Header: GradConnections Weekly
Week of October 31, 2017
Tips for Grads: Interpersonal Effectiveness
Among the relationships you are likely to form during graduate school, the one with your advisor is probably the most important. You may have chosen UW-Madison specifically because of the advisor you wanted to work with, or your advisor may have been assigned to you when you enrolled. Whatever the case, working effectively with your faculty advisor, mentor, or supervisor will prove vital to your career success.
Many students are unsure about how to build this relationship. Recently, faculty panelists at a professional development workshop shared advice based on years of advising graduate students.
  • Discuss your expectations. If you’re just starting out, or you’ve known your advisor for years now, it’s never wrong to set ground rules for how often to meet, what your advisor wants when you turn in a draft, or how long you can expect to wait for feedback.
  • Remember that advising you and other graduate students is a central feature of your advisor’s job at the university. Don’t hesitate to ask your advisor questions, share your writing, and discuss your research or career goals.
  • When you share work with your advisor, leave your ego at the door. Embrace criticism as an important part of the scholarly process, and recognize that your advisor will critique your work because he or she wants to help you improve.
  • Actively incorporate your advisor’s feedback into your work. Your advisor wants to see that you’ve addressed his or her concerns with each revision. It shows that you’ve been listening, but also that you take the relationship seriously enough to do the hard work.
The following resources can help you build the relationship you want with your advisor, mentor, or supervisor.
Section header: DiscoverPD, Your Guide to Professional Development
DiscoverPD is an innovative tool for UW-Madison graduate students to advance their academic and professional goals. Reviewing the nine facets of professional development, complete a self-assessment, and get a customized report and recommendations.
Upcoming Professional Development Events
Research or Me-Search? A Conversation for Emerging Scholars
Wednesday, November 1 | 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Room L138, Education Building | Career Development | Personal Effectiveness
As graduate students, how can we reconcile the promises and pitfalls associated with studying populations in which we identify? Join the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education (WISCAPE) for a small-group conversation to address this question. The session allows graduate students from across UW-Madison to discuss their research interests, and address questions and feedback from their peers. Co-sponsored by the Graduate School Office of Professional Development.
Getting Through Graduate School, with PhD Comics' Jorge Cham
Wednesday, November 1 | 5:30 - 7:00 pm
Hector F. DeLuca Forum, Discovery Building | Personal Effectiveness
A survey by U.C. Berkeley found that 95% of all graduate students feel overwhelmed, and over 67% have felt seriously depressed at some point in their careers. In this talk, Jorge Cham recounts his experiences bringing humor into the lives of stressed out academics, examines the source of their anxieties and explores the guilt, the myth, and the power of procrastination.
Do you love freebies? Have you viewed DiscoverPD? Log in, take a self-assessment, review your report, and favorite recommendations. And when you attend the November 1 talk, you'll get a free coffee mug (while supplies last) with a PhD Comic about DiscoverPD, by Jorge Cham.
Faculty Careers at Teaching-Intensive Institutions
Friday, November 3 | 3:30 - 5:30 pm
Check TITU, Memorial Union | Career Development | Interpersonal Effectiveness
Faculty from teaching-intensive institutions will provide insights for UW-Madison graduate students interested in this career path. Teaching-focused institutions tend to value different skill sets and experiences than R1 universities. Panelists (Brandon Hofstedt, Northland College; Aaron Thompson, UW-Stevens Point; Maurice Sheppard, Madison Area Technical College; Sinae Hyun, UW-Whitewater) from the humanities and social sciences will discuss: 1) the steps they took in their own PhD program to gain the necessary teaching experience; 2) their roles as advisors and mentors to students; and 3) how they conduct research in the context of a teaching institution. The workshop also includes activities for students to assess their preparation for careers at such institutions and to get feedback from panelists. 
Creating an Individual Development Plan (IDP)
Thursday, November 9 | 4:30 - 6:00 pm
Check TITU, Union South | Personal Effectiveness | Managing Projects and People
Creating an individual development plan (IDP) encourages you to think about what you need to do next - and over the next  few years - so that you achieve your goals. We will discuss how to define achievable goals, identify resources, and develop strategies for implementing and sustaining your plans. Participants will begin to create a personalized plan that takes into account career interests and addresses the development of knowledge and skills for professional growth. This event is co-sponsored by the Graduate School Office of Professional Development and the Delta Program.
Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile
Tuesday, November 14 | 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Varsity Hall III, Union South | Career Development | Communication
A robust LinkedIn presence is key to positioning yourself to secure your ideal job - or having it find you! Career Consultant Gina Jenkins will share proven strategies and best practices to help you optimize you LinkedIn profile and grow your professional network strategically. Following the presentation, you will have the opportunity to have a professional head shot taken. Food will be served. 
Find more Graduate School Professional Development events here.
Careers & Financial
FAFSA Frenzy
Wednesday, November 1 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Biocommons, Steenbock Library | Personal Effectiveness
Distinguished Entrepreneurs Lunch
Wednesday, November 1 | 12:15 - 1:15 pm
Room 5110, Grainger Hall | Career Development
FAFSA Frenzy
Friday, November 3 | 9:00 - 11:00 am
Caucus Room, Student Activity Center (SAC) | Personal Effectiveness
Teaching
Integrating Civic Learning into the STEM Classroom - CIRTL Online Workshop
Thursday, November 2 | 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Online | Interpersonal Effectiveness | Disciplinary Expertise and Interdisciplinary Connections
Active Teaching Lab - Asynchronous Discussions in Canvas
Friday, November 3 | 8:30 - 9:45 am
Room 120, Middleton Building | Managing Projects and People
Writing & Research
Researching and Writing Literature Reviews in the Sciences
Wednesday, November 1 | 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Room 126, Memorial Library | Communication | Disciplinary Expertise and Interdisciplinary Connections
Writing Recommendation Letters
Wednesday, November 1 | 3:00 - 4:15 pm
Room 6172, Helen C. White Hall | Communication | Interpersonal Effectiveness
Writing Literature Reviews of Published Research
Tuesday, November 7 | 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Writing Center Commons, Helen C. White Hall | Communication | Disciplinary Expertise and Interdisciplinary Connections
Writing with Scrivener! Software to Keep Your Long Projects Organized
Tuesday, November 7 | 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Writing Center Commons, Helen C. White Hall | Communication
Improving Style
Tuesday, November 7 | 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Room 6176, Helen C. White Hall | Communication
Technology
STS: Photoshop 2: Portrait Retouching and Color Correction
Wednesday, November 1 | 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Room B1144A, DeLuca Biochemistry Building | Managing Projects and People
STS: MATLAB 1
Wednesday, November 1 | 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Room B1144A, DeLuca Biochemistry Building | Managing Projects and People
STS: JavaScript 1
Thursday, November 2 | 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Room B1144A, DeLuca Biochemistry Building | Managing Projects and People
STS: DesignLab Consultation
Sunday, November 5 | 4:00 - 7:00 pm
Room 2250, College Library | Managing Projects and People
STS: DesignLab Consultation
Monday, November 6 | 4:00 - 7:00 pm
Room 2250, College Library | Managing Projects and People
STS: CSS 1
Monday, November 6 | 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Room B1144A, DeLuca Biochemistry Building | Managing Projects and People
STS: DesignLab Consultation
Tuesday, November 7 | 4:00 - 7:00 pm
Room 2250, College Library | Managing Projects and People
STS: Photoshop 1
Tuesday, November 7 | 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Room B1144A, DeLuca Biochemistry Building | Managing Projects and People
For more technology courses from Software Training for Students (STS) click here.
Special Events & Conferences
Havens Center Lecture: Documenting the Farm Worker Rebellion
Tuesday, October 31 | 4:00 pm
6191 Helen C. White Hall | Disciplinary Expertise and Interdisciplinary Connections
UW-Madison Wellness Symposium
Wedneday, November 1 | 7:15 am (Registration Open), 8:20 am - 2:00 pm (Sessions)
Union South |  Personal Effectiveness  
Havens Center Lecture: The Radical Resistance to Immigration Enforcement
Wednesday, November 1 | 4:00 pm
6191 Helen C. White Hall | Disciplinary Expertise and Interdisciplinary Connections
Wisconsin Science Festival: "Making a Difference: Science Policy for Scientists Symposium"
Thursday, November 2 | 2:00 - 5:30 pm
H.F. DeLuca Forum, Discovery Building | Disciplinary Expertise and Interdisciplinary Connections
Center for Humanities Special Event: "Jane Collins: The Politics of Value"
Thursday, November 2 | 7:00 pm
A Room of One's Own Bookstore, 315 W Gorham St. | Disciplinary Expertise and Interdisciplinary Connections
Humanities Friday Lunch: "Bleak Tectonics: Fissure, Form, and the Fault Line of the Anthropocene"
Friday, November 3 | 12:00 pm
Banquet Room, University Club | Disciplinary Expertise and Interdisciplinary Connections
Wisconsin Science Festival: "Communicating Science in the 21st Century"
Friday, November 3 | 2:00 - 5:30 pm
H.F. DeLuca Forum, Discovery Building | Communication 
Section header: Deadlines and Announcements

