, and surrounding faculty constantly struggle to secure funding, that academic pipedream has begun to produce a more nightmarish tone. I still love science, I can’t imagine my life without it, but I’ve come to realize that what I most enjoy about science cannot flourish in academia, at least not with the current “publish or perish” environment.

It always seemed obvious to me as a graduate student at �鶹��Ƶthat I should followed my passion for teaching and research and pursue a postdoctoral fellowship.  Throughout graduate school, I was constantly pursuing activities that would strengthen my CV for an academic tract: applying for my own NIH fellowship and completing a teaching internship through URBEST.  I figured that my postdoc would help me further decide the next path, whether that be a teaching-focused academic position or if my research goes well, a research-focused position.  Either way, I knew that I wanted a faculty position someday.

As a young graduate student at the University of Rochester Medical School, I knew that I wanted to move into industry but did not quite know what I wanted to do or how to make that transition.  While my PIs were phenomenal mentors for learning the ins and outs of academic research, they did not have the resources to support my transition to industry. So, I set off on my own path, and learned a lot of valuable lessons along the way.

While performing a postdoctoral fellowship at the �鶹��Ƶ, I was made aware of a permanent position that was opening up at the Monroe County Crime Laboratory here in Rochester, NY. Being quite the fan of the ever-popular crime shows on TV and an even bigger fan of true crime documentaries, I decided to give it a shot and submit an application.

The National Science Policy Network hosts an annual symposium to bring together the different chapters of the organization to focus in on skill building, knowledge gaining, and networking in regards to science policy. Sydney Simpson from the University of Rochester Science Policy Initiative attended this meeting in November 2019 and shares her experience here.

The National Science Policy Network hosts an annual symposium to bring together the different chapters of the organization to focus in on skill building, knowledge gaining, and networking in regards to science policy. Vania Lopez-Ruiz from the University of Rochester Science Policy Initiative (URSPI) attended this meeting in November 2019 and shares her experience here.

Make Time is a take on how to avoid distractions and be more focused on what’s really important from two of the people who helped to develop some of the biggest distractions, Gmail and YouTube. This book is written in a very accessible manner including some snarky footnotes that help keep the reader engaged.  

Everyone deals with jerks. They are a part of life in our country/culture. Jerks are everywhere from grocery stores to buses to airplanes to dentist offices. They can be anyone no matter race, age, gender, or wealth. However, dealing with jerks in the workplace can be the most unbearable. There are many books on workplace relationships, but one author who is able to articulate the problem and provide helpful advice is Robert I. Sutton, professor of Management Science at Stanford University. Sutton’s research is on leadership, innovation, and organizational change, but his book The No Asshole Rule published in 2007 was a soiree into a world of office relationships that hit a nerve with people. His second book on the topic The Asshole Survival Guide: How to Deal with People Who Treat You like Dirt is a playbook on how to deal with workplace jerks…or assholes as he calls them. This book is a necessary read for everyone, those with assholes in their lives and those without.

Recently, I had the good fortune to work with Drs. Lynne Maquat and Jeff Hayes, who are the directors of the T32 NIH Training Grant in Cellular, Biochemical & Molecular Sciences. We were able to procure funding for a Supplement for Future Faculty Skills Training: Mentoring and Manuscript Writing. One of the things that the supplement allowed was to send two faculty members to University of Wisconsin-Madison to be trained at a Facilitator Workshop: Learn to Implement Mentor Training through Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER). The intent is that what was learned at the training will be shared in some format here at the University of Rochester. In the meantime, I’d like to offer some basics that you could peruse to provide some different viewpoints on the ideas of mentoring and being a mentee.

Scientists are excellent storytellers: we can take data and connect them into a cohesive story. Storytelling is integral in communicating research to other scientists and the public, but what happens when storytelling boils over into our personal lives? Taking time to actively think about unhealthy habits and correcting them with new healthier habits is the first step towards improved mental health. Even if you find yourself spinning stories, maybe they will take on a new tone – one that supports you rather than tearing you down. 

I wasn’t actively looking for a fellowship. I was a fifth year graduate student, working hard to figure out what I needed to do to wrap up my studies to defend. However, a wonderful opportunity presented itself as a fellowship and things ended up better than I could have imagined. Returning from the fellowship, I feel much more confident in many aspects – as a young toxicologist, as a future employee, and most importantly in myself and my abilities.

Looking back on my graduate and postdoctoral training, and my current situation with , one would think I followed a relatively straight career path.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  It is fortuitous that I started my career in the field of T cell biology, and I now find myself heavily involved in the development of a cutting-edge T cell-based immunotherapy. But I have worn many different hats since completing my postdoctoral training – some of which fit better than others – and I am very grateful for all the opportunities and experiences I have been afforded in my career path to date.

Maybe I can’t do anything, but from a young age I believed I could do almost anything if I set my mind to it.  Sounds great, right?  I could be an astronaut, an artist, a baseball player, or even the president, but this is also the crux of my biggest struggle, the paradox of choice.  I wanted to do everything and was afraid to choose anything out of fear of selecting the wrong career (just maybe not the ones listed above).  Life doesn’t wait for you.  Blink.  Here I am today.  Did I just go with the flow?  How did I end up where I am if I never chose anything?  Let me take you through a few key decisions that ultimately shaped my career path, and while I still may not know what I want to be when I grow up, I am ok with that.   

Emily Boynton and Molly Miles from URMC’s Department of Public Relations and Communications met with a small group of URBEST trainees to discuss how the Medical Center and other academic institutions are sharing science in the social world we live in. They provided some examples of different types of visuals and videos that get great engagement on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. The goal? URBEST and the Public Relations and Communications team wanted to find and offer prizes for three original visuals or videos from students and trainees that highlight UR innovation and research. Money, video packs and fame!

In graduate school, a main goal should be to understand the balance and interdependence between criticism and confidence. Pursuing a graduate degree develops the ability to think critically about a problem that has never been solved. This level of problem solving requires rigorous criticism, but also confidence. Confidence allows us to use our best skills to creatively answer questions and make progress where no other has. Dealing poorly with either criticism or confidence, however, will cause counterproductive self-doubt. Understanding that criticism and confidence should exist in equal balance will decrease self-doubt. These two concepts may seem opposed, but criticism and confidence can exist together to support each other and to drive progress.

After joining UR as a postdoc, I started attending the Career Story Seminars sponsored by URBEST and found them interesting and very helpful. The professionals sharing their stories have varied backgrounds and have gone on to very diverse endeavors. The seminars are always an open conversation so they are never a waste of time. The stories are not only interesting, they are also full of great advice on how to build a career. Plus, you get break from work, a cup of coffee, and a snack. A pretty good deal thanks to Tracey Baas.

Mike Morrison’s better poster style encourages scientists to distill their message, a critical step in creating effective posters. Dramatic physical layout constraints are the primary mechanism employed to help users consolidate their story, though this strategy costs a significant portion of the available poster space. Principles of visual design can guide users to achieve the same effective communication as intended by Morrison without sacrificing valuable poster real estate, as demonstrated here in a series of new poster layouts. These designs also incorporate user experience (UX) considerations of realistic time and social expectations during audience interactions at poster presentations. Multiple variations are offered in attempt to accommodate a wide variety of preferences and use cases. (Also, science jargon aside they’re just some free powerpoint templates on a website; you monsters can do whatever you want with them.) 

Ever since I decided I wanted to get a PhD, I have known I wanted to end up in industry, as academia was not and still is not for me. But as graduate students, most of our interactions and conferences we attend are primarily academic and not industry related. As graduate students, we are mainly immersed within the academic culture and have a small number of chances to really delve into industry. Thankfully, there is hope and an amazing opportunity for students out there: Biotechnology Innovation Organization.

Nonlinear. Curiosity-driven. Opportunity-seeking in a tough economy. Hmmm… I’m still not sure how to best describe my unexpected and highly branching career path. I was in graduate school when the global recession hit, and our lab lost a lot of grant funding when the state abruptly stopped supporting several environmental grant programs due to the budget deficit. Although I was able to cobble some funding together to complete my research projects, continued low funding in my area of research led me to explore other career paths. My experience volunteering with the California Invasive Plant Council while in grad school inspired me to want to become a nonprofit leader, so I searched for opportunities that would help me gain skills and experience for this dream job. 

I’ve been in graduate career development now for five years and should have all the answers to interview questions in my back pocket, but one question still gives me pause. 

