BEST Magazine Issue #1

Atlanta

BEST Program

Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training First Year in Review Issue 1

August 2014 1

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Table of Contents Welcome ................................................................................... 5 K-12 Teaching: Ending the Stigma.................................. 6 Incoming Expectations........................................................ 7 Where Innovation Meets Commercialization............. 8 Broadening Scientific Training: People Matter.........10 Learning the Ropes of Life................................................12 Changing Tracks...................................................................16 Highlighted Resources.......................................................18

Editor-in-Chief Kristen Thomas Writers Tyra Lamar, Shawn Alter, Susan Belmont, Tanay Desai, and Kristen Thomas Graphic Design Kristen Thomas and Tamara Hutto Photography Tamara Hutto, Nael McCarty, Magdalena Medrzycki, and Yusuf Uddin

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Welcome

Welcome to the first issue of the Atlanta BEST Program’s Official Magazine. Although we like to think we are the best program, BEST stands for Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training, and the program provides guidance for science doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows who are seeking non-traditional careers: anything other than a tenure-track faculty position.

The content of this magazine is written and edited by BEST program trainees. We’re looking for articles from anyone affiliated with the BEST program, whether that be trainees, faculty, alumni, or local industry representatives. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following: • • • • • •

Testimonials: Let us know how the BEST program has impacted your career journey Internships: We’d like to hear from program trainees who are currently in or have previously completed internships. What was it like? How did it impact your career plans?

Reviews of BEST events and workshops: We’d like feedback. What did you like or not like?

Alumni stories: We’d like stories from Emory and Georgia Tech alumni who have non-traditional careers.

Outside activities: Are there any classes or non-BEST events that you would like to recommend?

Faculty feedback: How have our faculty mentors been affected by the program?

If you would like to submit an article, or if you have any feedback, please feel free to contact me at atlantaBESTmag@gmail.com.

Kristen Thomas Editor-in-Chief BEST Trainee: Cohort 1

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K-12 Teaching: Ending the Stigma The BEST partnership between Georgia Tech and Emory University has helped me expand the reach of the Pre-Teaching, which is part of a National Science Foundation project in the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) that supports undergraduates, graduate students, post-doc, and alumni considering a career in K-12 education. The program provides numerous opportunities for career exploration through paid internships, courses, community partnerships, volunteering, and other activities. I advise and mentor students at all levels, from first year through graduate students, but until connecting with the BEST program, the number of PhD candidates was low and post-docs were a rarity. The June 24, 2014 intercampus workshop at Tech which was video casted to Emory was my most well attended workshop in my two years at Tech. The presence of over 25 individuals at the PhD level from two prestigious universities who are all interested in K12 education gathered together is evidence that the stigma of teaching in K12 is starting to change within higher education.

Since the workshop, I have met individually with seven of the attendees and will continue to work with them in the months to come as they begin to make decisions about their next career steps. The workshop has also helped me make connections to other departments who have asked that I host similar workshops.

I look forward to continuing to work with the BEST program and to the day when the participants begin to get jobs as K12 teachers.

Susan Belmonte Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) Georgia Institute of Technology

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Incoming Expectations I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at Emory University and I recognize that my job from here on is not just to understand how nature works in a test-tube or a petridish, but also to take incremental forward-moving steps to diversify beyond the bench, where pressing real-world problems seek interventions. Such ventures into the real world have the potential to bring about truly disruptive changes to the way we live, and are contingent upon bringing together diverse technical and fiscal capabilities, and the pursuit of multiple avenues of scientific exploration, policy-making and consultation. These considerations are often beyond the scope and scale of an academic lab.

Admittedly, when one tries to transition out of academia, there can be subtle gaps in information and skills that may not imparted to us scientists as part of our academic training. Such skills can indeed be the pivotal difference between being able to hit the ground running in a non-academic career path of one’s choosing, and spending a ton of time figuring out what job description fits one’s interests and expertise, given that there are such a large number of career options for scientists out there.

Furthermore, some mentors and Principal Investigators in academia may not have the resources or know-how to provide constructive guidance to scientists looking to explore career-paths beyond traditional faculty and academic tenure-track positions.

It is these critical voids that I am seeking to fill in order to take my career to the next phase. I hope that the training platforms which the Atlanta BEST program provides may be ideally suited to serve this purpose.

