Tenure-Track and Giving Back

How do you prepare a syllabus? How do you decide which experiments to include in your laboratory courses? What are the advantages of teaching at a predominately undergraduate institution(PUI)?  These are just a few questions that were asked during a panel discussion entitled "Academic Careers at Predominately Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs)," held in the Department of Chemistry at The Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus, Ohio.

My colleague, Professor Catherine Oertel (Oberlin College) and I each gave a brief powerpoint presentation describing our educational background and offered some "tools and tips" on careers at PUIs. (Let me just say that Professor Oertel was just awesome!) There were approximately 20 graduate students and postdocs in attendance with tons of questions for us. Needless to say, we were absolutely thrilled! Reflecting back on my own career as a graduate student, I didn't have an opportunity to talk with a faculty member from a PUI about their experiences.  Most faculty positions are available at small schools, not at large research-intensive institutions like OSU, University of Michigan (UM), or Wayne State University. Thus, graduate students and postdocs should talk with faculty at small liberal arts institutions to help them decide on the right career path for themselves.  I also shared some challenges as well in the chemical sciences including the small numbers of faculty of color, namely "being the only." My point to the students is that everyone needs supportive networks to be successful.

After my seminar, I received a wonderful email from a graduate student asking me, "What is it like living in a small town like Wooster? Especially since you like shopping." I absolutely loved this question because geographic location does matter when making career decisions. Well, since I like shopping so much, I moved so I could be closer to DSW!  (Hey, don't judge me!)

Sibrina

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