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

Just like you, I can Google all the right and wrong ways to answer this question, but I feel like it implies we should all have everything figured out at the very start, and this just isn’t how things actually work for the majority of people. Rather, I think career paths look a lot more like a . You take into account your passions and skills (pick a slot), set your sights on a particular target, and then let go of the disc. 

Outside of Washington D.C., lobbying and advocacy can often be misperceived. But what if I told you these professions are helping bring personalized medicines to patients, preventing the spread of disease across the world, and even advancing the uptake of renewable energy in our power grid?

I had many great opportunities during my time at University of Rochester. I was able to present my research, my mentor encouraged me to think creatively and forge my own path, and it was exciting — all of — the late nights on the confocal microscope, the high-pressure presentations, the failures, and the successes. The closer I came to deciding I was ready to defend my thesis, however, the more I realized something was missing. I started the process wanting to help those affected by cancer, but it took my PhD training to make me realize that I wanted to help these patients in a more tangible way. Thus, began my search for a career where I could directly interact with patients and their families.

Last summer, I had a chance to participate in the Drug Development Conference for Early Career Scientists and Clinicians at . A week before the Biogen conference, we received a tentative schedule for the meeting. Each day was filled with speakers from Biogen's different departments who would share some science and specifics of their job. Each night, I expected to spend time exploring Boston. Turned out, I was wrong.

Summary for Planning Your Transition

• Take the time to determine where you have come from and where you are headed.
• Start early, build your network, do not be afraid to seek advice, and be open to other career options.
• Utilize all your resources and implement your plan, get feedback on your CV and cover letters, and create a strong LinkedIn profile.
• Use any opportunity that you can get to practice discussing your work, learn what works for you and what does not, and improve your skills.
• Everyone is unique so learn to only implement advice that works for you.

*the link above takes you to Dr. Fernandes' full news article.

Almost two years ago, I wrote an article called URBEST Internship Myths. I’d like to think it helped a number of trainees maneuver through setting up their internships. I also know that a number of people are still confused about how to think about URBEST internships, either because they are new to the URBEST Program, their department had a recent turnover of a key program coordinator or director who had previously worked with a URBEST intern (i.e. institutional memory loss), or maybe I haven’t put enough words into print yet. To rectify that situation, I give you The Primer.

In total, UR has just over 210 postdocs, approximately 140 of whom work in the School of Medicine and Dentistry throughout the basic research and clinical departments on campus. But how many of these postdocs know of each other or interact in any meaningful way? The inherent nature of a postdoc complicates this matter immediately: postdocs arrive every month in small numbers, and are expected to dive right into their research in order to create their respective career paths to independence. The average length of a postdoc appointment sits between one and two years, the length of most master’s degree programs. Speaking from our collective experience, this usually leaves little time for social events, on-campus service, or down time. The UR Postdoctoral Association began to wonder: how can we foster and expand interaction between postdocs without cutting into their research time?  

“Be brave. Someone has to take advantage of this opportunity. Someone will receive the award, get the nomination, complete the internship, or participate in the workshop. Why not you?”

I have heard different versions of this paraphrased message multiple times over during my participation in the URBEST program. It is still as thought-provoking and inspiring to me today as the first time I heard it a few years ago. Most importantly, though, it is true.

I am a biochemistry PhD student by day and a TEAM (technical entrepreneur and management) master student by night, since most of the business classes takes place in the evening. With my PI’s consent and support, I sought an internship opportunity that could engage my interests in both science and business. Last semester, I had the opportunity to participate in an offsite internship for the Basic Science Research and Advanced Technologies group in Estee Lauder Companies Inc (ELC). I met Kurt Schilling, Senior Vice President of Basic Science Research and Advanced Technologies for ELC in a networking event organized by URBEST. Since I was the first graduate student intern in the group he leads, we had several phone conversations to pin down the details of this internship. We talked about what this internship could entail in order to achieve his group’s aims as well as my aims. Based on our discussion, Kurt proposed a project in which I would be able to put both my science training and business training into practice, which I happily accepted.

As early as grade school, I can remember being fascinated by how the brain works. Mental health disorders ran in my family, and role models like Jane Goodall only drew me further to the field of psychology (and later, a very well-trained border collie named Napper). By high school, I was certain I wanted a career in biomedical research and even did an internship in an addiction lab. My future looked crystal clear. But, as they say, the best laid plans often go awry…

I always thought I would be a scientist, an investigator, a researcher, and a mentor. Now I am also a communicator, convener, facilitator, writer, problem-solver, team-builder, project manager, fund-raiser, and negotiator…but how did I get here? And how can you too?

I had a friend who described his career path as “blown through life sideways.” While I’d like to think that I’ve been more self-directed than that, opportunity came from unexpected directions.

As I progressed through grad school and my postdoctoral training, I became both engrossed and inspired by my basic research, but there was always a lingering thought that I had diverged from my original intention: production of therapeutics for unmet human disease. This therapeutic direction had always been there, and as I considered the immediacy of the impact of my work, I gave serious consideration to industry scientist jobs in fast moving startups / small biotechs  where I could directly contribute to new medicines. 

Had you asked me long ago what I would be doing today, never in a million years would this somewhat introverted nerd have said that I would be living east of the Rockies and teaching at a community college. Life, however, sometimes leads you down unexpected paths, and I am happy that it has brought me to where I am now.

I was offered the opportunity to be interviewed by a journalist from U.S. News & World Report about the topic What You Can Do With a Biology Degree. She was OK with the idea that I worked primarily with PhD graduate students, not undergrads, whose fields were not only biology but a variety of biomedical programs. Although the journalist and I weren’t able to schedule a phone interview, she let me provide some ideas and talking points through email for her article. When I first started reading her piece, imposter syndrome hit me, but then I let it go. I realized I did a pretty good job of sharing the mission of the URBEST program, after four years of practice. 

Data science had not been on my radar until about two years ago, when a program director at Insight Data Science Insight visited UR. During the seminar, I immediately realized it could be a great fit for me. At that time, I had already started doing an online master degree in computer science while pursuing my PhD in Biology. I knew that an industrial job would be a better fit for me, yet I was not entirely convinced that I wanted to be a programmer. After the seminar, I did more research and found that data science is a fast-growing, in-demand field that has attracted a lot of people from academia. I decided that I was going to apply to this program once I was in the final stage of my PhD.

Dealing with failure and an unfunded grant application is a horrible feeling.  A private hurt that’s immeasurably hard to share with colleagues, family and friends. That’s because the narrative is one of failure. But, I’ve chosen to write about it anyway – because we’ve all been here.  Because shame thrives in secrecy and loses its power when we talk about it. It’s also true that a life in science requires resilience -- the ability to pick oneself up after a fall and to learn and improve from failure.  No one ever said that it would be easy.

Many graduate students have varied overlapping academic goals and interests, or a hazy-at-best sense of their options when it comes to navigating from their current study into future projects or career choices. Some also need more help than others in finding the time or resources to explore opportunities in their fields that don’t already dovetail neatly with their established career trajectories or fit within their considerable academic constraints. As an MD/PhD student, for example, my career path is, for the most part, laid out in front of me: when I finish my PhD, I will return to medical school for two years, and then apply for residency, not getting back into the lab for at least four years -- at this pace, an internship is never going to happen. But URBEST is dedicated to helping students explore all their options beyond their current coursework via regular workshops and seminars, and by helping students find and finance unique learning experiences they may not otherwise have considered pursuing. The following is my story that I offer to encourage the University of Rochester’s graduate students to consider connecting with URBEST and to pursue additional academic interests and skill-sets, even when an internship is not a viable option.

No one likes to spend their day feeling like they don’t belong. While this may seem strange, it’s actually surprisingly common and is referred to as “imposter syndrome”. Harvard Business Review defined imposter syndrome as “a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success.” I personally started experiencing this early in my grad school career. I felt as if I didn’t deserve to be there and that I was a fraud. These feelings seem to be particularly common among scientists, and I wanted to write a short blog post about how I deal with it in case it may help others.

Graduate school is not just an opportunity for academic pursuits but also an opportunity to empower your voice through podcasting! Podcasting allows you to share your passion and fill in a deficient niche. We are two fifth-year toxicology graduate students who have appreciated the opportunities provided by URBEST to promote all avenues of employment a PhD could pursue. This seed of inspiration encouraged us to expand this style of opportunity by making a live podcast, titled “Interview with an Expert” for interested graduate students.

