Atlanta
BEST
Magazine
Summer 2016
12-14 ResiliencE: Moving Forward
19-20 Science Policy Washington, D.C. trip hosted by Cornell BEST
23-24 Creating Collisions Between Business and Science - In Our Backyard
15-18 LinkedIn: The Unavoidable and Invaluable Platform You Are Using Incorrectly
4-8 BEST Summer Experience in South Africa
21-22 What Value Do You Add?
9-11 Whitewater Rafting: A BEST Outing
25-26 The Road Less Travelled: Industry to Academia
27-28 A Circuitous Route to Career Satisfaction
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29-30 Anyone Can Lead
31-32 What the FUTURE Taught Me
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Letter From the Editor It has been a busy summer for the Atlanta BEST Program. We ventured down the Ocoee River through class 3 and 4 rapids (Whitewater Rafting: A BEST Outing), sent trainees to South Africa (BEST Summer Experience in South Africa), found a key element to successfully transitioning into the professional world (What Value Do YOU Add?), immersed ourselves in start-up culture (Creating Collisions Between Business and Science – In Our Backyard), and learned what qualities make a good leader (Anyone Can Lead). We also took a few minutes to reflect on what helps us survive the stresses of life (Resilience: Moving Forward). Back in April I didn’t expect to publish a summer issue of the Atlanta BEST Magazine because I assumed we would “shut down for the summer.” We did no such thing. It quickly became apparent that publishing a summer issue of the Atlanta BEST Magazine was necessary not only to showcase the activities of the Atlanta BEST Program, but also the activities of trainees from other BEST programs. In previous issues we have had a couple of articles contributed by trainees from some of the other sixteen BEST programs across the country (www.nihbest.org). In this issue, I’m excited to announce we have five articles from trainees in other BEST programs. Lauren Tanabe, PhD from Wayne State University provides an excellent tutorial for LinkedIn (LinkedIn: The Unavoidable and Invaluable Platform You’re Using Incorrectly). Kathleen Hefferon, PhD from Cornell University shares her experience in Washington, D.C. learning about science policy (Science Policy Washington, D.C. trip hosted by Cornell BEST). Urmimala Basu from Rutgers University discusses the nontraditional path from industry to academia (The Road Less Travelled: From Industry to Academia). Amanda Xu, PhD from the University of California, Davis describes how the FUTURE Program helped her transition from graduate school to a position she loves (A Circuitous Route to Career Satisfaction). Finally, Nora Navarro-Gonzalez, PhD, also from UC Davis, explains how she was able to utilize the lessons learned from the FUTURE Program to make the most of her time at the International Association of Food Protection Annual Meeting (What the FUTURE Taught Me).
Editor-In-Chief Kylie Ainslie
Associate Editor Darcie Cook
EditorS Tami Hutto Motunrayo Kolawole, phd Bridgette PeakE
Design Kylie Ainslie Darcie Cook Tami Hutto Motunrayo Kolawole, PhD
The articles presented in this magazine highlight the breadth of opportunities and diverse exposures provided by the many different BEST programs. With each new workshop, panel, conversation, internship, and activity, BEST is broadening the scope of career possibilities and professional development for graduate students and postdocs. More importantly, BEST is fostering a community of talented, bright, curious, and dedicated scientists determined to finding their right career path. Want to know more? Read on. Sincerely, Kylie Ainslie Editor-In-Chief PhD Candidate, Biostatistics, Emory University
Photo credit: Vicki Ainslie
BEST Summer Experience in South Africa Introduction by Tami Hutto, Atlanta BEST Program Manager
Four BEST trainees from Emory University and Georgia Tech went to South Africa this summer as part of a program run as a joint effort between the African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation (ANDI) and the Emory Institute for Drug Development (EIDD). They partner to provide a platform for identifying promising new local technologies, advancing the human capacity needed to further those technologies through mentoring and education, and translating the technologies from laboratories to clinics and markets. Essentially, they are working with South African inventors and their teams to strategize opportunities for their technologies, devices, and other innovations to be more competitive in obtaining funds from a variety of agencies and organizations. For the past 8 years, Emory faculty have traveled to South Africa to run workshops for innovation teams. This year they invited law, business, and science graduate students to join the innovation teams of 12 different technologies. The addition of PhD students from scientific disciplines enhanced the workshop and everyone’s experience because they brought different and important perspectives to commercialization. The discussions amongst the law, business, and science students created a well-rounded, creative atmosphere. As a result of the success of this summer’s workshop, the EIDD and the BEST program are working towards bringing a similar experience to Emory’s campus in 2017. One of the goals of future workshops is to show graduate students that the skills they are developing in graduate school can help facilitate the conceptualization of cutting edge ideas. There are many ways to contribute to the success of bench-to-bedside innovations. Ultimately, multidisciplinary teams, such as those put together in this workshop, are paramount to the successful introduction of innovative technologies to the market where they are needed to impact health and further medical advances.
Photo credit: Yusuf Uddin (all)
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“Creativity is all about observing things in a different way”. With this quote from Emory’s Goizueta Business School Professor Charles Goetz, we kicked-off the workshop with our first team exercise: to ‘develop’ and ‘market’ a product in under 40 minutes from an ensemble of items strewn across a table. After a flurry of rushed movements and rapid conversation, my team presented our product to the room: a technologically-advanced teddy bear whose mission was to help shoulder the burden of an over-worked parent. It wasn’t perfect. Actually it was far from it, but the assignment had a larger purpose, which was to jog our minds from their conventional thought patterns and get us to think in different ways. I believe this was an appropriate way to open a 3-day workshop highlighting the challenges faced by African scientists and entrepreneurs in the life sciences realm. Many of these challenges would require out-of-the-box thinking to overcome.