Become a Scientific Teaching Fellow

The Scientific Teaching Fellows Program is a year-long program for graduate students and postdocs to learn about and develop innovative and effective ways to teach biology. Teaching Fellows learn about research-based teaching approaches in a course on college science teaching, work with faculty mentors and other partners to develop instructional materials that engage students in active learning, and then team teach a course for first-year students. Throughout the program teaching fellows gain in-depth preparation and first-hand teaching experience for their first faculty position, all with the support of a community of other science educators. For more information and to apply, please visit the program web page. Applications are due November 17. Questions? Email Cara Theisen (chtheisen@wisc.edu), Teaching Fellows Program Director.

Free PhD Job Search Course from Beyond the Professoriate

Beyond the Professoriate recently launched a new, online Phd Job Search Course. The course is free, and covers seven units over the course of seven days. Topics include exploring career options, learning to talk about what you do, crafting resumes and cover letters, and networking. Sign up for the course here

2018 Competition for the iBiology Young Scientist Seminars (YSS)

Applications are being accepted for the 2018 Competition of the iBiology Young Scientist Seminars (YSS). In collaboration with the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation and the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, iBiology hosts the YSS video series that features PhD candidates and postdocs giving talks about their research. Selected presenters participate in a multi-day science communication seminar at the University of California, San Francisco, as well as receive a $500 honorarium. Applications are due December 10, 2017.

ISS Career Resources for International Students

International Student Services recently compiled a list of on- and off-campus resources for international students who are job searching. These resources include websites, campus offices, and others aimed specifically at international students. Access these resources at this link on the ISS website

Nominate Yourself for the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society

The Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society seeks to develop a network of scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, to serve as advocates for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy. The Graduate School sponsors a limited number of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to become members of the national Bouchet Society. If you are interested, the self-nomination period opens on November 1. Follow the link here for details about the society and how you can nominate yourself. 

Register to Attend the Government College Relations Council Job Fair on November 3

The GCRC Government Job Fair will take place at the University of Illinois - Chicago on November 3, from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. UW-Madison students may attend the fair for free, but must arrange their own transportation. To register, visit this website and provide the contact information for the College of Letters & Science Career and internships Specialist. If you have questions, please contact Marie Koko

New Science Communication Course: Illuminating Discovery

Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers often need additional training in effective communication. Job talks, conference presentations, and grant proposals all rely on clear communication, and can benefit from a story-drive approach. Illuminating Discovery is a course sponsored by the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID), the Morgridge Institute for Resarch (MIR), and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). The course, which begins on October 31, will introduce story techniques to help researchers explain the value and excitement of their work to nonscientists. Contact Jessica Courtier for more information. 

Registration for 4th Annual "Three-Minute Thesis" Competition Now Open

Three minutes to explain your research to the general public. Are you up to the challenge? Graduate students in STEM fields are encouraged to compete in UW-Madison's fourth iteration of the internationally recognized "Three-Minute Thesis" on December 16. Competitors will have the opportunity to hone their communication skills and earn cash prizes. Visit this link to register to compete and learn more about the competition. Or, if you're just interested in seeing others present their work, register to attend here
Section header: In Case You Missed It

How to Turn Your Ph.D. Into a Job, with "The Professor Is In" Karen Kelsky

“The Professor Is In” Karen Kelsky demystifys the confusing and peculiar job market process for graduate students. Kelsky illuminates the conditions of the American tenure track job market, and offers advice about how to strategize a career plan and tailor your record and application materials to maximize your chances of success, with an eye to both academic and non-academic jobs.
Video of Karen Kelsky workshop
Section header: Funding Opportunities
Please note: Some graduate students may be ineligible to hold graduate assistantship appointments. Be sure to check with your graduate program coordinator about your eligibility before applying.

Employment

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