One of the ways to determine what skills would be beneficial to future employers is to simply look at job postings and see which skills you have or don’t have. I noticed a recurring theme in the job descriptions: GMP experience was commonly a preferred or required qualification. If you’re thinking ‘what on earth is GMP?’ you’re not alone. A quick internet search gave me my answer: Good Manufacturing Practice (hence GMP) is essentially the standard for manufacturing and testing a product, such as a pharmaceutical drug, so that it is safe for human use. GMP was something that I had no experience with, so I decided to do something about it.

In 2016, I was a post-doc and I was far from imagining that my own URBEST internship at the Upstate Stem Cell cGMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) Facility (USCGF) would be my passport into USCGF management, business development and mentoring of students at my fingertips. The USCGF is located in the basement of the MRBX building, a truly hidden Oasis! We work as a team for the manufacturing of cell-based therapies for clinical trials. Our culture is industrial in its nature. As part of the production of materials to be tested for the first time in human clinical trials, we assure product safety, purity and potency by the documentation of process and procedures, qualification of equipment and analytical methods. The fact that the GMP facility is in the University is a plus because students can tour it and have a glimpse of what is happening in a Biotech company manufacturing setting.

As an undergraduate, I loved biology and, like many young students, was motivated “to make a difference”.  Throughout my education, I realized my curiosity and passion for critical thinking was best fulfilled by laboratory research, while my personal experiences fueled pursuit of translational research, especially cancer research.  I feel very fortunate to be able to pursue my professional goals, and to say I love my job 20 years later.  I remain hopeful that my contributions to a dedicated team will translate to effective therapies in the coming years.

Last we spoke, we talked about the importance of establishing a network, and how to go about doing that. So, now that you have one, what do you do with it? We will be addressing that question on this edition of “Back-to-Back”. As before, two people with vastly different personalities (one entirely extroverted, the other introverted) will discuss their perspectives on the topic. 

I was warned that finding a college teaching position can take a very long time, and that tenure-track positions are even harder to find. It’s a message that was reiterated many times, but I thought my preparation and teaching experience would make my own job search a bit easier. After all, by the time I graduated, I’d accumulated over 100 contact hours of college-level teaching experience, including an adjunct teaching position at St. John Fisher College here in Rochester. So with a fair amount of teaching experience under my belt, a first author publication, and a freshly minted Ph.D., I figured it should be relatively straight forward to find a teaching position near my family in Colorado. I was wrong. What I failed to anticipate was the difficulty I added to my job search by limiting my search to a specific (and far-away) state.

When I first joined URBEST, with the intention of eventually doing an internship, I assumed I would be somewhere sitting at a desk, looking professional, and maybe doing some writing. It turns out, I was only correct in one out of three assumptions. This past August, I traveled to Kenya with support from URBEST and direction from Humans for Education.

The Annual URBEST Retreat and Career Workshop is an event to gather URBEST trainees, those who would like to be trainees, and those who would just like to see what all the noise is about. This year, we had a number of URBEST alumni come back to tell us about their scientific next steps: Jon Baker from J. Craig Venter Institute, Claire McCarthy from the National Cancer Institute, Katie Smolnycki from Fred Hutch, Corey Hoffman from BARDA, and Virginia Glazier from Niagara University. Included in our speaker lineup was our very own UR Derek Crowe, who shared his insights on scientific communication, and UR Steve Dewhurst, who shared what his students have taught him as a mentor. We also had Randy Ribaudo from SciPhD come in for his fourth URBEST Career Workshop, invited back by popular demand from students and postdocs alike. I think a lot of deep conversations were shared and -- based on the photographs -- some fun was had. Big thanks to the Advancement Team that organized our very own photographer Matt Wittmeyer for the Retreat and our URBEST sponsor and philanthropist Theresa Chen, who joined us all the way from Stanford, California. If you'd like to see what UR trainees are saying about the URBEST Program, read on! 

Almost all of us, as researchers, spend a good deal of our time thinking about grant proposals.  That’s because grant funding gives us the means to explore our ideas, and to do the things we think are important. We also all recognize that most grant applications will be rejected by the funding agencies to which we submit them.  So we become creatures of persistence. What’s discussed less often, is the actual experience of grant writing. 

Reading textbooks for courses, articles for the literature review portion of research papers, or even popular press publications about current events can be slow going, and we can come away without really being able to recall much of what we read despite putting in a lot of time. This month’s tip is to find a way to annotate your reading that works for you. By annotating, you are synthesizing as you read, which increases your productivity and your ability to recall information later for exams or as you are writing. Continue reading for some useful advice.

In my third year of graduate study, I decided to focus my research on nursing home care. Most researchers who do quantitative research of nursing home care in the US use Minimum Data Set (MDS) - a standard data collection instrument with more than 500 items that all nursing homes serving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries are required to use for collecting and submitting residents’ health and treatment information. Although it’s called the Minimum Data Set, it is nowhere near small. As I joined my advisor, Dr. Helena Temkin-Greener, on a project focused on the quality of care for nursing homes and started thinking about my dissertation in the same area, she advised me that “from now on, you are going to eat, drink, and breath your data”.

The best advice I ever got from a mentor was to develop a mission statement, revisit that mission over time, and use it to help make career decisions.  My mission is:  Work to Live, Enjoy Work, and Make a Difference.  I set this mission statement 20 years ago and have not changed it since.  As I reflect on my career this mission has served as a barometer for my actions.  

Thinking about life post-graduate studies can be a daunting exercise in self humility – most of us know what we want to do; but the specific where, when and how to get there often forces the topic out of mind only to be replaced by doubt.   That was certainly my own disposition until very recently.  Thankfully, I learned about a tremendous postdoctoral fellowship opportunity that appealed to my own future aspirations and I am happy to be able to share my experience in hopes that someone else can similarly benefit from it.

During the first 21 years of my working career, I performed various roles associated with the commercial production of industrial biochemicals, clinical diagnostic products, and vaccines.  My instructions were simple: manufacture products that met all expectations for quality, compliance, cost, and supply.  Of course, no one should die or get hurt in the process.  While I had some appreciation for product features and knew that countless preclinical and clinical evaluations had been conducted to prove that the products were safe and effective, I must admit that I rarely thought about how the processes made it to the manufacturing floor.

I was born and grew up in Austria, in a small town about 100 kilometers west of Vienna. At age 6 already I started to learn the classical piano, and I remember being featured as a “Kid Star” pianist at age 7. I continued to study the piano for another 8 years, but when my piano teacher wanted me to switch to atonal music and would not let me play the jazz and popular music of the 1920s and 1930s, I quit and never really touched the instrument again. And to be fair, there was no real way of studying jazz and syncopated dance music in Austria; it’s the land of classical music.  I soon moved to Vienna where I attended college and medical school.

I grew up thinking I wanted to be a scientist and entered college interested in “genetic engineering” -having absolutely no idea what that was.  My first environmental studies class in college got me hooked on the idea of using science to solve imminent social problems, and I refocused on ecology and geology.

The first thing that caught my eye was, “If you are interested in learning more about Technical Entrepreneurship for Scientists, you might consider attending this lunch information session for the spring course TEM411.” The session would be led by Professor Duncan Moore “one of the heroes who rescued the Hubble Space Telescope from ruin.” Meeting someone who worked that closely with the US president on scientific matters and someone who led a team that corrected the Hubble Telescope’s “nearsightedness” was a big motivation for attending the URBEST event. The free food was an added bonus.  

Kyle is the leader of Page Turners For Teaching, the new bi-weekly discussion group for grad students, medical students, postdocs, and residents interested in exploring their teaching practice with like-minded colleagues. In the meantime, here are some tips to get you started with your writing practice. 

“Oh you must be so smart, I’m too stupid for that.” I was buying some arugula from a farmer when he asked me what I researched. I started to explain when he drops that line. I’m caught off guard – I’m always caught off guard by this line, no matter how many times I’ve heard it.

When I reflect on my job hunting experience, I can’t help but notice the similarities to the dramatic arc of a play. It begins with an exposition and initial incident that brought me to the job market, followed by the rising action of job applications, the climax of the job offer(s), the falling action of making a decision, and the ��é�Դdzܱ𳾱�Գ� of my new position at Niagara University. Like so many stories, my story has drama, suspense, and (thankfully) a happy ending.