Ayush Kishore BEST Cohort 2, PhD Student, Emory University
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The African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation (ANDI) in collaboration with Emory University brought together Emory and Georgia Tech students, faculty and entrepreneurial African scientists in Sandton, South Africa to learn about and discuss, the many facets of commercializing life science products. The array of technologies brought to the workshop by the African scientists was impressive. These innovative technologies included, a test for tuberculosis that is both rapid and more affordable than the current tests on the market and a phytochemical-based anti-seizure medicine derived from traditional medicines. In addition to learning about each unique technology, we were able to see projects at various stages of development. An essential component of the workshop was to assimilate what
we learned in lectures pertaining to intellectual property, marketing, and product development and apply them to our specific technologies within our small teams. The specificities of our commercialization plans were complemented by a larger and more general discussion on strategies for bridging the ‘valley of death’, or the financial and operational gap separating a new technology from its commercialization. Crossing the valley of death is a crucial step before a technology can begin to benefit society. Below are a few ways ANDI is working to help African life science technologies leap over the valley of death and also promote health innovation in Africa are: • Increasing intra-African collaborations, as well as collaborations with labs in the U.S. and Western Europe to help drive innovation • Promoting sustainable and innovative financing models of African technologies by getting African nations and organizations to pledge funds over the long-term to build up R&D and manufacturing capacity • Advocating for regional regulatory harmonization to make Africa more attractive for pharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing
"Creativity is all about observing things in a different way."
I am grateful for the opportunity I was given to learn about some of the exciting technologies in development in countries within Africa, and to have worked alongside talented and passionate Emory and Georgia Tech students and African scientists. All in all, tackling a vastly complex issue, such as promoting the life sciences industry in Africa, will require the effort of many individuals, the ability to think creatively, and make the best out of what one is given.
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Our trip to South Africa was truly a transformative experience for me. Not only did I get the opportunity to interact with African scientists from all over the continent, I also gained valuable experiences in entrepreneurship, marketing, commercialization, intellectual property, patent development, and more.
Yusuf Uddin BEST Cohort 2, PhD Student, Georgia Tech
In developed countries, we are often oblivious to major problems that we have already solved. Big drug companies like Pfizer or GSK must adapt with the market in order to make money and thrive as pharmaceutical industries. Thus, diseases that affect many lives in African countries may be neglected because there isn’t enough money to support their research and development. In discussions of some of the political problems in Africa, we heard from African scientists who were fired up about their strong desire to share, collaborate, and advance science. However, without funding or interest from the government, the task is nearly impossible. “A fish rots from the head down,� said an enthusiastically animated Nigerian scientist at our workshop when asked why African scientists were not collaborating enough. Coming from Georgia Tech, I have a lot of experience working in groups with diverse backgrounds. Within this workshop, it was nice to hear how the pre-law students approached a problem for one situation, and then to hear how a MBA student deals
During our ANDI workshop, rather than learn about the challenges of innovation in developing countries, I learned about the challenges of bringing some of the amazing technologies produced by African institutions to the people who need them. Many technologies target diseases that affect millions of Africans, most of whom cannot pay for treatment. As a result, the customers for these technologies are often public health organizations or charitable trusts who then assist in providing access to those affected. We learned how to target these customers and about generalized business pitches. Elizabeth Zoeller BEST Cohort 2, PhD Student, Emory University
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African institutes and countries benefit from the commercialization of their technologies. These benefits include building infrastructure by manufacturing technologies in Africa and returning proceeds to the inventors and their institutes. By manufacturing in Africa, the factories exist for the production of future innovations, maintenance of current technologies, and faster response to crisis -- returning proceeds to the innovators provides capital for more research.
with the same problem. My strategies for brainstorming ideas for pitching our product had a unique flavor that complimented the group’s dynamic. Also on our team was a young, passionate electrical engineer named Alick and a biomedical engineer named Habtamu. Alick was from Malawi and designed a medical device that helped babies with jaundice (a disease that is often neglected in underdeveloped countries because modern advances can easily cure it). Habtamu developed a similar, but higher-tech device to treat hypothermia in newborns. I came out of this workshop experience a more aware human being. I learned how other countries operate in scientific fields, and was able to help my African scientist group members open up discussion about their products and the potential commercialization and development aspects of them. The BEST program has provided me with countless career development opportunities for which I am very grateful. As I approach my final year(ish) of graduate school, I hope to carry these experiences and personal networks with me. I still have a strong desire to enter into the energy industry, but this workshop has opened the door to my interest in biotech and pharmaceutical industries.
Limited resources will always remain a challenge for developing countries. One aim of ANDI is to mitigate this problem by pooling resources and capabilities into centers across Africa. Reinforcing collaborations can help researchers make the most of their resources. ANDI already took a step in this direction during our workshop by connecting African scientists and American graduate students from Emory University. Of my time in Africa, I benefited the most from connecting with the different people who participated in the ANDI workshop. I now have friends across the world and across campus. In fact, I already had a second degree connection on LinkedIn with one scientist on our team in Africa. It is a small world after all. Oddly enough, I had no such connections with the business and law school team members from Emory. I am hoping to continue my connections with Africa in the future. I left the U.S. intrigued by African innovation, and I left Africa invested in their future.
"I came out of this workshop experience a more aware human being."
