Career Feature

Insights on becoming a journal editor

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We invited Rita Strack to talk about her path into becoming a journal editor. Here, Rita talks about some responsibilities and expectations from her job and offers some advice to those who are interested in pursuing an editorial career in science.

About Rita Strack

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Rita received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Chicago, and postdoctoral training at Weill Cornell Medical College. Her research experience propelled her to a position at Nature Methods, reviewing content related to imaging, microscopy, protein, and RNA biochemistry. 

Why did you choose to pursue a career as a science editor? 

Before becoming an editor, I obtained a Ph.D. and postdoc in the life sciences. I was originally on an academic track, however, I decided to switch to an editorial career after reviewing my personal and professional priorities. First off, I wanted a work-life balance, as I had just become a mom. I was concerned I would not have enough time and energy to be both a new parent and an assistant professor, although certainly many people have done it successfully. Second, I realized I could be happy doing something other than running a lab. This was a critical realization that changed how I thought of myself and my future and allowed me to cast a wider net of job possibilities. Third, I saw a job listing for an editorial position at Nature Methods that seemed written just for me. The job description matched my professional interests and expertise, so I applied. I love methods development, and I am not sure I would be happy as an editor anywhere else. Finally, I wanted to stay in New York because my husband has a great job here. Beyond these reasons, I wanted a job that kept me in science, a job that is engaging and has importance to me and others. I think being an editor satisfies all these criteria.

What is a usual day/week at your job?

I spend a typical day doing a variety of tasks. First and foremost are my duties to the journal. Each editor is responsible for handling all stages involving the publication of a manuscript. So, on any given day I am reading new papers, assigning referees, reading reviews that come in, talking to the editorial team about the papers, and sending decisions to authors. Beyond curating the research portion of the journal, I write content for the magazine portion of the journal, which includes the editorial and research highlights. I also provide input and developmental editing to other magazine sections, such as Reviews, Perspectives, Comments, and News and Views. Another big part of our job is networking, hearing about cutting edge research, and staying on top of trends. Thus, I am active on Twitter (@rita_strack) engaging with the scientific community and I often travel 5-8 times per year for campus visits to meet with faculty and students and to attend conferences.

From your experience, what does a journal look for in applicants to this job position?

In my view, the main quality we look for in candidates is the ability to critically read scientific articles and communicate about them. Our successful job candidates have impressed us with their ability to read and understand papers from their expertise areas, point out critical flaws, and speak clearly about whether a manuscript might be a good fit for our journal. Beyond this, we look for individuals with a specific interest in professional editing, a good understanding of the scientific fields we hope for the person to cover, familiarity with the journal, and willingness to learn new things.

What skills have made you and other science editors successful? Were there any unexpected skills that you had to learn?

Beyond all the training I got reading and writing papers while I was doing research, I think a few things have helped me be good at this job. I am good at time management, which is important because our job has a lot of deadlines. I am also a fast reader with high reading comprehension, and I am good at multitasking and staying organized. In addition, I love the journal. Our editorial team cares very deeply about making Nature Methods a journal everyone wants to read, and this care is reflected in our content.

Something unexpected I learned in my job was that I could trade an in-depth knowledge in a few topics for a larger knowledge in broad scientific areas. I have found this process a fun challenge. Any trained scientist who carefully reads ~500 diverse papers a year will naturally broaden their knowledge in different areas. This is one of the biggest perks that come from being an editor, getting to learn a lot of cool science.

What advice do you have for graduate students looking into work as a journal editor? 

I did not do any specific training to become an editor, but I think being actively involved with writing papers and doing peer reviews with my advisors helped me understand the editorial process better and ultimately be hired for my job. I encourage graduate students to attend journal clubs, participate in science writing or communication workshops and/or activities, and to reach out to editors for informational interviews.

Get into science writing

If you wish to explore a career in science writing, start now! Here are some resources to get you informed and active:

Interview by M. Isabel da Silva

Career Feature

Dr. Jianbo Hu Career Seminar

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It was our great pleasure to have Dr. Jianbo Hu give a seminar on “Careers in Technology Transfer”. Dr. Hu described his career path towards a technology licensing officer, and provided several tips and training resources for graduate students interested in tech transfer.

