Future Faculty and Academic Careers

Power Mentoring Dinner with Keivan Stassun, Vanderbilt University
2018-10-01 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Taverna Banfi, The Statler Hotel, 130 Statler Drive, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Graduate Students and Postdocs are invited to join the Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement and the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) at Cornell for a space-limited dinner with Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education & Research and Stevenson Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Vanderbilt University, Dr. Keivan Stassun. Registration will remain open until we reach the seating cap.
Link to register
About Professor Keivan Stassun
After earning A.B. degrees in physics and in astronomy from the University of California at Berkeley, and the Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Wisconsin—Madison, Stassun was a NASA Hubble postdoctoral fellow before joining the Vanderbilt faculty in 2003. A recipient of a CAREER award from NSF and a Cottrell Scholar Award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, Stassun’s research star formation and exoplanets has appeared in more than 250 peer-reviewed journal articles. He is a co-investigator for the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission and chairs the executive committee of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
From 2004 to 2015, he served as founding director of the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program, through which Fisk has become the top producer of African American master’s degrees in physics and Vanderbilt has become one of the nation’s top producers of PhDs to underrepresented minorities in the physical sciences. He has served on the Astronomy & Astrophysics Advisory Committee, the NSF Committee for Equal Opportunity in Science and Engineering, has been recognized by the Fletcher Foundation for “contributions advancing the spirit of Brown versus Board of Education,” is a recipient of the American Physical Society’s Nicholson Medal for Human Outreach, and is an elected Fellow of both the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2010, Stassun was invited to give expert testimony on “broadening participation in STEM” to the US House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology.
For the past ten years, Stassun has served as founding director of the Vanderbilt Initiative in Data-intensive Astrophysics. In 2017, Stassun launched the Vanderbilt Initiative for Autism & Innovation, focused on advancing science and engineering through the engagement and advancement of individuals with autism. This year, Stassun was awarded a million-dollar HHMI Professor Prize, and was named Mentor of the Year by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Hosted by the Graduate School Office of Inclusion & Student Engagement and the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) at Cornell and is supported by the NSF AGEP Transformation Alliance: Improved Academic Climate for STEM Dissertators and Postdocs to Increase Interest in Faculty Careers (NSF Grant No. 1647094).

First Discussion Group for the CIRTL Online Course on STEM Teaching
2018-10-05 11:30 - 12:30, 2018-10-09 09:00 - 10:00 | Online
This is the first local discussion group meeting for the online course An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching offered through EdX by the CIRTL Network and starting October 1, 2018. We will meet via Zoom and discuss Week 1 materials.
An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching is a massive open online course designed to prepare aspiring faculty in STEM fields to be more effective teachers through an introduction to evidence-based STEM teaching practices. You will learn about effective teaching strategies and the research that supports them. You’ll then apply your learning to the design of lessons and assignments for use in your future teaching or job application packages. After completing this course, you will be a more informed and confident teacher, equipped for greater success in the classroom.
This eight-week course draws on the expertise of STEM faculty, educational researchers, and staff from university teaching centers, many of them affiliated with the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL), a network of nearly 40 research universities collaborating in the preparation of STEM graduate students and postdocs as future faculty members. There are opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, both online and within Cornell, as we also offer local discussion groups around the MOOC activities (contact Colleen McLinn at cirtl@cornell.edu for information).
Sign up for Cornell / Ithaca discussion groups: https://conta.cc/2N7drvq

SPARK Talks: Scholars Present About Research and Knowledge
2018-10-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Mann Library, 237 Mann Drive, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Cornell University Library is proud to host SPARK Talks – a series of five-minute lightning talks from Cornell graduate students and postdocs. It’s more important than ever for scholars to be able to clearly communicate their research whether to undergraduates in the classroom, prospective employers, funding agencies, or the general public.
2018 Theme: Diversity
Think novel applications, paradigm shifts, new voices, variety, worldviews, evolving conversations, and more. Possibilities include, but are not limited to, diversification of power, legislation, interpretation, application, or cultural norms within the arts, sciences, business, law, and literature. Unexpected, intriguing, or stimulating interpretations of the theme are especially welcome!
Program
Please join us for the SPARK Talks event in Mann Room 160 on Thursday, October 18 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm for the following program.

