Comprehensive professional development program

We provide multiple and varied opportunities for our graduate students to develop the communication and networking skills essential to their future as research scientists.

An innovative professional development seminar, Professional Survival Skills, provides early, supervised practice in oral and written communication of complex ideas to both specialists and non-specialists. For example, all students write a grant proposal, submit it to the instructor for a critique, to their peers for peer-review, and then to an extramural agency. Over one-third of these proposals have been funded, including three NSF and two EPA Predoctoral Fellowships. Other topics include: Academe vs. industry vs. government labs—advantages, disadvantages, and preparation for each; balancing research, teaching and a personal life; networking; and choosing an advisor and a research project.

A seminar on Responsible Conduct of Research provides formal training in the ethical conduct of science using round table discussions and interactive forums in a case study approach to consider ethical, legal, and sociological ramifications of research.

Our student's graduate experience is strengthened immeasurably by the regular opportunity to meet and work with world-class professionals. A number of specialty seminar series and the annual Life Science Week Symposium, the Plant Biochemistry/Physiology Symposium, and the Stadler Genetics Symposium bring internationally recognized scientists to campus. We include special opportunities for our graduate students to meet informally with all these speakers to discuss research interests and exchange ideas.

All PhD students actively participate in one specialty seminar series and one informal journal club in their first two years and present talks or posters at our annual Division of Biological Sciences Research Retreat.

We provide financial support for PhD candidates to attend at least two national scientific meetings where they present their own research data, an experience vital to their career development. We also provide competitive funds to partially defray travel, registration, and subsistence expenses of PhD students who attend workshops/summer courses at technical training facilities such as Cold Spring Harbor and Woods Hole or summer-long programs at the Organization for Tropical Studies Field School in Costa Rica.