"I left Africa invested in their future." 8
Whitewater Rafting: A BE By Kylie Ainslie, BEST Cohort 2, PhD Student, Emory University
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he current was pulling me underwater and pushing me hard toward the bottom of the raft. One thought kept playing in my brain, “I’m going to get pushed and trapped under the raft.” Without being able to see anything, I felt around me until my hands connected with the underside of the raft. To counteract the racing current, I planted my hands and pushed hard. My head broke the surface of the water and immediately my guide was yelling for me to get back into the raft. Before I could do anything but turn and look longingly at my paddle floating beyond reach down the river, a pair of hands gripped the top of my life jacket and yanked me into the raft. A few seconds later we hit the next section of rapids. The river waits for no one.
In June 2016 the Atlanta Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST) Program went whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River just north of the Georgia – Tennessee border. The outing was part of a new series of activi-
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ties provided by the Atlanta BEST program to foster a sense of community among the trainees and to challenge people to get out of their comfort zone. Getting people to feel comfortable with being uncomfortable is something BEST encourages trainees to do, and going down a river in a raft with strong currents was definitely uncomfortable. After navigating a tricky section of rapids, I lost focus for a few seconds, and when the raft hit a bump in the current I toppled over into the raging water. With the help of my guide and my raft mates and a little quick thinking on my part, I was back in the raft within seconds. At the end of the day, we all survived and pushed ourselves a little further than we thought we could. The day started with brunch and blueberry and blackberry picking in North Georgia followed by whitewater rafting. The rafting trip was led by BEST trainee and Emory University postdoc Cory Inman, PhD. Inman has 16 years of experience as a rafting guide. “White-
water rafting can be a great team building and bonding experience for groups, so I proposed the idea to Tami in the fall last year. She liked the idea and thought it would be a good way to get the BEST fellows out of the city and away from their usual day to day,” said Inman. Equipped with a life jacket, helmet, and pad-
Unlike in other situations in the workplace or at school, being thrown into a raft and sent down a river forces you to develop trust in your guide, your raft mates, and yourself very quickly. It is this trust that helped our raft traverse the river successfully, or almost successfully.
EST Outing dle, 14 of us took to the river rolling over rapids, sliding past exposed stone, and floating through flat sections. The entire rafting experience was an exercise in trust and teamwork. We had to trust that our guide would help us successfully navigate the rapids and we had to work together as a team coordinating our paddle strokes to nimbly avoid obstacles.
The entire rafting experience didn’t consist of navigating dangerous rapids. Sections of the river were smooth and calm allowing us to get out and play a little. MaKendra Umstead, BEST trainee and Emory University PhD candidate in Cancer Biology, enjoyed the slow sections as “a reward for pushing myself beyond my precious limits.”
Photo credit: Wildwater Ocoee
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Inman decided to make use of these slow sections for an additional trust exercise, as if rafting in the first place wasn’t enough of one. While floating through a calm section, Inman made our entire raft link arms, stand on the edges of the raft, and lean back as far as we could. Sharing an experience as intense as whitewater rafting made me feel closer to my fellow trainees. Rather than just colleagues, they feel like comrades. This comradery only makes the benefits of BEST greater. The more trust I have in my fellow trainees, in any setting, the more I get out of the BEST Program. I can be more candid about my doubts, fears, goals, and successes. Ultimately, I can utilize my bonds with the people in this program as a resource to navigate the sometimes treacherous river that is graduate school and beyond.
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Photo credit: paddling.about.com (top), Wildwater Ocoee (middle left and right), Cory Inman, PhD (bottom left and right)
Photo credit: Kellie Vinal
Photo credit: John Nicosia
Resilience
Moving Forward By Tami Hutto, Atlanta BEST Program Manager
Photo credit: Yusuf Uddin
Photo credit: Vanessa Cox
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Resilience is “h better when th Photo credit: Kevin Morris Photo credit: Darcie Cook
In June 2016 the National Institutes of Health, Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) held a 3 day workshop on how to help PhD trainees in the biomedical sciences with career and professional development. OITE advocates for a holistic approach to graduate student and postdoctoral training and development. Self-care, wellness, and resiliency were topics that were highlighted as important for anyone’s success.
“It is unlikely that we can consistently be our best creative selves when we are totally burnt out, and I know it is not good for our long-term health and happiness… I invite you to help change the community of science by learning principles of wellness and self-care early in your career,” said OITE Director Sharon Milgram, PhD. Through an open dialog about mental health, stress, and sharing activities we do to have fun, we can create a wellness culture that will encourage trainees and faculty to seek help if they need it, find ways to destress , and practice mindfulness to help maintain worklife balance. Photo credit: Marko Bajic
Photo credit: Jiafeng Geng, PhD
13 Photo credit: Motunrayo Kolawole, PhD
Photo credit:
how people get hings are hard� —Eric Greitens
Photo credit: Kelly Walsh Photo credit: Erin Ferranti
After this training, Atlanta BEST trainees were asked to submit one picture that represents what they do to de-stress or for self-care, they are the pictures that are on this page. Trainees submitted pictures ranging from cooking to bungie jumping to impending travel plans. Everyone is unique and takes care of themselves in different ways, but we all should spend time reflecting on ways to be more mindful of our moods and energy levels, so we can take steps to ensure we can be the best version of ourselves.
>> What do YOU do when things get hard?