4:00pm – Welcome and introduction

Alison Shea, Public Services Librarian, Nestlé Library
Danianne Mizzy, Associate University Librarian for Research and Learning Services

4:10pm – Session 1

Janani Hariharan, PhD student in Soil and Crop Sciences
Biodiversity and Social Diversity

William Pennock, PhD candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Diverse Water Treatment for Diverse Contexts

Angus McKenzie, MPS candidate in Accounting
Is New Zealand the Answer? How International Diversity is Key to Solving the Sports Betting Industry

Julia Nolte, PhD student in Human Development
Measuring the Invisible: How Do Diverse Methods Compare?

Casey Ching, PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Diversifying Adsorption Technology to Remove Fluorinated Substances from Water

4:35pm – Questions

4:50pm – Break

5:00pm – Session 2

Renee Sifri, PhD candidate in Chemistry and Chemical Biology
A Diverse Distribution for Plastics

Marika Nell, PhD candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering
The Impacts of Fracking: Diversifying our Understanding of Water Contamination using Environmental Forensics

Teddy Samuel Yesudasan, MS candidate in Plant Breeding and Genetics
Addressing Diversity in Potatoes: Why Red Potatoes are Red

Jessica Huisi Li, PhD candidate in Management and Organizations
Talk and Let Talk: How Language Diversity Influences Cross-Cultural Teamwork

5:25pm – Questions

5:35pm – Reception

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Practitioner Workshop
2018-10-19 08:00 - 10:00 | Caldwell Hall, 121 Reservoir Ave, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
An invited workshop for participants who have been accepted to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Practitioner Program for 2018-2019. Repeat of the kickoff meeting for participants in this group, for those with schedule conflicts. Learn more

Education Research Seminar: Cognition and Performance: Problem Solving in Genetics
2018-10-19 10:00 - 11:00 | 401 Physical Sciences Building, 245 East Avenue, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Dr. Jenny Knight, a specialist in education research at the University of Colorado, Boulder, will speak about her research on how students solve problems. Open to the public. No registration required. Hosted by the Center for Teaching Innovation.
Summary: We are studying how students independently solve complex genetics problems through written documentation of their problem-solving processes. We analyze their answers for correctness, use of reasoning, and other cognitive and metacognitive processes, and also measure whether giving students content “hints” improves their performance. We are particularly interested in whether certain processes correlate with correct answers, and whether the sequence of thinking a student engages in influences their problem-solving ability. Ideally, this work will lead to an understanding of how to better help students become life-long problem-solvers.
Event information

University-Wide GET SET Teaching Conference
2018-10-20 08:30 - 16:00 | Stocking Hall
The Center for Teaching Innovation is pleased to offer the Fall 2018 University-wide (U-wide) GET SET Teaching Conference, open to all graduate students, TAs, and postdocs at Cornell. This program provides an opportunity for interdisciplinary discussions on teaching with faculty and peers from across campus.

MAC: Maximizing Your Mentoring – Identifying What You Need From Your Mentoring Relationships
2018-10-26 11:30 - 13:00 | G01 Biotechnology Building, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
Understanding your wants and needs is critical to have a thriving relationship with your mentor. Join us to hear from advanced Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows/Associates about how they navigate this important relationship.
Sponsored by the Multicultural Academic Council (MAC)

Job Search Discussion
2018-10-26 12:00 - 13:30 | Warren Hall, 137 Reservoir Ave, Ithaca, NY, 14850, United States
Are you a postdoc or graduate student going on the academic job market? Come join a monthly lunch discussion with others in the same boat, facilitated by the Office of Postdoctoral Studies and CIRTL at Cornell. We’re gathering a community of peers to help find advice, support, and feedback. Lunch served! RSVP required. Location: B50 Warren Hall.
Part of the Academic Job Search Series sponsored by CIRTL at Cornell and the Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

NextGen Professors: October Cohort Meeting
2018-10-29 16:00 - 17:30 | B02 Warren Hall, 137 Reservoir Avenue, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States
This is an invitation-only event for applicants who have been select to participate in this year’s NextGen Professors Cohort.
NextGen Professors is a career-development program focused on preparing Cornell doctoral students and postdocs for faculty careers across institutional types. The primary audience for this program is doctoral students (in year 3 or beyond) and postdocs from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the professoriate, and/or those with a demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, inclusion, access and equity in the academy. Participants are members of a cohort who together engage in series of professional and career development activities including monthly NextGen Professors cohort meetings, Power Mentoring Sessions with faculty, and the Future Professors Institute. Participants also engage in program offerings of CIRTL at Cornell, which focus on evidence-based practice of teaching, inclusive teaching and learning, and effective mentoring practices.
October Meeting Topic: Navigating Academia Professionally and Personally