The end is near. No matter what year you are in your graduate education, the end is always near. As proactive adults in higher education, we need to be thinking about what the next step is in our careers and how we must prepare so we are ready for that next step. This blog post is based off my experience in finding a fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and is my logistical advice of how find and take advantage of an internship to achieve your career goals. As a preface, you need to have a career goal before you begin applying for internships/fellowships.

My journey from graduate school to industry was not easy, but was completely worth the stress and effort because I landed my dream job and a great company. Had I decided that breaking into industry was too tough and that I should settle for something else, which would have been easy to do, I would have greatly delayed my career progression. In this news article, I’d like to share three pieces of advice that were crucial to my success: Do not be afraid to network; If something interests you or will with accelerate your career development, do it; and finally, Be persistent and engage your network for help. 

I didn’t always intend to be a scientist. As a kid, I was pretty certain I’d end up in a creative career - an artist, a writer, a photographer; something like that. Those plans changed after the recombinant DNA unit in freshman year biology. Once I held a pipette in my hand and saw bands on a gel, I immediately decided biology was awesome and all I wanted to do. What surprised me in the beginning, though, is that my scientific career has also allowed me to use my creative side.

Before I started my career as a data scientist, what I kept hearing was how it was the "sexiest job of the 21st century". I always thought using the word "sexy" for non-sexy entities just meant that everybody wanted it but nobody knew why. Once in the trenches it was easy to understand why being a data scientist was desirable by many and why almost every company that had an app/web presence needed one.

A career in sales has been one of the best choices I could have ever made for myself or my growing family, but oftentimes is overshadowed by a grimy stereotype that hinders people from applying. Whether it was while buying your next car or during an important experiment in the lab, we have all met that bad salesperson that enforces the stereotype: interrupting your day, putting their needs first, acting on enforced assumptions all with big green dollar signs in their irises. This stereotype was laced in warnings when I left six postdoc offers for the job: “it’s a waste of a PhD”, “money isn’t everything” or “I just don’t want you to regret your decision.” In the interest of this career story, freshen your caffeinated beverage, put the stereotype on the shelf next to the papers you have been meaning to read, and focus on a new concept: Scientific Sales is secretly a fantastic career. I'm going to tell you a few reasons why.

How to “hustle” in grad school essentially refers to networking, but also encompasses daily interactions that you may not classify as “networking”, but that really probably are. This includes asking professors questions (outside of class), bouncing ideas off peers (for your work or thought experiments), as well as the more traditional “networking” activities (meeting with people at conferences, meeting speakers, sending cold emails, etc.). This article will focus on the “how to” aspect of hustling. Most importantly, we will address this from two very different view-points: that of an introvert and that of an extrovert. In this article, we have discussed networking/hustling in our own ways. We hope this will be helpful in tackling the nebulous activity of networking or – the more term benign term – hustling.

The Gwen M. Greene Center for Career Education and Connections is committed to enhancing individual career readiness, connecting organizations and talent, and transforming our communities through education and collaboration.

            A major incentive for students to pursue post-secondary education is career development.  While departments do a good job of preparing students to pursue a career directly in their field of study, the reality of the current academic landscape is that most students who want to stay in academia will not be able to. Finding jobs in industry or following a non-linear career path is dependent on having a diversified network and a suite of soft-skills. These realities are applicable to graduate students in all fields of study, so it is the University’s responsibility to provide graduate students the opportunity to develop them. From my and others’ experiences, there is a seeming lack of commitment on an institutional level from the River Campus towards graduate student career development when compared to that of undergraduate student career development.

The journey through graduate school is full of difficult lessons and uncomfortable realizations. One of the most challenging aspects to face is the inherent uncertainty of science. Upon entering a graduate program, new students often come to realize just how little they know of their chosen field, seeing our mentors and surrounding faculty as consummate experts. An important step in maturing as a scientist is to realize that those same experts deal intimately with their own uncertainties all the time. Tolerating and even embracing this vagueness is necessary for the scientific process. Finding and testing gaps in knowledge is, after all, what science is all about. In fact, some of the most exciting times in scientific discovery come from observations that challenge what we thought we knew. This perspective on the known and unknown is a critical component of graduate education.

A student walks into the Writing, Speaking and Argument Program waiting room. "Hi, are you here for Janelle?" I ask. She answers yes, and we walk back to a tutoring room. "So, what are we working on today?" I ask. "A draft for Writing 105. I really want to focus on clarity " she replies. I ask for the prompt and discuss the thesis and general outline of the paper before reading the essay aloud. We stop after every paragraph or two to discuss the main point of each paragraph and how it relates back to the stated thesis. Other times, I write down an outline of the current structure on scrap paper and spend 5-10 minutes discussing other possible structures. The goal is not to peer-edit, but to help the student become a better and more confident writer. And I find myself becoming a better writing through helping others develop their writing. 

I often have thought that I benefited from luck throughout my career. I have had fun and intellectually exciting jobs, at which I met a lot of people who work on very interesting topics. And, for so long, I thought these experiences were a result of luck. But, while speaking to a friend about this blog, she reminded me that although luck may have played a part in my career path, I was instrumental. I took the initiative to learn new things, interacted with people in all sectors, faced my fears of public speaking, and sought to collaborate rather than compete. According to my friend, these traits opened new opportunities for me and led me to where I am today.

Academic laboratory-based science can be a rewarding career with a lot of advantages – freedom to explore your own ideas, the ability to work with great minds and flexible hours. On the other hand, grant funding cycles, transitioning out of a postdoc position and job stability can be challenging. The uncertainty of what lied ahead and my desire to have more control over my career, led me to seek out career options outside of the laboratory.

Career Story By Stephen Tajc, PhD, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Nazareth College

Selecting my undergraduate major came as an unexpected revelation upon taking organic chemistry.  The same course that many students fear as the “weed out”, turned out to be this dyslexic’s best friend.  For the first time in my academic career, the course material did not play tricks on my eyes and I actually enjoyed learning.  At that moment, I knew pursuing a graduate degree in Organic Chemistry would be a satisfying choice, but I was undecided on how this would translate into a career.

From time to time, a colleague or trainee will ask me to share some anecdotes or examples of impactful findings from the URBEST Program that they could use for a training grant, fellowship or upcoming presentation. Rather than keep these highlights to myself, I thought I would share a few here.

Scientists use the ongoing and iterative process of the scientific method. The method is several centuries old and scientists are required to use the process and work within that tradition. At the same time, researchers need to be innovative, creative, and visionaries. How can scientists do both? URBEST facilitated a workshop that tried to introduce the “right brain” to the “left brain” with the help of a �鶹��Ƶartist-in-residence and a medical doctor with an interest in creativity. See what happened.

Have you ever watched the original Cosmos series?  I’m no Carl Sagan (or Neil DeGrasse Tyson, for that matter), but I am someone who is most motivated by those who can bring science to life in a way that is authentic, meaningful, and contextualized.  As a researcher turned teacher turned university staff member, I’ve seen many of the same twists and turns that seem to define the modern career search.  I am excited to bring my story and opportunities for those looking to gain teaching experience to URBEST February 6^th 9:30 – 10:30 am.

Question: What is a good career if you love science, have an eye for critical review, appreciate the need to follow the rules and secretly have a desire to wield some modicum of authority?

Answer: Regulatory Affairs!   (aka. the federal regulation of drugs, biologics and medical devices)

My career trajectory was constantly being nudged by personal involvements; however, I did not let that deter me from finding a job that piqued my interest and allowed me to expand my horizons into the directions I wanted it to turn.

There are vast numbers of rewarding roles scientists can pursue if they wish to develop and impact policy at many levels.  My career path has allowed me to explore a number of opportunities to directly and also indirectly shape policy from both the federal government and in academia.   Below are four “lessons learned” to consider as you progress through your training and career path.

I don’t think too many people really know much about R&D careers in the consumer products industry.  Although I was partially aware of some of the work happening behind oral care brands during my PhD program at URSMD, I didn’t really know what I was getting into when I joined Unilever back in 1989.  After spending the last 28 years or so at Unilever, Johnson and Johnson and Estee Lauder, I can say without reservation that my journey has proven to be as exciting and rewarding as any R&D career out there. Why do I say that?

I recently received an email from a URBEST trainee that had graduated and made their way out into the world. It surprises (and delights) me that people still like to share their success stories. I also wanted to communicate the email with you because I think it contains a lot of useful information for when you decide to make your way into the outside world. I got permission to share – I just had to remove identifying factors. Please enjoy this trainee’s experience. It might be similar to your own in the future?

