Fall 2013

Science and Engineering Seminars
Humanities and Social Sciences Seminars
Seminars for All Postdocs and Graduate Students

The 2013 Academic Job Search Series is co-sponsored by Duke Career Center, the Graduate School, and the Office of Postdoctoral Services.

Note: Most of the seminars are being video recorded and can be seen on the Duke Postdoctoral Services Youtube Channel. As each one becomes available online, the link will be added to the corresponding seminar description below.
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Science and Engineering Seminars

Thurs Sept 5, 9-10:30am

WHAT: Behind the Scenes with the Search Committee: The Academic Application Process (for postdocs and graduate students in the sciences and engineering)
WHERE: Rm 143 Jones Bldg (http://myatlascms.com/map/?id=21&mrkId=2832)
REGISTER: http://bit.ly/STEM-Application-Pckg

In this session, a faculty panel in the sciences and engineering will discuss the faculty recruitment process from the search committee’s perspective. Topics include what the search committee looks for in application documents (CV, cover letter, research/teaching statements), the screening process, and selecting candidates to interview.

PANELISTS:
– Patrick Charbonneau, PhD, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Physics, and Computational Biology & Bioinformatics
– Micah Luftig, PhD, Assistant Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
– Anne West, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurobiology
– Jennifer West, PhD, Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services Youtube Channel
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Thurs Sept 12, 9-10:30 am

WHAT: The Academic Interview (for postdocs and graduate students in the sciences and engineering)
WHERE: Rm 143 Jones Bldg (http://myatlascms.com/map/?id=21&mrkId=2832)
REGISTER: http://bit.ly/STEM-Interview-Process

In this session, a panel of Duke faculty members in the sciences and engineering will discuss the interview process for faculty jobs, including the campus visit, the job talk/chalk talk, and typical interview questions.

PANELISTS:
– Dennis Ko, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology and Medicine
– Jennifer Roizen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
– James Siedow, PhD, Vice Provost for Research and Professor of Biology
– Anne West, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurobiology

Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services Youtube Channel

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Tues Sept 17, 9-10:30 am

WHAT: STEM Faculty Careers Beyond Duke (for postdocs and graduate students in the sciences and engineering)
WHERE: Rm 143 Jones Bldg (http://myatlascms.com/map/?id=21&mrkId=2832)
REGISTER: http://bit.ly/STEM-Faculty-Careers-Beyond-Duke

At R-1 institutions like Duke, faculty often focus on research, grant-writing, and publications, sometimes to the exclusion of teaching. However, many postdocs and graduate students seek positions that provide more of a balance between teaching and research. In this session, faculty from schools that focus on both teaching and research will discuss applying, interviewing, and negotiating for positions at their respective institutions. They will also discuss the split between teaching and research, what a typical day is like, and “what they know now that they wish they’d known then”.

PANELISTS:
– Jason Andrus, PhD, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Meredith College
– Antonio Izzo, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biology, Elon University
– Garrett Love, PhD, Assistant Professor of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences, North Carolina Central University
– Kathy Zarilla, PhD, Discipline Chair for Science, Durham Technical Community College

Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services Youtube Channel
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Tues Oct 1, 9-10:30 am

WHAT: Negotiating the Academic Job Offer (for postdocs and graduate students in the sciences and engineering)
WHERE: Rm 143 Jones Bldg (http://myatlascms.com/map/?id=21&mrkId=2832)
REGISTER: http://bit.ly/STEM-Negotiating-the-Offer

In this session, a panel of Duke faculty members will discuss the negotiation process. Questions include:
– What does a typical start-up package look like? How much can you negotiate it, and how can you provide justification for asking for more?
– How much grant money are you expected to bring if you get hired?
– What are some common pitfalls in the negotiation process?

PANELISTS:
– James Siedow, PhD, Vice Provost for Research and Professor of Biology
– Jennifer Roizen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
– Debra Silver, PhD, Assistant Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
– George Truskey, PhD, Professor and Chair of Biomedical Engineering

Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services Youtube Channel
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Thurs Dec 5, 9:30-11 am

WHAT: “How To Give a Job Talk, and Why It’s Not the Same as a Research Talk” with Bill Schrader, PhD, Deputy Scientific Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
WHERE: Rm 143 Jones Building (http://maps.duke.edu/map/?id=21&mrkId=2832)
REGISTER: http://bit.ly/How-To-Job-Talk-STEM

The job talk is not about your research. Although you will certainly be talking about your research, the job talk is your chance to show how you are the right fit for the institution. In this talk, Dr Bill Schrader will discuss how you can tailor your talk not only to showcase your research, but also to demonstrate that you are the best candidate for the job. Having held positions in academia, government, and industry, Dr Schrader will compare what all three employers are looking for in a job talk.

PRESENTER: Dr. William T. Schrader received his PhD in Biology from Johns Hopkins University in 1969 and did post-doctoral research at Vanderbilt Medical School before joining the faculty at Baylor College of Medicine, where he became Assistant Dean of the Graduate School in 1991. He joined Ligand Pharmaceuticals in 1995 as Vice President for Endocrine Research, and in 2000 he co-founded XenoPharm, Inc. and served as the company’s Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President for Research. Dr. Schrader joined the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in 2003 as Deputy Scientific Director. In that role he deals extensively with postdoctoral training and career development. An author of over 100 scientific papers, he has served on numerous editorial boards, study sections and advisory panels for educational, governmental and for-profit organizations.

Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services Youtube Channel

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Humanities and Social Science Seminars

Thurs Sept 12, 3:30-5 pm

WHAT: Behind the Scenes with the Search Committee: The Academic Application Process (for postdocs and graduate students in the humanities & social sciences)
WHERE: Rm 217 Perkins (http://myatlascms.com/map/?id=21&mrkId=2750)
REGISTER: http://bit.ly/Application-Package-HumSS

In this session, a panel of faculty in the humanities and social sciences will discuss the faculty recruitment process from the search committee’s perspective. Topics include what the search committee looks for in application documents (CV, cover letter, research/teaching statements), the screening process, and selecting candidates to interview.

PANELISTS:
– Candace Bailey, PhD, Professor, Music, North Carolina Central University
– Rodney Clare, PhD, Associate Professor, History, Elon University
– Thomas Gould, PhD, Dean and Department Head, Arts, Sciences, and University Transfer, Durham Technical Community College
– Ann Marie Rasmussen, PhD, Professor of German and Director of Graduate Studies, German Studies, Duke University

Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services Youtube Channel
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Tues Sept 17, 3:30-5 pm

WHAT: The Academic Interview (for postdocs and graduate students in the humanities & social sciences)
WHERE: Rm 217 Perkins (http://myatlascms.com/map/?id=21&mrkId=2750)
REGISTER: http://bit.ly/Interview-Process-HumSS

In this session, a panel of faculty members in the humanities and social sciences will discuss the interview process for faculty jobs, including the campus visit, the job talk, and typical interview questions.

PANELISTS:
– Beth Mulvaney, PhD, Professor and Head, Art History, Meredith College
– Nancy Harris, PhD, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Elon University
– David Bell III, PhD, Professor of French and Co-Director, PhD Lab in Digital Knowledge, Duke University
– Saunjuhi Verma, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate, Sociology, Duke University

Watch on the Duke Postdoctoral Services Youtube Channel
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Tues Sept 24, 3:30-4:30 pm

WHAT: Negotiating the Academic Job Offer (for postdocs and graduate students in the humanities and social sciences)
WHERE: Rm 217 Perkins (http://myatlascms.com/map/?id=21&mrkId=2750)
REGISTER: http://bit.ly/Negotiating-the-Offer-HumSS

In this session, a panel of faculty members from the humanities and social sciences address common elements that can be negotiated when an offer is extended. They will also answer questions about common pitfalls in the process.

PANELISTS:
– Tamah Morant, PhD, Director of Graduate Program and Teaching Associate Professor, Economics, North Carolina State University
– Angel Harris, PhD, Professor, Sociology, Duke University
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Seminars for All Postdocs and Graduate Students

Fri Oct 4, 12-1:15 pm

WHAT: The Tech Savvy Job Search (for postdocs and graduate students in all departments)
WHERE: Rm 229 Social Sciences (Computer Lab) (http://myatlascms.com/map/?id=21&mrkId=2824)
REGISTER: http://bit.ly/Tech-Savvy-Job-Search

In this hands-on workshop, you will learn how to use an RSS aggregator to simultaneously collect search results from hundreds of job posting sites, including the Chronicle of Higher Education and many other well-established, reputable sources of academic job postings (it really is much more efficient than getting email alerts.) This session is in a computer lab.

PRESENTER: Hugh Crumley, PhD, Director, Certificate in College Teaching Program, Duke University Graduate School
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Tues Oct 8, 12-1:30 pm

WHAT: The Teaching Statement (for postdocs and graduate students in all departments)
WHERE: Rm A156 LSRC (http://myatlascms.com/map/?id=21&mrkId=2766)
REGISTER: http://bit.ly/Teaching-Statement

A teaching portfolio is more than a collection of documents: it is set of claims about your teaching and evidence to support them. In this workshop, you will examine how claims and evidence can be framed in way that allows you demonstrate your skill (or potential) as a university instructor in a teaching statement supported by materials created by you (such as videos, handouts and student assignments).

Fri Oct 11, 12-1:15 pm

WHAT: Academic CV Writing (for postdocs and graduate students in all departments)
WHERE: 201 Flowers Building, Duke West Campus, 2nd floor (http://myatlascms.com/map/?id=21&mrkId=2694)
REGISTER: http://bit.ly/Academic-CV

An exceptional CV goes far beyond simply listing your academic accomplishments. This document allows you to market yourself to search committees as a compelling candidate with directly relevant skills and knowledge. The drafting process for this document is your opportunity to emphasize how your specific skills and experiences will fit within and enrich the targeted academic institution. In this workshop you will learn how to craft a compelling academic CV that highlights the knowledge, skills, results, and distinctions that comprise your qualifications.

PRESENTER: Paul Miceli, PhD, Assistant Director, Graduate Student Career Services, Duke Career Center

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Fri Oct 18, 12-1:15 pm

WHAT: Academic Cover Letter Writing (for postdocs and graduate students in all departments)
WHERE: 305 Languages Building, Duke West Campus (http://myatlascms.com/map/?id=21&mrkId=2772)
REGISTER: http://bit.ly/Academic-Cover-Letter

Academic cover letters are your opportunity to expand on the information in your CV, tell your story for an institution in a way that makes it explicit how and why you add value, and illustrate your communication and persuasion skills all at once. The drafting process for this document is your opportunity to emphasize how your specific skills and experiences will fit within and enrich the targeted academic institution. In this workshop you will learn how to craft a powerful structure for your cover letter in order to make explicit the fit between what you bring and what the institution wants.

PRESENTER: Paul Miceli, PhD, Assistant Director, Graduate Student Career Services, Duke Career Center