College of Engineering || NSF Workshop on “Career Development”

Research and Innovation

Rock Drilling Competition

The giant rocks outside Old Main on the UA campus, some weighing almost 20 tons, are donated by engineering alums at a local mining company. Mining engineering students then use them for drilling competitions.

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Announcement

NSF Workshop on “Career Development”

January 11 or 12, 2010

Workshop Leaders: Dr. Geoffrey Prentice, Acting Director of the Division of Chemical and Transport Systems, NSF and Professor Tim Anderson, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida.

Workshop Objective: New engineering faculty members are required to make many choices that affect their academic career and personal life. This workshop is intended to encourage faculty to identify suitable career goals and to specify objectives and begin to develop a plan for achieving them. The components of the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program will be used as a model for developing a plan. In addition, special attention will be devoted to establishing a funded research program. Elements of the career plan will include:

Establishing a Research Program (obtaining funding, CAREER Award preparation, research problem identification and selection, contacting funding sources, collaborations, network development)
Managing Research (student project definition, group and individual meetings, student evaluation and feedback, placement and professional development, group continuity, teamwork, managing undergraduates and post docs, and safety)
Understanding the University Environment (tenure and promotion, service activities, sabbaticals, entrepreneurship, reward structure, mentoring expectations)
Balancing Your Life (dual careers, personal and family time)
Developing as a Professional (role of consulting, professional service, peer groups)
Managing Your Time (goal setting and priorities, stress reduction, good habits)

Mock Panel Reviews: The workshop will use part of the day to conduct two mock panel reviews. One panel will review NSF CAREER proposals drawn from ones previously submitted to the NSF and reviewed. Participants will give their recommendations and then compare their comments to those of the real reviews. The second panel activity will review fictitious promotion and tenure packages and render a recommendation.