Juilee Thakar did a few recruiting visits over the summer, and undergraduate students wanted to know: what characteristics are professors looking for in a graduate student. Some faculty weigh in.

I was recently introduced to the book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, written by Cal Newport. He references the examples of J.K. Rowling checking into the five-star Balmoral Hotel, Bill Gates working in a cabin, Alan Lightman retreating to a tiny island in Maine, and Peter Shankman booking a round-trip flight to Japan in order to focus on their deep work. I couldn’t offer those options to trainees and supporters, but what I could offer was a two-hour URBEST Grand Gesture.

As scientists-in-training, we’re comfortable with the notion that answering one question is liable to bring up three new ones. Uncertainty is an essential component of the scientific process, one that most scientists happily embrace, but it’s far harder to accept the reality of uncertainty when it comes to our lives and careers. Except we don’t typically call it “uncertainty.” Instead, we’re far more likely to use the term “anxiety."

Although vastly different, the goal of both training models is to meet the unique needs of D/HH scientists, and – through their own approaches – both have demonstrated success in recent years. In acknowledging the strengths and challenges of the two training models, continuing the dialogue may provide fresh ideas and viewpoints for �鶹��Ƶand RIT. Sarah Latchney, �鶹��Ƶpostdoc, and Hui-Yi Chu, Fate Therapeutics Scientist, discuss the outsider's perspective.

I was fortunate enough to be offered a scientist position in industry before I finished my Ph.D. Looking back on my experiences in graduate school, I think that a major reason that I was able to take advantage of the career opportunities presented to me was because of the preparation that I received as a member of the URBEST program.

I was a postdoc at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) for only about 18 months. Into the second year of my training, I decided I did not want to stay in academia and become a principal investigator.  I immediately began to consider the next move in my career.  In addition to its research department, the JAX sells mice for use in scientific research.  Because my husband Jeff was still working as a postdoc, I started reviewing job postings at JAX.    

In 2006, I made a big career change.  I left a great job, where I helped run a small business, to become a graduate student in biomedical research.  In truth, the job had been a detour.  After undergrad I was to be a research assistant in a biology lab.  The summer before I started in the lab, I wrote custom software for a friend’s business.  By summer’s end, I went all-in with the business. The job wasn’t for me and five years later I needed a career change.  After this unusual start, I have really enjoyed my career in biomedical research.  However, working outside of academia I learned a couple things about my work life that are important to my happiness and career development. 

In the early 1980s, the goal of almost every college student was to graduate and go to medical school.  I was a little different – it was dental school for me.  Since the University of Michigan had no pre-dentistry major, I had to declare a real major.  I chose microbiology (Good Choice #1) because the mouth is full of microbes.  Around that time, biotechnology was getting lots of press and the demand for graduates with genetic engineering skills was growing.  All that sounded pretty exciting to me – much more than dentistry, so I dropped the dream of drilling teeth and immersed myself in biotechnology (Good Choice #2).  Unfortunately, I found bench science boring.  Chemical engineering caught my eye.  Having progressed far into the microbiology program, I stayed with the micro major and added a second major with a concentration in biochemical engineering.  After 6 years of undergraduate studies, okay grades, and no money, I needed to get a job. 

When I entered my graduate education in biochemistry at �鶹��ƵI expected to pursue a career as an academic researcher teaching and doing grant supported basic science research in biomedical sciences.  I completed my Ph.D. and went off to the Department of Physiological Chemistry at Johns Hopkins for three years of postdoctoral research.  Everything I heard from my advisers and mentors pushed me to seek an appointment at a University as an Assistant Professor.  It was then that reality set in – (1) there were very few openings that were sought by many outstanding candidates and (2) opportunities in the pharma industry were plentiful and the work was interesting.  This was my first career pivot!

When I made the decision to move from academia to industry, the biggest question that entered my mind was “Would I be a good fit for this environment?”  A career in the medical affairs division of a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company is one of several opportunities available to Ph.D. graduates who contemplate a move from the bench.  But like with many of those choices, at the time I did not have much information about what medical affairs was and whether people like me had succeeded there before.  My academic mentor suggested that I talk to somebody who actually worked in a medical affairs role and who could share their experience.  And that is how my journey began in finding a first job in industry.

This month, I was fortunate to be invited to an External Advisory Committee (EAC) Meeting for a T32 Training Grant. It was a great learning experience because I got to listen to and chat with people (University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Nevada-Reno, and University of Rochester) who have been successful in receiving funding for their T32 Training Grants. Another added benefit for me was that the EAC got to chat with past and present T32 trainees and heard three“myths” that were being shared about URBEST Internships. I’d like to address those three here so that people can make more confident choices about participating or not participating in an internship experience.

For the April URBEST Career Story, our speaker was Elizabeth Schiavoni, founder of Life Sciences Writing Solutions LLC. Trainees were invited to participate in an essay-writing contest, where three essayists would be awarded an American Medical Writer Association (AMWA) Membership. The rules were straightforward, yet not easy. “Write a  ~500 word article, explaining how Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) budget cuts would affect your hometown or Rochester area and calling your audience to take action to protect EPA funding. The target audience of your article is a group of family members or neighbors, without scientific training or expertise, who are against government funding for environmental protection. You must not spend more than two hours researching, writing or editing your article. You must write your article at a seventh grade reading level." Who would Elizabeth select as the essay winners?

Emily Boynton and Molly Miles from URMC’s Department of Public Relations and Communications met with a small group of URBEST trainees to discuss how the Medical Center and other academic institutions are sharing science in the social world we live in. They provided some examples of different types of visuals and videos that get great engagement on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. The goal?  URBEST and The Public Relations and Communications team wanted to find and offer prizes for three original visuals or videos from students and trainees that highlight UR innovation and research. Money, video packs and fame!

They call me a “Dream Crusher” and I take a mild offense to it.  As the Director of New Ventures at the University of Rochester and the founder of New York Medical Angels, it’s my job to listen to people’s business ideas.  In my career, I’ve heard many business ideas and most of them not well thought out. Sometimes, I have to tell people that their idea is not worth moving forward and no one really likes to hear that, so I guess that explains the “crushing” label.

Academia, industry and government: I was always aware of the three career tracks available to biomedical scientists, but as with most fledgling graduate students, I didn’t really know what differentiated them. Pursuit of an academic career was still somewhat en vogue when I started graduate school and it was the only path with which I was familiar. As industry was concerned, I at least understood the distinction between “industry” and “pharma”, but “government” remained elusive. What does it mean to be a government scientist?  Do they do bench research? If so, do they write grants? Who do they report to? How does the government monitor clinical trials for pharmaceuticals and ensure patient safety? Who sets policies on environmental toxicant exposure and how are these policies determined? And what exactly does “regulatory” mean?

I am excited to share my science and medicine communications and outreach career story with biomedical PhD students exploring broad training experiences at the �鶹��Ƶ at noon on May 17^th in the Northeastern Room (1-9525).

Statistics is perhaps one of the few professions that have seen steady job growth in the past 30 years or so, and the need for statisticians continues to grow today. Due to the applied nature of statistics, graduate students often find themselves landing on a job in a highly collaborative environment (e.g., medicine, public health) that requires not only good training in statistics, but also a fair understanding of subject matter, and perhaps more importantly, skills needed to be able to collaborate as a team member with non-statisticians. Most likely these important skills are not taught in classrooms and could potentially hinder the career growth of a statistician. 

My career path, though not academic, is hardly “alternative”. With constant soul-searching along the way, I have managed to stick with science and marched in the space of drug discovery and development in pharmaceutical industry.  It is definitely not a straightforward path, contrary to what people often perceive.  There were numerous moments of uncertainties. Nevertheless, it has been a rewarding journey so far.

If science happens at a bench, and no one ever hears about it, did it really happen? The students in Thinkers and Drinkers, don’t think so, and they embarked on a journey to tell the people of Rochester what kind of science is happening in their backyard.  With stylish, matching T-shirts, these scientists put themselves on the frontline to defend science and add the human angle that is often missing from articles published about science.

On Friday March 10, University of Rochester’s Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (URBEST) brought together seven Science Communicators from University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Washington, and National Public Radio (NPR). Maddie Sofia, assistant producer at NPR and recent alumna (’16), returned to UR to share her triumphs and tribulations with PhD graduate students and postdocs at the URBEST Career Story. The real fun, however, happened at a morning and afternoon session of Better Science Communication Through Impov.

