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6
Suggested Ideas to Change
Chemistry Graduate Education
and Skills to Benefit Students
This final chapter compiles ideas mentioned in previous chapters into
a single list, with the person suggesting that idea identified in parenthe-
ses. The ideas have been divided into those focused primarily on students
and faculty members and on department chairs, deans, and other research
administrators, though many of the ideas apply across categories and
have different implications for different groups. This chapter also lists
skills discussed by individual presenters that could benefit students if
taught during chemistry graduate school.
The suggestions should not be seen as recommendations of the work-
shop, the Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, or the National
Research Council. However, together with the list of skills cited in Box 6-1,
they point to the tremendous potential of chemistry graduate education
as it adapts to current challenges.
IDEAS FOR CHANGE FOCUSED ON
STUDENTS AND FACULTY MEMBERS
• Greater clarity regarding the expectations of both graduate stu-
dents and faculty advisors would reduce conflicts and confusion.
(Dorhout)
• Encouragement from advisors to learn about areas outside a
graduate student’s research area can produce greater breadth in
graduate education. (Aaron)
• Exposure to information about different careers in graduate
55
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56 CHALLENGES IN CHEMISTRY GRADUATE EDUCATION
Box 6-1
Skills Discussed by Individual Presenters that Could Benefit
Students if Taught During Chemistry Graduate School
The speakers at the workshop described many skills that chemistry graduate
schools could teach to prepare students for the challenges they will face in the
workplace. The following list is drawn from the summaries of their talks in this
chapter. While all students could not be expected to learn all of these skills during
graduate school, many workshop participants noted that mastering a subset of
them could help them in their future careers.
Education
Constructing chemistry curricula and laboratories for undergraduates
Teaching undergraduate chemistry
Explaining concepts in different ways for diverse groups of students
Mentoring undergraduates
Research
Generating scientific research ideas independently
Preparing research proposals
Recording, interpreting, and storing data responsibly
Writing and publishing scientific papers
Acquiring a thorough familiarity with safety procedures and disseminating those
procedures
Working in groups, including interdisciplinary groups
Interacting with funding agencies and managing the finances of a research
team
Reviewing proposals and articles
Entrepreneurial
Transforming scientific ideas into business plans
Understanding how to sell products and protect market advantages
Interacting with technology transfer offices and intellectual property lawyers
Personal
Managing time effectively
Communicating orally and in writing with nonscientists
Interacting with the community outside research institutions
Learning to manage other people
Learning to be adaptable and acquire new skills
Thinking creatively and critically
Exhibiting leadership
Approaching a problem from a broad-based perspective
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57
SUGGESTED IDEAS AND SKILLS TO BENEFIT STUDENTS
school, including opportunities to meet with chemistry PhDs who
have entered those careers, can provide graduate students with
information they need to make career decisions. (Schomaker)
• Graduate education can be excellent preparation for a teaching
career either in higher education or K-12 education. (Gerratana)
• Teaching skills are important in industry as well as in academia
to explain ideas and urge particular actions. (Shenoy)
• Opportunities to teach and mentor undergraduates and other
students improves communication skills and understanding of
the material being taught. (Schomaker)
• The opportunity to write and revise research proposals in gradu-
ate school, with feedback from advisors, can provide experience
useful in many future careers. (Shomaker)
• Research done in interdisciplinary groups with multiple advi-
sors could broaden graduate education and expose students to a
diversity of approaches, as well as helping to prevent mistreat-
ment of graduate students. (Bergman)
• Alternately, research projects under single advisors but with
extensive collaborations could provide both breadth and depth
in graduate education. (Boering)
• Exposure to “entrepreneuring” during graduate school can help
students think about the relevance and potential uses of a discov -
ery. (Berry)
• Letting graduate students work together and practice submitting
proposals to business colleagues could help them thrive in the
private sector. (Lahiri)
• Enhanced partnerships between universities and companies
could provide valuable experiences for chemistry graduate stu -
dents. (Beaulieu)
• Internships could greatly broaden the experiences of graduate
students in chemistry while also benefiting university research.
(Dhawan)
• Education programs at any level that challenge students to solve
problems can engage students more actively. (Berry)
• Efforts to coordinate proposals for chemistry research and gradu-
ate education with federal priorities could increase funding for
chemistry. (Platz)
IDEAS FOR CHANGE FOCUSED ON DEPARMTENT CHAIRS,
DEANS, AND OTHER RESEARCH ADMINISTRATORS
• Depth, breadth, and communication could be themes for trans-
forming graduate chemistry education. (Colon)
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58 CHALLENGES IN CHEMISTRY GRADUATE EDUCATION
• Rotations in graduate school before beginning a research project
can broaden exposure to topics in chemistry and forge important
relationships. (Schomaker)
• Reducing the barriers between traditional fields of chemistry and
involving other disciplines in research projects may enable faster
progress on integrative problems. (Whitesides)
• Support from funding agencies, joint appointments, and the co-
location of investigators from different disciplines all can help
promote interdisciplinary research. (Houston)
• Innovative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative projects can build
faculty morale even when resources are constrained. (Fox)
• Written individual development plans for all graduate students
and postdocs supported by research grants or traineeships could
help students set goals and adhere to them. (Rogers)
• A course for graduate students on teaching chemistry could build
essential teaching skills. (Aaron)
• A progression of different support mechanisms for graduate stu-
dents could help meet their changing needs as they move through
graduate school. (Houston)
• New structures for graduate education—such as a separate mas-
ter’s degree with value in the workplace, time spent doing public
service or work in a foreign country, or degrees that take less time
to achieve—could have advantages for students and employers
alike. (Whitesides)
• Master’s degrees could focus on technical skills while PhDs focus
on leadership skills, as is the case in Japan. (Doyle)
• Family-friendly policies and supportive colleagues can reduce the
attrition of women in graduate chemistry education. (Boering)
• Chemistry departments that reimagine the graduate experience
in a compelling way could generate national attention, be seen to
have a competitive advantage, and spur imitators. (Platz)
• Greater emphasis on safety in graduate school is important both
in graduate school and during careers. (Yeston)
• Enhancing partnerships between universities and companies
could provide valuable experiences for chemistry graduate stu -
dents. (Beaulieu)