Photo credit: Haylee Bachman
>> How do you have fun? >> How do you proactively work in time with friends to de-stress? Additional reading about resiliency: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2015/03/10/eric-greitens-how-to-became-a-resilient-leader/#6e2b1cee4bcf
14 Bridgette Peake
Photo credit: Michelle Giddens
Photo credit: MaKendra Umstead
LinkedIn: The Unavoidable and Invaluable Platform You Are Using Incorrectly By Lauren Tanabe, PhD, Postdoc, Wayne State University
N dread?
etworking. Why is the word sufficient enough to induce such palpable
As an undergraduate standing at the crossroads of graduate school and medical school, one of the factors I considered was that, in the course of a career at the bench, there would be considerably less interaction with people. It would be just me and my plates of cells and circus of mice. As a shy girl who deflected any attention that came her way, this sounded heavenly to me. My hermit dreams were smashed, swiftly and jarringly, once I got to graduate school. I was yanked into an unrelenting current of lab meetings, departmental seminars, and international conferences. Every time I presented my data, I battled the nagging angst: What if I sounded stupid? What if I 15 was asked something I didn’t know? The “what
ifs” plagued me for days before any presentation, no matter how small. Often at these conferences, there would be networking events at the end of an already long day. I would think, “Really?! Haven’t we engaged enough?” Regrettably, I dodged most of these sessions because I lacked the confidence to believe that anyone would want to con-
nect with me. When I did attend, I’d stand in the corner talking to maybe one or two people – not a great way to expand your network if that’s what you’re looking to do. “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” You’ve been hearing this for years, and guess what? It’s
the absolute truth. More than 70% of people land jobs through networking, according to studies in the Academy of Management Journal. A recent CareerXroads survey showed that only 15% of positions were filled through job boards. Maybe you’ll be one of the 15%, but I know I’m not willing to take those odds. For the introverts among us, these numbers may seem daunting, yet relations with others are one of the most primal and natural ways humans survive and thrive. It’s instinctive to reach out and forge symbiotic connections. We network every day without a second thought. Why, then, do networking sites such as LinkedIn seem foreign and impenetrable to some of us? LinkedIn provides the perfect platform for those looking to reach out and learn from others without appearing too vulnerable. But, there’s a catch: it must be used strategically and with finesse, especially when a 2013 report by Social
Times shows that 94% of recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn to vet job candidates. Only 65% use Facebook and 55% Twitter. I’m no great expert on LinkedIn. Years ago, I created a profile, connected with people I already knew, copied and pasted my resume into the appropriate sections, and even uploaded a photograph. Then I sat back and waited for opportunity to magically appear and transform my life. Well, I waited for years. And years. A good week consisted of one or two profile views, usually from people already in my network. For a while, the number of views fell depressingly to zero. So, I added some publications, every single lab skill I possessed, and even started following groups that were relevant to my job search.
there wasn’t anything I could offer to others. Maybe, despite all those years of rigorous training at the best universities, I remained mediocre. Suddenly, I felt I was standing in the corner of a virtual networking event, all by myself.
meant that I needed to take a new approach to LinkedIn. Although it seemed simple enough to just fill out the different sections and import my contact list, I realized that I needed to regroup and do what I do best – conduct research.
LinkedIn offers job seekers a double-edged sword. Wield it wisely, and there is the potential to be seen as a PhD burgeoning with intelligence, wit, and creativity. Potential to make mutually beneficial relationships with both mentors and mentees, who one day may help you find a new career. Wield it ignorantly, and there’s the risk of remaining hidden under an invisibility cloak or, perhaps even worse, gaining the wrong kind of visibility and alienating possibly beneficial connections by coming on too strong and asking for too much too fast.
I spent days reading every article I could find on LinkedIn. I listened to podcasts. I read examples of superior LinkedIn profiles. What follows is what I learned, distilled down to what I believe to be the most impactful changes you can make to strengthen your profile.
Still, opportunity remained stubAs a scientist, I could see that the bornly shy while I began to fear that empirical data and conclusions I had been right all along – maybe were clear: minimal profile views
Your profile should reflect who you want to be. My profile has been staunchly that of an academic. A few weeks ago, there was hardly anything on there that made me stand out from the sea of other postdocs. Even though I am considering transitioning to a career in science writing and editing, one would have to have been a mind-reader to gather that 16 from looking at my profile.
People in careers outside of academia are probably not too concerned with every single technical skill you’ve acquired over the years in the lab (or every abstract and publication). They already know you have a PhD, which means you likely have the requisite knowledge. Instead, consider your transferable skills – the kinds of abilities you possess now that hiring managers in any field want: communication, leadership, critical thinking, mentoring, collaboration, and so on.
tunities. Donna Serdula, author of LinkedIn Makeover and founder of Vision Boards Media, has an automatic headline generator you can use, often with quite interesting results. Include a profile picture. If someone I don’t know reaches out to me over any social media platform and they don’t have a picture, I delete the request. You
Allow your personality to come through in this summary, without getting too personal. “This a great place to reflect your professional brand — explaining why you got into the industry, what you love about it, and what kind of professional you are,” explains Williams. By the way, did you know that creating a summary of 40 words or more for your profile makes you more likely to show up in someone’s search?
“[Your headline] should make people want to click on your profile.”
Especially if you are transitioning to a new career, approach mentors and colleagues, former and current, for testimonials that speak to your specific attributes. In some cases, you may end up composing these on your own and giving a list to your advisor(s) — the less work for them, the better.
You may not have that position in industry, government, or science communication (yet), but you are smart enough to identify the skills and characteristics that these sectors are looking for and the relevant buzzwords (see the section on “keywords” below) by which they’re known in that domain. Make sure your profile uses these words. Regarding the headline: It should make people want to click on your profile. By all means, include your current position, but also include what you are looking for. For example, my previous headline read: Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Wayne State University. My current headline reads: Cancer Biologist, Wayne State University | BEST 17 Program Blog Coordinator | Seeking New Oppor-
can’t hide your face at a networking event and you shouldn’t hide your face on such platforms, either. So take the time to take a flattering picture and add it to your profile. Some experts suggest getting professional headshots, but few PhDs have the time or money for something so extravagant. Just make sure the photograph is well lit, in focus, and that the border is tightly framed around your face. Also, try to look friendly but serious, the kind of person someone would want to engage in conversation. The summary section: Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want? While the answers to these questions may evolve over some time, remember that LinkedIn is a snapshot of who you are at this moment. Make it immediately clear in the summary what your goals are. According to an interview in Business Insider with LinkedIn expert Nicole Williams, the summary should indicate why you are on LinkedIn — Are you looking for a job? Are you looking for a mentor?