Those of us that want to be college educators, yet are still in our PhD training, face the problem of experience. As is the case with any job graduate students and post-docs will be applying for, you need experience. The gold standard for experience in order to be a faculty member at a primarily undergraduate institution is teaching in the classroom. Previously I have shared a collaborative approach that I took to achieve experience in the classroom through an American Society of Cell Biology’s program. These types of opportunities, however, can be few in number and hard to find. When looking for teaching at the college level, this commonly leads to the adjunct position. This is working on a semester-by-semester basis to teach one or more courses at a college or university.

Several recent alumni from the department of Brain and Cognitive Science have gone into the field of data science, which is an increasingly popular alternative to academia for people in our field. It is said that 90% of the world's data has been generated in the past 2 years, and it is a reasonable assumption that the same proportion of the world’s data scientists have entered the field in the same amount of time.  Here’s a summary I put together of the initial steps others have taken in preparation for getting a job in data science following graduation. 

            Along with a history of advances in biomedical research, scientists at UR have established a legacy of outreach and service. Dr. William F. Neuman was a founder and Chair of the Department of Radiation Biology and Biophysics at UR, which stemmed from his work with the Manhattan Project. He was a world-renowned expert in the musculoskeletal field who made significant contributions into the understanding of bone matrix physiology and hormonal effects on bone structure. However, in addition to his work in orthopedics, Dr. Neuman believed that scientists should serve their communities and be “good people.”

The digital revolution, coupled with the availability of vast data systems, has helped human beings recognize the importance of using data to make informed decisions. This has stimulated the development of data science, an interdisciplinary field that seeks to create tools and systems to collect, process, and analyze modern data warehouses in order to solve real-world problems. That’s why we (Shiyang Ma, 3^rd Year PhD Student in Statistics, Huiwen Xu, 3^rd Year PhD Student in Health Services Research, Adan Z. Becerra, 5^th Year PhD Student in Epidemiology, and Zhengyuan Yang, 1^st Year PhD Student in Computer Science) decided to establish the Rochester Data Science Society (RDSS), the first ever student organization at the University of Rochester that serves all students interested in data science, statistics, computer science, engineering, health analytics, economics, or other related fields. Our varying interests and fields of study attest to the multidisciplinary nature of data science as well as its potential to impact the world.

Some people arrive on day one of graduate school ready to tackle their favorite project, cure a disease, or solve an important problem. I got to graduate school without one idea of what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I loved learning science and I could keep doing that while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. Thankfully, my time as a graduate student at �鶹��Ƶwas a transformational time of learning, not just science, but also about myself. Here are some of the lessons that I learned and helped get me where I am now: Director of Field Applications in the scientific instrumentation company, Unchained Labs.

“Would you like a summer job?”  That is how my career as a clinical microbiologist began. I was ending my sophomore year as an undergraduate at the University of Dayton (UD), having spent the prior summer studying theology and philosophy in Europe.  The job I was offered was at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Dayton in the microbiology laboratory, setting up cultures on patient specimens. I knew how to culture bacteria from my research project but there seemed to be much more to working in a hospital laboratory.  I was up for the challenge.  It did not take me long to realize that being a clinical microbiologist was a great career choice. As a laboratory director I would have the opportunity to be directly involved in patient care, to teach, and to perform applied research, all the while earning a hard salary from the hospital, as opposed to writing grants. I was hooked.

Throughout my time as a Ph.D. graduate student and postdoctoral fellow, I felt that I was one of the few who actually enjoyed working at the lab bench.  My expectation was to have a career in laboratory research, and I took the necessary steps to move in that direction…but what happens when your perspectives/goals change?  How do you break away from the lab bench and into a non-laboratory, but still remain in a highly technical scientific career? Can you market the skills you have in an effective way to improve your visibility or professional footprint in the field and allow for a transition from academic science?  In my short career, I have learned lessons along the way from working in academia, the federal government, and private industry and how to keep an open mind and be flexible.  

“Necessity is the mother of invention" is well-known proverb that means, roughly, that the primary driving force for most new inventions is a need.  I have found myself smack in the midst of this proverb as my career morphed from bench science to science outreach, to being the founder of a �鶹��Ƶstart-up company.  

I’ve heard from a lot graduate students that their impression of industrial research for scientists with an advanced degree is that it is controlling, stifling, and tedious. You are told what to work on. Well, I can tell you that for me, that cannot be further from the truth. 

For the 2016 Annual NIH BEST meeting with all 17 awardee institutes converging in Bethesda, we were issued a challenge.

“You have been called by the leaders of NIH, NSF and BWF. They are currently in a meeting and want you to join them on a teleconference immediately and give a 5 minute or less pitch about your most creative strategy for sustainability.  What will you say?”

Emotional intelligence.  Cultural competency.  Flipping the classroom.  Diversity and inclusion.  Learning styles.  I realized very quickly that the world of academia possessed its own set of terminology.  My responsibilities as a teacher came with a steep learning curve to transition from the world of a research-scientist into the sphere of a scientist-educator.  I was nervous that I would crash and burn.  Upon some lengthy and deep contemplation, I realized that these worlds reflect and intersect one another; one contained within the other with myself in the center as the common denominator.

The force is strong with this one – Darth Vader

So, you decided to go to graduate school, and now you need to decide on an advisor. Or, perhaps, you recently chose a mentor and are now wondering if you made a good (or a bad) choice. Fear not, I shall highlight what a number of professors and others have written with regards to how to pick a good thesis advisor.

During graduate school I fell in love with science communication and outreach. I firmly believe the ability of the scientific community to effectively and accurately communicate with the public, lawmakers, and media will shape the future of our global community. As scientists, we have a responsibility to the American taxpayers to keep them informed and engaged in our pursuits. Scientists who regularly engage with the public become better communicators, have access to alternative funding sources, and inspire the next generation of scientists. I felt called to help scientists become comfortable in front of different audiences, so that they could get other people interested and excited about their work. 

As 2017 begins, many of you have noticed some changes – including that one of the Microbiology conference rooms is being converted into an art studio to be used by our new artist-in-residence Charmaine Wheatley.  Wheatley will be focusing on two areas during her residency with the University of Rochester, reducing the social stigmas around mental illness and HIV. 

“What is science communication?” or “where would I even start getting involved in science communication?” are probably questions you may have asked as you progress in exploring career interests. Today, more than ever, we as scientists, need to continually be engaged with our communities to foster trust and an understanding of the impact that science and technology has in our lives.  

Graduate school is stressful. Whether it is executing experiments, attempting to analyze data, or preparing for that big presentation, the life of a graduate student can be filled with a never-ending to-do list. On top of that, students have many responsibilities outside of the lab to handle. The Microbiology and Immunology department has created and funded a program named Supporting Our Students (SOS) aimed to help provide their graduate students with opportunities to de-stress and gain life skills to help them in and outside of graduate school. 

I spent last summer working on the 46^th floor of the last building before the water on the southern tip of Manhattan. That’s the location of Scientific American’s offices, and I was there because I had received an American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellowship. I spent ten weeks away from lab as a science journalist in New York City, and I loved it. 

In graduate school I remember coming across a quote taken from Tolkien and carved into the rocky shore of Lake Ontario somewhere near Webster NY: ‘All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost’. The past few decades in drug discovery, biotech and consulting have made me appreciate its significance. 

As part of his visit during UR’s Meliora Weekend, NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins requested to meet with students and post docs for lunch. Seventy-seven trainees applied and fifteen were selected. Attendees Dr. Sarah Latchney and Solomon Abiola share their insights.

A postdoctoral position is not always the obvious next step. In this Q&A, Letitia Jones shares her thoughts on academia vs. industry and making the transition after graduate school and provides some tips for achieving success...whatever that might look like to you.

Many people are surprised when I tell them that I’ve only been at UR and with URBEST for two years and my “unofficial” anniversary is Halloween. My initiation into the NIH BEST program occurred in Bethesda at the first annual NIH BEST meeting, October 29-31, 2014. In fact, my first interaction with URBEST co-PI Sarah Peyre, Assistant Dean of Interprofessional Education, was on a plane flying to the meeting. Even though I’ve only been here two years at UR, I’ve learned a lot. I believe that what I’ve learned will not only benefit me, but can also benefit you. Many of these points were reinforced by experiences with organizing the recent URBEST Retreat and Career Workshop. (Next year’s URBEST Retreat is Thursday Sept 14, 2017 if you’d like to mark your calendar.)

