Friday, March 31, 2006

1:00—Welcome (Slides)

1:30-2:30—Parallel Sessions:

1. First Year Cohort:
   What's graduate school all about: Goals and survival skills (Slides)
   This session will address strategies for surviving and, in fact, thriving in graduate school and developing the necessary knowledge, experiences and skills for a successful career. Topics include developing realistic goals and expectations the difference between getting a M.S. and Ph.D. degree, finding a research topic, selecting advisors and mentors, planning and building a research, teaching and/or industry career, starting to build a professional and peer community, developing self-confidence, finishing the thesis, getting the skills needed for a successful career, and handling problems that arise.
   
   
   Speakers:
   Anne Condon, University of British Columbia
   
   Jo-Anne Ting, University of Southern California
   
   
2. Second Year Cohort:
   Persistence Pays Off (Slides)
   This session will address the challenges faced in graduate school. The discussion will focus on issues and rewards of persisting and particular points in grad school where persistence is needed.
   
   
   Speakers:
   Padma Raghavan, Penn State
   
   Lisa Johansen, Pennsylvania State University
   

2:30—Break

3:00-4:00—Parallel Sessions:

1. First Year Cohort:
   All About Research (Slides)
   This session will focus on strategies for getting started and building a solid foundation in the research process as a graduate student. Topics include choosing a research area, identifying a research adviser, identifying a thesis topic, working in a research team, setting research goals, tracking and maintaining your progress, securing a research assistantship position and the associated expectations, choosing a PhD committee, taking the initiative in your own research, working through problems in progress and adviser relationships, building a resume, presenting your research orally and in writing, and ethics in research.
   
   
   Speakers:
   Mary Jean Harrold, Georgia Tech
   
   Elena Jakubiak, Tufts University
   


2. Second Year Cohort:
   Ten Ways to Succeed/Fail (Slides)
   This session will focus on strategies for grad school that are likely to be successful while pointing other strategies that are less likely to succeed.
   
   
   Speakers:
   Carla Brodley, Tufts University
   
   Laurie Dillon, Michigan State University
   

4:00—Break

4:30-5:30—Parallel Sessions:

1. First Year Cohort:
   Networking & Professional Interaction (Slides)
   This session addresses the skills that are needed for networking, a very important component of a professional life. The topics include strategies for finding a community, meeting people in the field, promoting your research and yourself, getting invited to serve on important committees, and networking at conferences and workshops.
   
   
   Speaker:
   Jan Cuny, NSF and University of Oregon
   


2. Second Year Cohort:
   Advisors and Mentors (PPT Slides) (PDF Slides)
   This session will focus on the importance of carefully choosing advisors and mentors, the interaction between student and advisor/mentor, and responsibilities of both student and advisor in making the graduate research experience successful.
   
   
   Speakers:
   Mary Lou Soffa, University of Virginia
   
   Kamalika Das, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
   

5:30—Break

6:30—Dinner Reception - Hotel

Saturday, April 1, 2006 

8:30-9:30—Parallel Sessions:

1. First Year Cohort:
   Academic Career Paths: Research and Teaching (Slides)
   This session will focus on the different career paths in academia. Topics include the roles of research, teaching and service and how they differ in academic institutions; moving between institutions, what are the expectations in academia and how to you find out the particulars, what are the challenges and rewards; what skills and experiences are needed for success, the different possible career options in academia and how to move among them.
   
   
   Speakers:
   Lori Pollock, University of Delaware
   
   Tiffani Williams, Texas A&M
   



2. Second Year Cohort:

• Ph.D. - Finding a Research Topic (Slides)
  This session will focus on strategies for actively identifying a viable research topic for a Ph.D. dissertation.
  
  
  Speaker:
  Mary Jane Irwin, Pennsylvania State University
  
  
  
• Career Opportunities for M.S. (PPT Slides) (PDF Slides)
  This session will be a discussion of the various career opportunities for M.S. graduates, and how to seek those positions.
  
  
  Speakers:
  Vasanthi Holtcamp, Microsoft
  
  Rebecca Schultz, Google
  

9:30—Break

10:00-11:00—Parallel Sessions:

1. First Year Cohort:
   Non-Academic Career Paths: Industry & Government Labs
   This session will focus on the different career paths for Master's and PhD computer scientists in industry and government laboratories. Topics will include the research process, environment, and expectations in the different communities, different career paths for a new PhD and a new Master's graduate, the challenges and rewards of a non-academic career, skills and experiences needed for success, becoming aware of new opportunities for advancement, taking initiative in your own career advancement, collaborating with researchers in academia or other organizations, adjunct teaching opportunities, making career changes between labs and academia.
   
   
   Speakers:
   Pamela Williams, Sandia
   
   Tessa Lau, IBM
   
   Kristina Toutanova, Microsoft
   
   Alma Whitten, Google
   


2. Second Year Cohort:
   Communication Skills (PPT Slides) (PDF Slides)
   This session will focus on the importance of building excellent communication skills. Topics include strategies for high quality oral and poster presentations, as well as writing technical papers and proposals.
   
   
   Speaker:
   Kathy McCoy, University of Delaware
   

11:00—Break

11:30-12:30—Parallel Sessions:

1. First Year Cohort:
   Breakout Sessions - Q & A:

• Part A: Academic Faculty
• Part B: Nonacademic Researchers

2. Second Year Cohort:
   Finding a Summer Internship (PPT Slides) (PDF Slides)

Speakers:
Joann Ordille, Avaya

Wei Le, University of Virginia

12:30-2:00—Lunch: Breakout by research interest

2:00-3:00—Parallel Sessions:

1. First Year Cohort:
   Having a Career and Life (Slides)
   This session will address strategies for maintaining balance and good perspective in your life during graduate school and throughout your career. Topics will include achieving personal satisfaction in your career and family life, time management strategies, decision making strategies when career and family priorities seem to collide, reevaluating your personal and career goals and initiating changes.
   
   
   Speaker:
   Chandra Krintz, University of California, Santa Barbara
   



2. Second Year Cohort:
   Breakout Sessions

• Traveling through a technical meeting (Slides)
  This session addresses what you should prepare for, learn, and do When you attend conferences, workshops or any technical meeting, Including meeting researchers and researchers visiting your department.
  
  
  Speaker:
  Soha Hassoun, Tufts University
  
  
  
• Starting your job and planning your career (PDF Slides) (PPT Slides) (PDF Slides)
  How should be prepare for your job and what should you look out for, e.g., politics, mentors, professional development. What you should be doing to plan for your career.
  
  
  Speakers:
  Kathleen Fisher, A T & T Research
  
  Annie Liu, Stony Brook University
  

3:00—Break

3:30-5:00—Research Poster Session and Reception

5:00-6:30—Wrap Up

6:30—Google Reception for all participants