Finally, Williams suggests writing the summary in the first person. I’ve seen debates about first person versus third person when it comes to LinkedIn. In my view, first person feels more personal and friendly, but go with the style with which you are most comfortable. What matters most is that the summary is clear and written well. Infuse your profile with keywords In developing your LinkedIn profile, you must write strategically and employ specific buzzwords, AKA keywords. What does this mean? Donna Serdula recommends googling several job descriptions for positions of interest. Then, look for the keywords shared by these postings. Or, try copying and pasting the description into Wordcloud, which will give you a visual representation of the most frequently used words in the largest type size. Try to infuse these keywords into your profile. Update your profile regularly Those who update their profile regularly are more likely to show up at the top of a search for similar candidates. And, as Cheeky Scientist recommends, post items often,
or make comments. This will also help promote your profile. I put this strategy to the test myself. Prior to revamping my LinkedIn profile, I posted articles relevant to cancer research or pieces I thought might be of interest to postdocs every few days. And you know what? People read them. Or clicked on them, anyhow — 24 people viewed my first post. My profile views went up almost 200%. Now mind you, when your baseline is one or two views every few weeks, 200% loses a bit of its punch. Nonetheless, my profile saw more activity in a few days than it had in the prior several months. Post something of interest or use to others, and maybe they’ll start to wonder, “Who is this curator of relevant information?” Perhaps they’ll actually click on your profile. Reach out to people outside of your network … tactfully LinkedIn has a nice little feature that tells you who is a secondor third-degree connection of a person with whom you might be interested in connecting. Imagine if it were this easy in real life. Think about how invigorating it is when you meet someone new and realize you both know the same person. “Oh you know John, too? How did you meet?” You two share a connection and this will make you more memorable than those who don’t. So why do we ignore these little helpful icons? I admit it. I used to gloss over these, too. Now I take advantage of this networking feature. Reach out to that mutual friend and ask for an introduction or ask if you can use her name as a reference
when reaching out to the desired connection (and then use that person’s name in the subject line of your message). And while we’re on the topic of sending messages over LinkedIn, make sure you tell this person why you are reaching out to him/ her. Don’t just use the standard, “I’d like to add you to my Linkedin network.” The reason you are contacting them should be in the first sentence. Another tip: You know who your new connection likes to read about? Herself. Maybe show some admiration for what they’ve achieved or an article they’ve written. Take the time to learn about the person before you contact him or her. You might also consider making yourself an asset by identifying people in your network who would mutually benefit from being introduced to each other. Then introduce them! People will remember that you went out of your way to improve their lives and they will return the favor. Here’s an example of how to go about doing this.
when used adeptly, but sometimes it can be a challenge to make yourself stand out. You should build up a credible online presence on multiple venues. Consider becoming active on Twitter, Facebook, and even creating a webpage of your own. Looking for new connections? I’d be happy to connect with you on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin. com/in/laurentanabe
Photo credit: Lauren Tanabe, PhD
This article was previously published on the Wayne State University BEST Program Blog. https://blogs.wayne.edu/bestwayne/
Finish the message with a postscript. According to Cheeky Scientist, the “P.S.” is read more than any other part of an email, except for the subject line. See Cheeky Scientist for examples of this type of postscript. Finally, LinkedIn is a great resource, but it’s not the only one LinkedIn can be fantastically useful
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“When I enrolled in a course calle idea I would meet with poli
“We also visited the Office of Science Technology Policy and learned how science policy is managed by the President and key staff”
Science Policy Washington, D.C When I enrolled in a course called “Science Policy Bootcamp” at Cornell University, I had no idea I would meet with policymakers in Washington, D.C. a few months later! The course required students to select a policy topic of interest, research it, and compile a technical report or op-ed piece that could impact future science policy. After the course, it seemed a natural step to join the Advancing Science and Policy (ASAP) Club held at Cornell. ASAP meets regularly, holds roundtable discussion meetings, invites speakers, and organizes faculty chats. ASAP nurtured my, and other classmates’, interest in science policy. As the academic year came to a close I had the opportunity, through the Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST) Program, to visit Washington, D.C. and see what policymakers really do. A group of five graduate students and post docs, led by our intrepid course instructor Professor Chris Schaffer, met senators, members of the House of Representatives, and other professionals on the Hill to discuss science
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ed ‘Science Policy Bootcamp’ at Cornell University, I had no icymakers in Washington, D.C. a few months later!”
C. trip hosted by Cornell BEST policies. We also visited the Office of Science Technology Policy and learned how science policy is managed by the President and key staff. The last day of the trip included a visit to the National Science Foundation and a meeting with members of the merit review panel, another institute of vital importance for young scientists. Our final stop was the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) itself, where we learned how scientists could pursue a career in policy by acquiring an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship.