Tanay M. Desai, PhD, Postdoc, Emory BEST Trainee: Cohort 2

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Where Innovation Meets Commercialization Internships in the Emory University Office of Technology Transfer Atlanta BEST and Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) offer the opportunity of real-world experience in the field of technology transfer. In April, I joined the Office of Technology Transfer as a licensing intern.

The internship has been an invaluable learning experience and is rich in opportunities for developing transferrable skills, making industry contacts, and exploring exciting careers in innovation.

What is Technology Transfer?

Technology transfer is the process by which academic discoveries are translated into products and services that benefit society. The field of technology transfer was born in 1980 with the passage of the Bayh-Dole Act, which granted ownership of the intellectual property from federally funded research to the universities. This key legislation has led to an increase in the products and services borne out of federally funded academic R&D. Emory’s OTT is charged with supporting “the University’s mission through comprehensive management of Emory innovations to maximize the benefit to the University and to humanity.” The office has facilitated the commercial development of life-saving therapeutics, including widely prescribed antiretroviral HIV medications. Additionally, Emory OTT assists investigators in procuring non-dilutive startup funding support and facilitating collaboration with other institutions.

Training Day: What can BEST fellows expect at OTT? Trainees begin the internship process by first applying to the intern program on the OTT website. Interns are first immersed in a core training experience, and then have the opportunity to tailor their experience based on their career interests.

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On-the-job training starts with OTT boot camp. New interns will have weekly intensive courses with team members to learn the fundamentals of intellectual property and technology management. Modules include learning the forms and applications of intellectual property protection, the anatomy of a patent, prior art and market analyses, and how to assess the commercial potential of newly disclosed technologies.

After core training, interns will present a commercial evaluation report to the licensing team, and begin rotations with individual marketing and licensing professionals.

Following the licensing rotations, interns may then tailor their on-the-job training to different aspects of intellectual property management. Interns will have the opportunity to rotate with members of the patent group, our contract specialist, startup services, or seek more intensive training with the licensing team.

Career Opportunities Experience at OTT grants interns a strong competitive edge in applying for entry-level positions in technology transfer offices, which are present at all strong academic and government research institutions. Interns will also acquire a strong transferrable skill set including technical writing, marketing, and an understanding of intellectual property. Emory’s OTT intern alumni have taken a variety of stellar entry- and associate-level positions as consultants, analysts, medical science liaisons, medical writers, and licensing associates. Others have pursued law degrees and have become successful patent attorneys.

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BEST and OTT: Synergistic Training When working in a fast-paced, cooperative environment like OTT, it is essential that team members develop strong communication and interpersonal skills. BEST trainees have many opportunities to develop these skills throughout the first year of training through professional development seminars, career coaching sessions, and team-building exercises. BEST students will interact with experts from Emory’s Goizueta Business School, the biotechnology industry, and OTT. As with any career path outside of academic research, networking is critical for meeting potential employers. BEST offers crash courses in professional socialization (a skill scientists stereotypically lack). OTT grants many opportunities to exercise these skills, as the office sponsors and hosts events that bring together members of the Georgia biotechnology and investing communities, which are excellent opportunities for young scientists to make connections outside of academia. BEST will also support trainee attendance at regional and national meetings of the Association for University Technology Managers (AUTM).

To learn more about the field of technology transfer, check out the Association for University Technology Managers at AUTM.net.

Those interested in joining the OTT intern team can learn more on the OTT website.

Shawn Alter, PhD Student, Emory Licensing Intern in the Office of Technology Transfer BEST Trainee: Cohort 1

Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer supports the research and development of University intellectual property from inception through licensing.

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Broadening Scientific Training: People Matter Scientific training focuses on the process of science rather than on the people who do it. Perhaps it’s because according to common stereotypes scientists are unskilled social recluses. Scientists prefer to train “mini-me’s” who want to follow academic career paths, so their students are often discouraged from exploring other career options and resources. Scientists also tend to view these other forms of training as inferior and unnecessary. As a science trainee, I have consequently been limited in my opportunities for professional and personal development. One of the goals of the BEST Program is to fill this gap.

their structure on my own. I tend to act as a team player, but I crave individual feedback.

All of my fellow trainees openly shared their results.

