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Contact Information

Email: ricecuwip@gmail.com

Dr. Patricia Reiff [reiff@rice.edu]
Rice Space Institute, MS-108
Rice University
6100 Main Street
Houston, TX 77005-1892

Breakout Sessions

This is the schedule of breakout sessions for the Rice CUWiP Conference. Breakout sessions will be held in the following rooms:

  • Herman Brown Hall 227 (HBH227)
  • Space Science 106 (SS106)
  • Dell Butcher 180 (DB180)
  • Brockman Hall 103 (BRK103)
  • Herman Brown Hall 427 (HBH427)
BREAKOUT SESSIONS 1 & 2
Saturday, January 14, 2017
2:30 and 3:30 pm
LOCATION
Career Toolbox Herman Brown Hall 227 (HBH227)
Non-academic careers Dell Butcher 180 (DB180)
Professional Development Workshop: Negotiation Skills Herman Brown Hall 427 (HBH427)
Gender Issues in science Space Science 106 (SS106)
Graduate school--getting in, surviving, and what comes after Brockman Hall 103 (BRK103)
Eclipse 2017 Brockman Hall observatory
BREAKOUT SESSION 3 & 4
Sunday, January 15, 2017
9:00 and 10:00 am
LOCATION
Career Toolbox Herman Brown Hall 227 (HBH227)
Non-academic careers Dell Butcher 180 (DB180)
Mental health--handling stress Herman Brown Hall 427 (HBH427)
Gender Issues in science Space Science 106 (SS106)
Graduate school--getting in, surviving, and what comes after Brockman Hall 103 (BRK103)

Non-academic careers:

Most people who graduate with degrees in physics do not end up in academic careers at universities. A physics degree can lead to a wide range of interesting careers. In this discussion panel, you will hear from several physicists who have gone on to careers in non-academic settings.

Panel members:

  • Jennifer Johnson - MD Anderson Cancer Center (Saturday) - Medical Physics
  • Christina Dodge - Texas Children's Hospital (Sunday) - Medical Physics
  • Maria Tatanova - Shell International E&P, Inc. (Saturday) - Energy industry
  • TingTing Chang - Shell International E&P, Inc. (Sunday) - Energy industry
  • Deborah Lillie - free lance textbook writer and editor
  • Julia Bell - high school physics teacher
  • Amanda Acevedo - Vedo Systems - software systems engineer
  • Jamie Stone - Financial industry

Graduate school--getting in, surviving, and what comes after:

Many people with undergraduate degrees in physics want to continue their physics education in graduate school. If you want a research career, either at a university, a national lab, or in industry, an advanced degree is usually required. In this discussion panel, you will hear from faculty about strategies for getting into the graduate school that is right for you. Current graduate students will talk about what it is really like to be in graduate school. A post doc will discuss how to move on to the next step after graduate school.

Panel members:

  • Professor Chris Johns-Krull, Rice University
  • Professor Lisa Whitehead, University of Houston
  • Jaki Noronhahostler, University of Houston post doc
  • Alison Farrish, first year graduate student, Rice University
  • Amanda Wickens, Applied Physics graduate student in Electrical and Computational Engineering, Rice University

Professional Development Workshop: Negotiation Skills:

This interactive workshop is designed for women in physics and will discuss tools needed for achieving your professional goals. This will include negotiation skills, how to work in teams, mentor/advisor/sponsor interactions, and articulating your goals and devising a plan to achieve them. Participants are invited to bring examples of difficult professional situations to discuss.

Workshop facilitator:
Professor Donna Stokes, University of Houston


Gender Issues in science:

The search for evidence of a science gender gap has been provided by numerous research studies which have evaluated the population of professionals in the academic fields of science and engineering, as well as surveys focusing on students perceptions of these subjects. Overwhelmingly, research has supported the conclusion that there are no biological, neurological, or genetic factors that explain scientific gender disparity. Rather, a combination of elements combine to make it more difficult for women to train for and maintain a high-achieving scientific career. These factors include social stigma of the sciences as masculine, institutional bias in the scientific community, and pressures related to starting a family. Although women scientists continue to be underrepresented in various professional levels, this workshop seeks to share experiences of women who have established rewarding and successful careers in science.

Workshop facilitator:
Professor Niescja Turner, Trinity University San Antonio


Career Toolbox:

Putting your physics degree to work: Career options and professional development tools for physics students

This is an interactive workshop where you will learn how to use the set of career development tools for undergraduate physics students that have been developed as part of the American Institute of Physics Career Pathways research project. Even though more 40% of all undergraduate physics majors enter the workforce after graduation, many undergraduate physics programs do not include experiences aimed at making sure students are ready to take the next step, particularly if the step is outside the academic track. You will engage with these new resources, made just for physics students and developed with the goal of putting you ahead of the crowd when it comes to building your professional network and learning to better recognize the unique set of skills that you have acquired (or will) in completing your undergraduate physics program. You will work on developing those important "soft skills" and learn effective techniques for articulating your "hard skills" to those who may not be fully aware of all that a well-prepared physics student is capable of. Even if you do not plan to go to work immediately after graduation, you will still benefit from this unique session focused on putting your best foot forward when you when you are ready to find your first position.

Workshop facilitator:
Professor Toni Sauncy, Texas Lutheran University


Eclipse 2017:

In August 2017, a huge swath of the US will be treated to a spectacular total eclipse of the sun. Rice professor Pat Reiff will give tips on where to travel to see it (Texas will not be in the path of totality), how to safely view the eclipse, and how to get the most out of the experience.

Workshop facilitator:
Professor Patricia Reiff, Rice University


Handling stress:

Both undergraduate and graduate school can be stressful times for students, especially in a challenging area such as physics. A representative from the Rice Counseling Center will talk about ways to handle stress, techniques for effective time management, and what to do if you are finding yourself overwhelmed.

Workshop facilitator:
Kathleen Richardson, Wellness Center