Kathleen Hefferon, PhD Postdoc, Cornell University
While I enjoyed the course I took at Cornell, the experience in Washington, D.C. was phenomenal. I was amazed that the political process regarding science policy is actually transparent. I was inspired by the fact that every office we approached made time to meet with us, heard our concerns, and answered our questions. Having received my U.S. citizenship just one year ago, my experience with how science policy moves from mere discussion into action through our system of government was particularly poignant. Photo credit: Kathleen Hefferon, PhD
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“I can put 100 people o What value do YOU add? This statement stopped me in my tracks during an interview. The man across the table was the founder of Aeon Global Health. In five years, he went from a 2-person operation working out of a suite in a gas station to a multimillion dollar publicly traded company. He is an entrepreneur and a calculating businessman who has little time for the discussion of soft skills and my project management experience. In that moment, I needed to clearly articulate my value not my skills. In my previous interviews, I have relied on highlighting my skills and how my prior experiences have developed them. However, the missing piece was directly translating those skills into an added value for that company. Essentially, I need to be able to describe how I would drive that specific bus, not just my general ability to steer buses. Understanding this difference is the key to a successful interview. You need to know the company, the competitors and the market, and be able to articulate how you would drive that specific bus. I would like to say that I was able to clearly define how I would add value and drive growth, but I don’t believe that happened. What did happen was that I attended a networking event at Emory, met an alumnus who worked at Aeon, and she recommended hiring me. Knowing your value will allow you to excel at an interview, but it’s networking that will get you the opportunity for that interview.
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on a bus, but if no one is driving it’s pointless.�
JP Canner, PhD BEST Cohort 2, Postdoc, Emory University
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Creating collisions be science -- in our By John Nicosia, BEST Cohort 3, PhD Student, Georgia Tech When considering careers, many PhD students and postdocs are curious about working for startups. Perhaps they are interested in translating lab science into viable products, or maybe they just really like the show Silicon Valley. Either way, the allure of start-ups is usually accompanied by uncertainty – what would a start-up job look like for someone who’s spent most of their career in academia? Scientific training alone isn’t sufficient preparation for the variety of responsibilities required to support a fledgling company. To address this, the Atlanta BEST Program teamed up with K.P. Reddy, CEO of Softwear Automation and co-founder of The Combine. Together, we designed a summer program called the Startup Immersion Program that matched teams of BEST trainees with local start-ups to work on market exploration and customer discovery projects. The program was designed to immerse trainees in start-up culture, networks, and the non-technical aspects of business and commercialization. Four start-up companies worked with teams of 4-5 trainees on a variety of technologies, from finite element analysis software packages to robotic sewing machines. Instead of working at the design table, trainees interfaced with potential customers and performed market research to identify profitable new applications for these technologies.
23 Photo Credit: Kevin Morris (background) and Tami Hutto
etween business and r own backyard. For scientists who have spent their careers in academia, this was a new, and sometimes humbling, experience. Customer discovery requires going out and talking to people who might benefit from a technology, not just researching from behind a computer screen. Some trainees loved this kind of work, whereas others were happy to return to their academic responsibilities. Regardless, the Start-up Immersion Program was a success. The program culminated in a series of presentations by the participating teams to other trainees, employees of The Combine, and executives from the start-ups involved. With our pilot of the Start-up Immersion Program completed, we look forward to future iterations. Our long-term vision is to create substantive collisions between the business and science worlds. It is our hope that from these collisions, we can facilitate the hiring of intelligent and welltrained scientists by local companies, where these scientists can apply their skill sets, have fulfilling careers, and execute great ideas to grow Atlanta companies.
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The Road Less Travelled: Fr By Urmimala Basu, PhD Student, Rutgers University
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he common notion of “Industry or Academia” echoed by millions of graduate students and postdocs when quizzed on their career aspirations might very soon turn into the apparent paradoxical concept of “Industry and Academia”. A recent article in SCIENCE magazine discusses this morphing concept. As the line between academia and industry blurs due to burgeoning collaborations between the industrial and academic sectors, personnel in both sectors are finding it easier to switch sides. Although transitioning from industry to academia has less precedent, this pattern is slowly, yet steadily, gaining momentum. In addition to unique skill-sets, people with an industry background are bringing in ‘access to new networks, and knowledge concerning how to craft win-win partnerships between universities and companies’. Often industry scientists, having been engaged in research and teaching/mentoring roles, find switching to academia feasible. A definite way to gain entry (or re-entry in some cases) into academia is through senior level administrative positions: rele25 vant industry experience is paving the way
for an easy transition into academics. Another route to gain entry into academia from industry is as a “professor of practice.” It is common for industry workers to come back to graduate school later in life to obtain a Ph.D., which can facilitate their career in industry. Typically, these people are hired to bring in new perspectives while apprising students about the avenues in industry which people in academia are often ignorant about. You can also gain access to academia from industry through conventional faculty positions: your expertise in an esoteric field can catapult you into a relevant and about-to-be-opened department at the university. Innovation and negotiation go hand in hand when experts are hired to work in academia and industry simultaneously: their career trajectories; however, often eventually lead them to choose one over the other. In several European nations, including Germany, having industry experience is not only desirable, but also a requirement for academic employment. People transitioning into academia after successful careers in industry often stand out from the traditional academic crowd as they bring in a diverse range of experiences and out-of-the-box perspectives, making it lucrative for academic departments to hire them.