I was also surprised by how little I understood their needs, since I had judged them based on how they interacted with me. Rather than treating others the way that I want to be treated, I learned that I should treat them the way that they want to be treated. Figuring out what that entails isn’t as obvious as I once thought, but it’s the key to effective leadership and effective teamwork.

If you argue with me, I’ll probably just give

The BEST Program has provided people-focused training using three diverse tools: The Birkman Meth- you what you want. Sometimes that’s okay. od, the Thomas-Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument, and the Strong Interest Inventory. Each of which has Almost everyone hates conflict, but we all tend to provided me with valuable lessons about myself and deal with it in different ways. The Thomas-Kilman tools for interacting with other people.

Conflict Mode Instrument outlines six methods for dealing with conflict situations and calculates which methods each person is most likely to employ.

The “Golden Rule” needs some work.

The Birkman Method is an in-depth personality assessment based on two basic but premises: 1) “Normal behavior” does not exist.

2) The way we behave does not relate in any way to the way that we need to be treated by others.

I like to summarize this as “we’re all weird, and we’re all hypocrites”, but that might be a bit harsh. With some effort, we can all modify our behaviors, but we are unlikely to modify our needs. We interact most effectively with others when we can recognize our own needs and communicate them.

The second premise seems to be particularly true in my case. I tend to behave diplomatically, but I need others to speak to me directly. In other words, I can’t dish it out, but I can take it. I also tend to be highly organized but I dislike it when other people impose

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1) Competing or dominating 2) Collaborating 3) Compromising 4) Avoiding 5) Accommodating When faced with conflict, my first inclination is to accommodate: give them what they want and maybe they’ll leave me alone. When that fails, avoid them.

When that fails collaborate or compromise. Domination is a last resort. Sometimes my default works.

When the issue is insignificant but my relationship with the other person is important, accommodation is often the appropriate response. If both are insignificant to me, then I can avoid all I want. When the issue is important, however, I need to step outside of my comfort zone and work with others in order to reach a productive outcome, even if it’s unpleasant.

We all have a default way of dealing with conflict, and all of these options will be appropriate in some situations but harmful in others. Conflict management training provides the tools for identifying which method is best suited for each situation and increases the likelihood that conflict will lead to a productive outcome.

I should have gone to art school….or maybe I just need a creative outlet.

The academic tenure-track faculty position is only one of a plethora of career options available to scientists. To help organize the sometimes bewildering array of science and non-science careers, the Strong Interest Inventory categorizes people and careers based on six themes: 1) Investigative: The Thinkers 2) Artistic: The Creators 3) Social: The Helpers 4) Enterprising: The Persuaders 5) Conventional: The Organizers 6) Realistic: The Doers I scored highly in the investigative category, which is common for scientists, but I scored almost equally as high in the artistic category, which is less common.

My lowest score was in the social category, which includes teachers and counselors. To oversimplify, I’m an anti-social, creative thinker who is somewhat organized, unconventional, and unrealistic. I may have also been moderately successful in persuading you with that statement. My results were in no way representative of the group, however. Some of my fellow trainees defied stereotype with their higher social scores and lower investigative scores.

When applied to careers, my results obviously remove some options: I would not be happy as a teacher or an administrator. I also have some needs that may not be met by a traditional career in science: I need opportunities to express creativity as much as I need opportunities for critical thinking.

Many of my fellow trainees made similar discoveries, which may be why we are all in the BEST Program.

While no one’s results screamed out “THIS is THE perfect career for you!,” they did provide a useful framework for evaluating potential career options.

Scientists are people, too.

The word “scientist” brings to mind a very specific image, but that socially isolated nerd rarely fits the reality of individual scientists. Our only universal quality is a love of science. The training we receive reflects the diversity of topics for scientific exploration, but rarely reflects the heterogeneity we express as individuals. The BEST Program is working to meet this need, which will benefit all of its trainees whether we enter traditional or non-traditional careers.

Kristen Thomas, PhD Student, Emory BEST Trainee: Cohort 1

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Learning the Ropes of Life My Experience with the Georgia Tech Leadership Challenge Course I used to think that I was okay with heights. Sure, indoor mountain climbing made me nervous, and I spent most of my time at the top of the Empire State building with my eyes closed, but that just meant I was cautious. Surely I could handle a team-building ropes course. Piece of cake.