While there are many opportunities for internships in several career fields, the ugly truth remains that an internship for teaching is not a clearly defined entity. Therefore, upon the advice of a colleague, I sought out my own opportunity through the Active Teaching and Learning (MALT) program. Zachary Murphy explains how.

Imagine that after spending months developing a great story with your research, you really want your work to stand out. So you decide to include an illustration. But without knowing whom to ask, how do you obtain an illustration like this? Who can you approach? Rachel Walker finds out with scientific illustrator Ella Marushchenko. 

So you wake up each morning, before heading to the lab thinking ‘what am I going to be when I grow up’? Love the fact of being involved in translational research and outcomes to help foster new collaborations and further clinical plus scientific ideas to be explored, but not fond of the lonely nights in the lab watching gels run and talking to the universe to see that ‘one band’? You’ve come to right Career Story Q&A – welcome to the discussion of how to be a scientist, discuss clinical and scientific data and engaging in meaningful, interactive discussions while not spending lonely nights in the lab. Let's chat!

Five years ago I was a grad student at �鶹��Ƶ and was at a point with my project where I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.  After four years of hard work, finally, things were working out and I had an actual story to write about as a thesis.  That was a fleeting moment of excitement because then I asked myself – now what? So, naturally, I talked to many members of the faculty who pretty much said that I had two options: academia or industry. I was not thrilled. I was not at all excited by basic research anymore, and I no longer wanted to pipette, perform ELISAs, or pour gels. I did not want the bench; I wanted an office! After some soul searching I realized that I actually really did still like research, but I wanted to make some kind of contribution to science in real time. I wanted to help people – perhaps get involved in health care. Did that mean that I needed to do an MD? I didn’t want to go back to school: not at all

When people ask me to tell them a little bit about the URBEST program, it’s difficult to know where to start. The first attempt is breaking down the acronym: University of Rochester’s Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training. To tell you the truth, I don’t think very many people remember what the acronym stands for, but they do manage to take away the golden nugget. With the help of the , the program exists to try to train the BEST scientists possible.

Many URBEST graduate students are interested in pursuing a career in industry. URBEST trainee Chris Farrar, is one of them. As he explored his options, Chris noticed that one of his major skill gaps fell within the realm of project management. When the chance to apply to the URBEST/CPD sponsored Project Management Institute fellowship arose, Chris decided to apply – and was selected.

I recently had a chance to discuss with him his experience in the course and which management concepts are applicable to the graduate school experience. 

As part of his visit to the University of Rochester on April 15^th, 2016, Dr. Lawrence Tabak’s only request was that he would get to meet with students and post-docs to have a discussion about the ethical issues surrounding biomedical research. As the Deputy Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), he particularly enjoys hearing the perspective of trainees in the field. He was granted his wish with an hour-long Q&A session prior to his talk, “The Reproducibility of Biomedical Research.”  His Q&A session and talk were both well attended by scientists at all stages. According to Dr. Tabak, current issues of biomedical research have been garnering widespread interest among the scientific community as well as the general population.

This blog post is all about how I ended up in Faculty Development. As I reflect on my pathway to this point, I am amused at just how non-linear it has been. In fact, if you had told me 20 years ago that I would be teaching big, scary professors how to improve their teaching, I’m pretty certain that I would have gone into voluntary exile in Siberia. Naked. My natural shyness and introversion would have made sure of that!

So you don’t know what you want to be when you grow up? You love bench science but the life of a PI doesn’t appeal? Look to the other side of the bench science world: Clinical Laboratory Science. 

Whether you are a PhD student or post doc, you know that the journey to a faculty position can be long and arduous. This can be due to a 24/7 schedule, constant nagging from PI’s to publish, or that overwhelming feeling where you don’t know how to interpret data because you are “literally the first person in human history to make this observation.” However, many factors in the past decade have made the elusive tenured-track position evermore difficult to attain, if not impossible. Now, you likely suffer from a major case of imposter syndrome and you don’t know what to do with a PhD. REAL TALK. 

            Data Science is quickly emerging as a new field that many scientists at the University of Rochester are working in and exploring. Dr. Aslihan Petenkaya, a postdoctoral fellow in the Biostatistics and Computational Biology Department, is a current fellow for the seven-week intensive post-doctoral Insight Data Science Fellows Program. She found herself interested in data science towards the end of her PhD in Hucky Land’s laboratory, where she started studying if different metabolic characteristics of cancer cells could predict how they responded to certain enzymatic inhibitors. “Predicting if a cancer cells falls into a certain class requires application of supervised learning algorithms,” said Dr. Petenkaya. “I started studying different algorithms and learned more about how data science shapes and directs our lives in very visible ways and how widely applicable the tools used in data science are.”

            Dr. Petenkaya learned about the Insight Data Science Fellow Program from a friend and filled out the online application. The Insight Data Program strives to train PhDs from academia in data science technology and partners with such companies such as Facebook, LinkedIn, NBC and Spotify

Q&A session with Samreen Jatana and Supriya Ravichandran, current and past UR student in Dr. DeLouise's laboratory. They discuss life at the FDA and how the experience may help to pave the way to a career in industry. 

During my five years as a PhD student, I have often passed by the “medical” student lounge on my way to classes and seminars. Despite gazing at the large television, comfy-looking couches, and a fun foosball table in the room from the hallway, I never tried to swipe into the lounge. I thought the space was only for medical students. When I asked other Toxicology graduate students for their thoughts on the availability of the lounge, I got varied responses. Shannon Lacy, a second year student, said, “There’s a big sign on the door that says Med students only, so I don’t think graduate students have access.” Yet, Amanda Croasdell, a sixth year student, stated that the lounge is not exclusively for medical students. A first year student, Katrina Jew said that other people told her that the lounge is open to graduate students, “but I don’t know if it really is because the rules of who can or can’t use the room aren’t easily found.” 

Based on all of the rumors and confusion about the “medical” student lounge, I decided to disentangle the truth from the rumors by talking to Linda Lipani, the Registrar in the Office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs. 

In doing some recent “career soul-searching”, I stumbled upon a document that I wrote in my second year of graduate school as part of a pre-doctoral fellowship application to the NIH.  Here, you can find a confident proclamation of my desire to continue on the academic route, first acquiring a postdoctoral fellowship and eventually rising to faculty member at an esteemed university.  While I don’t doubt that this option sounded attractive to me- aspects of scientific research will always excite me- I can say with certainty that my confidence in this decision was not there, and these goals changed almost as quickly as I had written them.

On January 28, 2016, nineteen UR faculty members gathered at 8:30 am in the Center of Experiential Learning to participate in a URBEST Mentoring Workshop and share breakfast.  Departments in attendance were Microbiology and Immunology, Orthopedics, Neuroscience, Environmental Medicine, Surgery, Pathology, Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Physiology, and the Cardiovascular Research Institute.

Although URBEST is known for its mission to Broaden Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST), which is mandated and funded by NIH, the focus of the Mentoring Workshop was not research or career development. The goal was to foster effective mentor-mentee communication practices that would better support trainee autonomy here at UR. Faculty at all levels - novice to experienced, tenure track and non-tenure track - were invited to fine-tune their mentoring skills in a supportive environment with their colleagues.

Mythology offers a wide variety of hybrid creatures comprised of bits of other, more garden variety animals.  From the Griffin, Chimera, and Sphinx to a horde of other creatures from various traditions  to the post-modern Rainbow Unicorn Butterfly Kitten (if you haven’t seen this on social media, run a Google Images search for the name), stories and images of mixed up, muddled up creatures abound.  For the past two years, these conglomerations are the entities with whom I most identify.  During that time I have developed and run the Bioinformatics Consulting and Education Service in Edward G. Miner Library here at URMC, which makes me a Scientist-Consultant-Educator-Librarian.  

So you got a Ph.D., now what? Degree in hand, you now have the option to pursue a diverse number of career possibilities, including science policy. You do not necessarily need another academic degree, but you do need to diversify the skills section on your CV and learn how to leverage and translate your graduate school skills into marketable ones.

In the 15 years since I earned my PhD, I’ve had experiences, met people, and made contributions that I could never have imagined had I stayed at the lab bench. As I was finishing up my graduate work (studying DNA repair in E. coli and B. subtilis), I made the decision to embark on a career in science policy. There are many ways to engage in the public policy process as a scientist. My work has orbited around the intersecting axes of science policy, health policy, and national security policy. I’ve fielded phone calls about B. anthracis at the height of Amerithrax in October 2001 (just two months after I defended my thesis!), worked with Congress to pass needed legislation, coached former prime ministers and other leaders to mimic an international crisis as the BBC’s cameras were rolling, analyzed innovative R&D policies while in a think tank and then got the opportunity to implement one such policy in the federal government.