rom Industry To Academia Having worked in huge teams in industry, you can find yourself skilled in ‘managing multidisciplinary projects and individuals with different skill sets’. Being highly adept in ‘organizational, budgeting, and personnel management’, industry scientists often possess essential skills required for transitioning into academic leadership. You also have real insight into the skills and traits that jobs are looking for in new recruits, allowing you to better guide students who are applying for internships and/or jobs in industry. Moreover, your extensive contacts in industry help foster collaborations and bring in alternative sources of research funding. It is important to be aware that there are stark differences in the work ethics and cultural environments between industry and academia. While in industry, personnel are involved in research focused on marketing a product, in academia, you can be expected to teach, train students, and serve on committees in addition to conducting research. In industry, research is fast-paced as products need to reach the market in the least amount of time. This is far from being true in academia where only limited research has direct commercial applications. Thus, the jump from industry to academia can come as a shock to many, but traits like
humility, perseverance, and curiosity can go a long way in making your transition smoother. To make this transition more fulfilling, start by honing your skills as a mentor. As teaching is a crucial and indispensable part of working in academia, aspiring academics currently working in industry can volunteer to teach courses part-time at local universities by reaching out to department chairs. Mentoring interns is also a great way to practice the conversational skills related to advising students. Initiating collaborations with academic institutions while in industry can facilitate a ‘soft transition’. Establishing your skill set and illustrating its utility in an academic department can establish your niche and help you find a job. But don’t expect the career switch to be a walk in the park! Taking this transition as a challenge and a learning experience can help you become a better scientist and a better academic! For more insight, the original SCIENCE article by Alaina G. Levine can be accessed here.
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If you had asked me two years ago if I would be where I am today, happy and with a fulfilling career, I doubt I could have even imagined it. A Circuitous Route to Career Satisfaction
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n the fourth year of my PhD in Immunology at the University of California, Davis, I was deep into what I have learned many doctoral students call the “fourth year blues.” I was rounding out a six-month experimental dry spell, after the lab freezer broke down and months of samples were lost. Put simply, I was depressed. The windowless lab I was in also did not help the situation. The thought of following the traditional track with two to three more years of graduate school, followed by two to three stints as a postdoc was horrifying. Although UC Davis has a magnificent graduate level biotechnology program, even industry careers were requiring more training and publishing to be competitive. I felt there had to be another career that utilized my education, and was a better fit for me. That was when I learned about a career exploration program called CETI*, now known as FUTURE**, that provided mentored career path educa27 tion and planning followed by assistance
obtaining an internship. During this training program, my attitude and professional outlook took a complete 180o turn. I was made aware of what I have deemed the “sad graph” depicting the number of PhDs versus tenure track professorships available. I learned the necessity of and proper ways of networking. As an introverted scientist, this was not easy, but was incredibly valuable. I received resume and interview tips from hiring managers. Most importantly, I was encouraged to broaden my real world experience by conducting informational interviews and exploring internships. Over the next year and a half, with the information I gained through FUTURE, I attacked my career opportunities like I did my research: attempting many different approaches until things finally clicked. I reached out to biology education research opportunities on campus, participated in a science communication fellowship at the Powerhouse Science Museum, and joined a faculty diversity internship at a local community college. Yet, it was a part time job posting
By Amanda Xu, PhD MESA Director University of California, Davis Photo credit: Amanda Xu, PhD
during the summer after FUTURE that would truly change my life. Two days a week during my last year of graduate school, I coordinated the Math, Engineering, Science, Achievement (MESA) program at a community college. There, I got to work with the next generation of scientists. I acted as an educator, mentor, and advisor while managing a STEM tutoring and transfer center aimed at assisting educationally and economically disadvantaged students. I was able to utilize skills I gained at each of my internships and share with others what I had learned through FUTURE. Each day in the lab, I would look forward to the two days out of my very full seven day work week that were spent in MESA. Balancing scientific research and a part time position was by no means easy, but it made all the difference. After working part time in MESA for a year, I applied for an educational administrator position directing a MESA program. Two months before I finished my PhD, I got the job offer! I am now working at beautiful
Mendocino College where plentiful window walls are overlooking lush mountains. I work with young scientists daily and truly look forward to going to work every day. I am certain I would not have had this opportunity if it were not for what I learned through FUTURE. If you have the opportunity to take advantage of a similar program, do it! If you do not, then become your own advocate and explore career opportunities. A couple months in an internship could save you years doing something you do not enjoy, and perhaps lead you to something you love!
*CETI (Career Exploration Through Internships) was a two year pilot internship program funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and supplemented with funding from the NIH BEST (Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training) initiative. **FUTURE is funded by a five year grant from the NIH Common Fund BEST initiative.