Participating in the Georgia Tech Leadership Challenge Course taught me otherwise. As it turns out, even when attached to a harness, I am absolutely terrified of heights, afraid of losing my balance, afraid of falling. If I had truly realized this, I would have never agreed to go out on the

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course. And, if I hadn’t done this course, I would have missed out on the greatest test of leadership and teamwork I have ever experienced.

You see, this exercise was not about playing with toys, solving puzzles, and walking on tight ropes, although we definitely did all those things. This course taught me, an introvert, how to assert myself in a group of extroverts, how to encourage my team in the midst of a challenge, how to assume leadership when I’m just as lost and scared as others. We were given objectives that demanded team effort, such as crossing wooden

planks that only stayed upright when we all piled on top together. There was no room for the individual, for the superstar, or even for those of us paralyzed with fear. There was only swinging forward, leaping forward, and shuffling forward together. It was physically impossible to turn back. It was during those moments that I learned how much I really needed other people. Hands reached back to me whenever I was afraid, arms linked with mine and held on until the end, voices shouted cheers and encouragement for each of my uncertain steps. I completed the course because of the support of my new friends. I also learned that even the scariest of circumstances become more comfortable after the first step. By the end of the course, my confidence in my team overshadowed my own fear, and as long as I knew they were there, I could keep moving. And finally, once my feet touched solid ground and the day-long trial was a memory, I learned the most important lesson of all. I learned that sometimes it’s better to underestimate your fear, to push yourself beyond what you think your limits are.

That is what the BEST program is all about.

It dares students and post-docs who have spent years training in academia to consider alternative careers and chart a unique path to reach them. It will be a challenge to transition from CVs to resumes, from publications to transferable skills, but we won’t be alone. Our program is a community, and we support and encourage each other through each uncertain step. We move forward together, and ultimately, regardless of our career choices, we will complete the course.

Tyra Lamar, PhD Student, Emory BEST Trainee: Cohort 1

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“I also learned that even the scariest of circumstances become more comfortable after the f irst step.�

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Changing Tracks -----------------------------

My Career Journey So Far

What do you do when you realize you’ve spent ten years of your life training for a career path you don’t want to follow to its final destination? I entered graduate school because I wanted to understand science as a process rather than blindly memorize facts like I did as an undergraduate. I liked the idea of being a “scientist” and recognized that my career would pull me away from that title if I entered the workforce with a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. However, I quickly realized that the academic scientist’s idea of a dream career was something that I did not want for my own life. The process of becoming a scientist is a journey, but I’ve recently undertaken a parallel journey to identify my own dream career, which has unfolded in a seven-step process.

Step 1: Admit I do not want a tenure-track faculty position. Everyone knows that graduate students apply to their programs to someday get a tenuretrack faculty position at a major academic research institution. As a doctoral student I have observed the day to day realities of these positions more clearly, and the idea of mentoring students and writing grants looks less and less like something I want for my own life. Admitting this to myself was fairly easy; admitting it to my advisor and peers is an ongoing process that others have likened to “coming out of the closet”.

Step 2: Let go of the bench. After deciding to explore non-academic career alternatives, I soon learned that Emory was starting the BEST program, and I was lucky enough to find myself in the first cohort. I immediately chose the industry track of the program because it seemed like the best alternative to an academic career: I could “do science” without the added burden of mentoring students and writing grants. The only thing wrong with this plan is that I hate pipetting. And method optimization.

And analyzing large data sets. And pipetting. And any form of tedious, detail-oriented manual labor. I viewed benchwork as a familiar and “safe” alternative, but I eventually realized that this would be no more fulfilling for me than an academic faculty position.

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Step 3: Accept the uncertainty. The combination of Steps 1 and 2 was panic-inducing. I wanted a plan for my life, and I had just eliminated all of the major career options for people in my field. Every day I spent in lab seemed to be investing more effort into a career path that I didn’t want to follow. I slowly realized that I still love science, and I still have time to identify a career that will allow me to express that love without inflicting other forms of misery upon myself in the process.