¹Adapted from: Smith, B., “Careers at the Interface of Biology and Public Policy,” ASBMB Today, Sep. 2006.

After the dust from your successful defense settles, future becomes the present.  For those that have long decided to pursue a career in academia, postdoctoral positions await, along with the process of relocation, and perhaps a vacation that has been put off for the last 4+ years.  Because this is a URBEST blog, aimed at broadening scientific career opportunities beyond academia, you may not be one of these individuals.  Amidst the chaos of the final year of your Ph.D., you may have had the incredible foresight to connect with reputable industrial, government, regulatory, or clinical entities, and convinced their hiring representatives that your skills and early career aspirations are well matched with the goals of their team.  I wish I was speaking of my own foresight and professional acumen (unfortunately, I am not), but my hope is that readers will recognize their own graduation timeline and map out available resources to better approach post-graduate endeavors.  If you are 1-2 years away from completing your Ph.D., it is a good time to critically assess the individual search filters that will determine the types of positions, teams, and organizations you pursue.  Finding opportunities is somewhat straightforward (the internet is full of options), but building yourself into a strong candidate and fostering the best connections to successfully attain your first post-grad role can be more difficult.  All of this takes time, but if addressed early (and seriously) enough, the process can be built in to your Ph.D. experience.

            Human beings share with some other really cool higher mammals, an intense and extended period of post-natal nervous system development. We have this amazing ability to learn across the lifespan. Almost my entire life has been a deep and highly meaningful immersion in teaching and learning. That probably helps to explain why I love Literature, Art, Music, and Sports as much as Science; these are all areas where we grow through exposure and challenge, watching and listening, trial and error. They are all also situations where something new and exciting and unexpected can rise to the surface.

I am not particularly inclined to follow “the rules”. What do I mean by that? Well, for one, I don’t think that conventional wisdom about what I can and can’t do applies to me. And, I believe that goes for you, too. I also believe that only I can define myself as a scientist. In order for any career that you choose to be your own and to be intrinsically self-satisfying, you must define your identity. This means taking a step back and having a vision to guide your path as a scientist.

When we were little kids, we seemed to know exactly what we wanted to do or to become when we grew up. Now that we have grown up, it turns out that it is so much easier to figure out what we don’t want to do or to be. As a graduate student or a postdoc in the life science space, the professional prospect now is not as straightforward as it had seemed. Professorship has become a rather rare event when compared to all the other career choices out there. Because of various reasons I will talk about later in this blog post, I decided to leave the bench in the lab after two short postdoc trainings. I hope the story of my career choice thus far can be an inspiration to you in exploring careers away from the bench. Every venture needs a plan, whether to guide its business operation or to present it to investors for raising capital. So do we as individuals! Our career is our own venture. I believe that every one of us needs a guiding plan -- not one engraved in stone -- but rather, a plan that evolves as we advance professionally. 

I was 3.5 years old when my sister was born with Down Syndrome, and one of the earliest childhood memories I can recall was being at the hospital with all of my extended family members awaiting her arrival.  Needless to say, it was not the typical glee-filled event.  During her early life, my sister struggled with multiple medical issues common in Down’s – she had open heart surgery at 6 weeks old, got pneumonia constantly (which always seemed to happen while on family vacations), and had to undergo speech therapy starting at a very young age.  The constant exposure I had to emergency rooms, doctors’ offices, etc. really impacted me in a way that I wouldn’t fully comprehend until later in life.  My interest in science, particularly in medicine and human disease, was undoubtedly fueled by these early childhood experiences.

Naturally I entered college as a pre-med major, and college was…..well……college.  I did alright, but definitely had my fun.  One of the core requirements for my microbiology major was to do a semester of laboratory research, which I did in the department’s ecology lab.  It gave me an awesome research experience, even though it wasn’t directly related to human medicine.  Now up until this point, I had been gung-ho for medical school, then suddenly this fantastic research experience completely threw my world into a tailspin.

A brilliant idea that cannot be communicated is no more useful than no idea at all.

Whether you aim to specialize in communications, manage projects, develop strategic alliances or run your own company, strong communications skills are an essential component of a successful career. If you are a good listener and writer, you already possess two important skills that set you apart from most scientists. Put your self-assessment to the test by considering the following question: Can you take the information you gather from multiple sources, turn it into a plan of action, and communicate that plan to others in a simple and comprehensible fashion? If so, congratulations, you are well on your way to a successful career. If not, what do you need to learn to get you to a ‘yes’?

I wanted to be included in the Career Story Q&A Seminar lineup to let URBEST trainees know that I accomplished getting one research job and one research-related job without having any personal connections. I wanted to represent one of the outliers. I used science-focused job boards and sent my resumes as online applications. While I do agree this method isn’t ideal, and I’m strong believer in networking, it is not impossible to make it work.

I entered graduate school in the summer of 1994, a couple weeks after graduating from St. John Fisher College with a Biology degree. I joined UR’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, which afforded me a wide range of labs to work in. Over the following nine months, I did rotations in labs that focused on Immunology, Virology and Biochemistry. Even as a graduate student, I have always been more interested in developing new technologies than I have been in discovering new biology. I see discovery research as a form of detective work; you uncover the facts, follow the leads and present your case. You don’t change the facts; you just try to understand them. In contrast, I found inventing new technologies exciting because you are changing the reality and making something exist that didn’t exist before. Although building a knowledge base through discovery research and understanding biology well enough to intervene and treat diseases are both critical, I was most excited at the prospect of inventing technologies that are used to solve intractable biology questions.  

When I found out I had been accepted to the Toxicology PhD program at the University of Rochester, I had a vision of how my career would unfold: 4 years of research and a 2 year post-doc followed by a tenure track professorship. This path that I ended up taking was not what I initially imagined, but has ended up being much more than I had hoped for. Throughout my experiences in grad school, my post-doc and in my current position, I’ve learned that there’s so much more to training to be a successful scientist than just the work you do at the bench and the papers you publish. For this blog post, I want to share my experiences from graduate school and post-doc and how they have shaped my scientific career so far.

In anticipation of my visit to UR, I’ve been asked to share my experiences in what brought me to where I am today as a director of a strategic research center at Baylor College of Medicine and as the founder and CSO of a metagenomics sequencing and analysis company, Diversigen, Inc.

What exactly does a job in Medical Affairs entail? I had the same question when approached by a colleague at Bausch + Lomb, wondering if I would be interested in an open position in that department. So when asked to write this blog post, I figured I’d share with fellow scientists my view of Medical Affairs and the tasks performed during an “atypical” typical day at my job.

I’ve been asked to reflect a bit on my career and to share some stories.  These are some of my experiences from a career at small biotech companies.  I hope these anecdotes and suggestions will be helpful, at least as starting points for a larger discussion about scientific careers.  

Life with a PhD is not easy. You’ve voluntarily selected a life where the hours are long, and the hours are too long to move forward without some degree of passion.  So somewhere along the way you need to figure out what drives you - what revs you up? 

I want to be a change agent for equality, general decency, and overall protection of our most vulnerable...our children! I have had this same calling since I can remember...

On June 4, 2012, my dear Uncle, Professor Emmanuel Obot, was killed along with all other passengers in the Dana Airlines crash in Lagos, Nigeria. That tragedy has had a huge impact on our family and my view of my purpose in life. My uncle ran all of the 6 nature conservatories in Nigeria and was an internationally recognized environmental health leader, researcher, and advocate. His passing has provided me with an even stronger passion and desire to do all that I can to protect children from harm and uplift them to their full potential.

One of my least favorite things in life is to talk about myself – or worse yet to act like I have some special insight or wisdom that anyone would give two cents (or less) about.  Its partly my upbringing – I’m English, and we just don’t go in for the self-promotional thing – and its partly my personality.

So when one of my colleagues asked to write about myself, I agreed only with considerable reluctance.  She asked me to write about several things related to my career: What do I do all day?  Why am I qualified to do what I do?  What aspects do I love most about my job?  I’ve decided to answer the last question, and let the others slide.  If you don’t love your job, then your qualifications aren’t terribly important.  So what is it that gets me out of bed in the morning?