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Anyone Can Lead By Eric Hoffer, BEST Cohort 3, PhD Student, Emory University
What makes a good leader? Are people born to be leaders or is leadership a trainable skill? Over the summer Dr. Wes Wynens, Director of Leadership Education and Development Program at Georgia Tech, convincingly conveyed the latter. According to Dr. Wynens, leadership is more closely related to an action than to a title. Anyone can lead, but not everyone in a position to lead choses to do so. Why is that? The answer is most likely unique for each individual, but an underlying trend is that the very nature of leadership requires sacrifice, and not everyone is comfortable with that. Leading often means we have to give up something we want to achieve something we need. A leader must keep their team at a productive level of stress in order to move goals forward, pushing people to their limit and helping them grow without letting them get overwhelmed. That is a lot to ask, especially since every team will have their own unique dynamic. Dr. Wynens described leadership like a pyramid, with the very basic level being trust. Without trust in a team then all the other steps a leader must take are moot. A leader must navigate conflict, commit to decisions, and hold the team and themselves accountable without losing the trust of their peers. A good leader must have all of those aspects in mind and balance them if they want to achieve results. My personal favorite session that Dr. Wynens hosted was about coaching. Unlike mentoring, which is the “leading by example” or “do as I do” approach, coaching is much more hands off. The end goal of a coach is to bring out the best in someone, not to make a mirror image of oneself. A key aspect that stuck with me after Dr. Wynens’ session was how a coach sets up all the necessary conditions for success, but doesn’t force it. At the time of this leadership program I was also men29 toring an undergraduate. I realized that I was doing my undergraduate a disservice
by just giving them answers and direction without asking them if they comprehended why it was important. From that day, I changed my interaction style to a coaching mindset, and I witnessed a significant change. When my undergraduate felt like she had ownership of the project and was free to explore options she seemed much more invested and enthused about progress. I believe a mentoring role is correct for anyone that needs training, such as a first year graduate student, but coaching seems to be the correct approach when people need to improve and reach their full potential. I honestly think many successful advisors could use a mix of both mentoring and coaching to help their trainees grow throughout their career. A significant portion of the leadership series was a team based project to test our leadership and teamwork. We were split into three groups, which were all given the same problem to solve. What can be done at the institutional level to better improve graduate students and postdocs for today’s careers? We started by identifying the problems with PhD training and then had to come up with practical solutions to solve those problems. At the end of the series we presented our findings on posters to the deans and administrators of Georgia Tech and Emory. The NIH even skyped in to hear what we had to say! The discussions were enlightening and I personally believe each team did a fantastic job with the project. However, I want to focus not on the project, but how the team dynamic evolved over the course of the project. The way Dr. Wynens instructed us was interesting and something I hadn’t given much attention to in the past. We were told to act on an equal playing field, with no established “leader”. Obviously there were different personalities in the group. Some were naturally more
dominate than others. I usually have ideas whenever I’m in a group, but I seldom express them because there always seems to be others more willing to share. Dr. Wynens taught us new ways of working as a group equally and letting everyone contribute. Sometimes it was as simple as going around in a circle taking turns sharing ideas instead of volunteering. Another technique involved placing ideas on sticky notes and placing them on the wall. Once all the ideas were posted, they could be grouped and reorganized depending on the topic. I also found that having a “post meeting” meeting was a great tool to provide feedback on how we honestly felt about how well we communicated and
pushed our goal further. Even though some individuals didn’t contribute as much or stopped showing up entirely, the team dynamic felt organic and people played to their strengths while respecting different opinions. From this experience I learned so much about myself and how I operate as both a leader and a team member. I’m glad that I was able to experience the leadership series through Emory and Georgia Tech’s BEST program. I truly believe that Dr. Wynens has given me a greater insight into leadership and how I can be a more effective leader.
All three team’s posters can be found below. We had representatives attend from Emory and Georgia Tech’s leadership in gradaute education, as well as the program leader for the NIH BEST programs skyped in for the final presentations. Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Photo credit: Tami Hutto
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What the FUTURE Taught Me Nora Navarro-Gonzalez, PhD, Postdoc, Univeristy of California, Davis
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hen I finished the Frontiers of University Training to Unlock the Research Enterprise (FUTURE)programatUCDavislastwinter, I expected to see a change in me. It was not about being a completely different, strange person, but about changing my approach to the job search and to networking. Maybe because of my Latin genes, as a default, I was spontaneous and carefree, but through the FUTURE program I learned about the Individual Development Plan and how to be more proactive with my own future.
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I recently had the opportunity to implement the new skills I had learned through FUTURE at the International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. First, this time I did not leave it all to chance. A few days in advance, I looked through the program and selected the speakers I was interested in. I had never done this before because I felt like it would take away from working in the lab, reading papers, or writing manuscripts. The FUTURE program made me realize that preparing myself to get the most out of a conference is also
part of my job – our jobs. Thus, this time I printed the program and read it through. I finished planning my three day schedule on the plane, so I did not feel like I used my precious research time. This small amount of planning proved to be most productive. The venue was ideal for networking and job searching, for which I must really thank the organizers. How many conferences have a student booth with a job board? Employers posted their current offers with an envelope for job seekers to leave their CV, resumÊ, or business card. This reminded me of the
Photo credit: Nora Navarro-Gonzalez, PhD
Photo credit: https://stlouis.massmutual.com/-/media/subcontent/aba/aba/homepage/101-has1-stlouisnight.jpg
many times I’d heard to ALWAYS carry around a copy of our CV. Oops, I did not! This was definitely a strike against me. My only excuse is that I am currently looking for a job in France, so a conference in St. Louis, Missouri is not the place I would expect to see such job postings. Although I was right on that account, I did not leave St. Louis empty-handed! As I mentioned, I had done my homework and had a schedule. I noticed one of the talks focused on France and the speaker’s affiliation was in France – though not in the town where I was looking. When the session finished, I approached the speaker. He immediately understood my interest and gave me his business card, asking me to send him my CV. That was great! Moreover, he mentioned that his company has labs in the town I will be moving. He did not know about any open positions, but having that contact is was a good start. At the very least, it is a place where I could potentially do an internship when I move there, then build my network from there.
After the talk, I went through the list of attendees to search for institutions and job titles I was interested in using the conference app. This was the first time I attended a conference that had its own app and it worked
writer from the University of Wisconsin was attending the conference. I had heard many times that PhDs actually become science writers. Given that I like writing and science, I wanted to know what science writing was really about. I immediately messaged this person through the conference app, asking if we could talk briefly about her job. To my surprise, she offered to talk with me over lunch. Could the conference get any better? We had a very nice and useful conversation. She gave me great advice and the whole experience was very encouraging. With my newly made connections, I headed to my poster with a smile, distributed my last business cards, and left with the feeling that I had gotten the most out of my conference experience.
really well for me. I’d definitely advise others to use the conference app if there is one. With the app, I found out that a science
Photo Credit: Nora Navarro-Gonzalez, PhD
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To ContribuTE Articles to the Atlanta BEST Magazine please contact: Tami Hutto thutto@emory.edu Kylie Ainslie kylie.ainslie@emory.edu