Step 4: Explore the alternatives. Here, the BEST program became incredibly useful. Attending career seminars without pre-conceived notions of whether that career was a fit for me led me to consider careers that I never would have otherwise. Industry provides a wide breadth of career opportunities away from the bench. Many PhDs find financially and personally rewarding careers as patent attorneys. Others find partners with business expertise and start their own companies. The uncertainty I felt towards my career options felt more like an opportunity for exploration than something I should be stressed about.

For me, doing science is like running.

I hate running, and I only do it so that I can eat brownies.

I do science so that I can be in an environment that allows me to express creativity and communicate science.

Step 5: Ask myself, “Why am I in science?” Obviously I didn’t enter science because I love pipetting. If I don’t enjoy the process of doing science then why am I in graduate school? The truth is that understanding the process of science is essential for learning to critically examine the knowledge that this process produces. Science is a way of looking at the world, and that’s what I love about it. I love the creativity that goes into experimental design. I love talking about science and discussing possible explanations for natural phenomena. For me, doing science is like running. I hate running, and I only do it so that I can eat brownies.

I do science so that I can be in an environment that allows me to express creativity and communicate science.

Step 6: Narrow the possibilities. Unfortunately I can’t skip the running and go straight to the brownies, at least without negative consequences.

But what if I can skip the experiments and go straight to the communication, discussion, and creativity side of science? Once I began searching for these qualities in potential careers, I realized that science writing and communication offer a rich diversity of career opportunities ranging from science journalism to medical liaisons.

Step 7: Experiment…outside the lab. Since narrowing my career focus, I’ve recently begun to actively explore these career options. My recent writing has been mostly limited to poster abstracts and fellowship applications. Now that I have started actively looking for writing opportunities, I am amazed at the number of opportunities for graduate students to practice their written and other communication skills in other platforms. I am working as an editor for this magazine. I will soon join a science writers association here at Emory, and I plan to try medical writing in the near future.

The BEST program also facilitates an internship experience, which will allow me to further expand my writing skills and resume.

For now, I am still working on Step 7. I plan to gain more experience as a science writer and communicator, and as I do so I may need to revisit some of the earlier steps. For now I’m writing, learning, and even pipetting, but I’m doing it while keeping an open mind and planning the next steps in my journey. The last ten years of my training were anything but a waste because they prepared me to create my own track: final destination to be determined. Wherever it leads me, I’ll always be a scientist. This is an ongoing experiment, and I’m still collecting the data.

Kristen Thomas, PhD Student, Emory BEST Trainee: Cohort 1

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Highlighted Resources The State of the Job Market, Or How to Fix It How Good Are the Job Prospects for Science Ph.D.s? http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/08/05/science_ph_d_job_market_how_bad_is_it_really.html Rescuing US biomedical research from its systemic flaws http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/04/09/1404402111 Improving Graduate Education to Support a Branching Career Pipeline http://www.lifescied.org/content/10/3/239.full The missing piece to changing the university culture http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v31/n10/full/nbt.2706.html

Employers in Biotech Best Biotech Employers In America http://www.biospace.com/News/best-biotech-employers-in-america/342479?type=email&source= CI_080714 Georgia Industries: Life Sciences http://www.georgia.org/industries/life-sciences/

Recommended Blogs Fierce Biotech: The Biotech Industry’s Daily Monitor http://www.fiercebiotech.com/ In the Pipeline: Derek Lowe’s commentary on drug discovery and the pharma industry in general http://www.pipeline.corante.com/

Getting the Job Intro to Resumes for CV-Minded Academics http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/intro-resumes-cv-minded-academics Find the Right Job http://www.findtherightjob.com/seeker/ Careers in the Life Science Industry http://piep.berkeley.edu/sites/PIEP/files/shared/doc/Career_Opps_Biotech_DrugDev.pdf

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Expand Your Skill Set Using Your Last Two (or More) Years Wisely http://chronicle.com/article/Using-Your-Last-Two-or-More/147509/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_ medium=en PhD Transferrable Skills http://careercenter.umich.edu/article/phd-transferable-skills Assigning students a TED-style talk http://ltlatnd.wordpress.com/2014/08/06/assigning-students-a-ted-style-talk/

Track Specific Association of University Technology Managers http://www.autm.net/Home.htm Society needs more than wonder to respect science http://www.nature.com/news/society-needs-more-than-wonder-to-respect-science-1.15012

BEST Program Website

http://gs.emory.edu/sites/best/index.html

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