As a senior technology licensing officer at Penn State College of Medicine and Hershey Medical Center, Dr. Hu independently manages all aspects of the College’s technology transfer needs, for instance negotiating NDA, MTA, collaboration agreements, and IP and data access for sponsored research agreements with many pharmaceutical companies. He also contributes to the College’s research contracts and clinical trial agreements negotiation with both for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Dr. Hu received his Ph.D. from the Department of Animal Sciences at Washington State University in 2000, he continued as a postdoctoral fellow and then a research scientist. He started as a Technology Transfer Specialist at the National Cancer Institute in 2007. Before moving to Penn State in September 2017, Dr. Hu worked at Oregon State University as a Licensing and Patenting Manager. He has significant experience in handling technologies in the areas of biomedical and life sciences, chemistry, chemical engineering and microfluidics.

During his talk, Dr. Hu started by introducing the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980, how it dealt with intellectual property arising from federal government-funded research, and further motivated the universities to establish technology transfer offices. He also gave a thorough explanation of technology transfer as an industry, an overview of the job market, and a typical day-to-day life as a technology licensing officer.

Next, Dr. Hu talked about how his research experiences in National Cancer Institutes led him towards the fellowship position as a Technology Transfer Specialist, where he started a career in tech transfer. He then pointed out that the transitioning process was rewarding but also challenging, and then introduced the resources and professional organizations he found helpful along the way. Finally, Dr. Hu provided advice and tips for graduate students interested in a tech transfer career, and how they could get prepared during graduate school, such as collaborating on industry projects, working in the area of medical applications/drug discovery, and engaging in multidisciplinary research.

If you are interested in a career in tech transfer and would like to get more specific suggestions, feel free to reach out to Dr. Hu (jxh1078@psu.edu) and also see the below resources and tech transfer organizations.

 

 

 Training in Technology Transfer:
Event Recap

Valentine’s Day Cookie Decorating

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By Kelly Marie Ness

The Huck Graduate Student Advisory Committee (HGSAC) hosted a cookie decorating event for Valentine’s Day. Students were encouraged to make themselves (or someone special) a sweet treat, to enjoy coffee, tea, or hot cocoa, and to socialize for a few minutes with friends from other Huck programs. This is the second holiday-themed coffee hour that the HGSAC has hosted. The last was just before Thanksgiving when students came out in large numbers for pie. Coffee hours with themes are more well-attended than those without, and the atmosphere is cheerful and upbeat. Next on the docket? St. Patrick’s Day/spring! We’re going to have an assortment of foods available to dip in some chocolate fondue, yum!

Student Stories

Penn State MCIBS Graduate Program: A Unique Take on Graduate Recruiting

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by Alexis Thomas Weiner

Since the birth of the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences (MCIBS) Graduate Program, that combined multiple existing programs into one, I have noticed a few unique aspects that make MCIBS recruiting unique among similar graduate programs at other competing schools. These accounts come from my personal experiences, testimonials from students who have interviewed at other schools many of which ultimately choose Penn State, and the nature of what the program has to offer.

First and foremost the MCIBS recruiting theme is to demonstrate to potential students the extent of student care, intimate/personal connections, and transparent display of the breadth of diversity the program has to offer. This is in stark contrast to testimonies from students who go onto interview at other schools where they are proselytized and approached like a potential consumer that is buying a product.

The first example of how MCIBS sticks out compared to many other graduate schools and programs is the initial introductory dinner. This is typically held across all recruiting weekends as the first night students arrive.  Typically at other schools students are taken out to dinner at a local restaurant and have the ability to interact with students alone or a mix of students and faculty. Although, MCIBS does it a bit different. The program chairs in years past have held the dinner at their own homes. They fully prepare a home-cooked meal (usually a spread that many assume is catered because of how fancy the dishes are). Recently the program chair Dr. Melissa Rolls has hosted the majority of the recruiting dinners at her house. She invites all visiting recruits, their student hosts, and faculty members as an informal ice breaker.

MCIBS Program Chair Dr. Melissa Rolls and her children William and Cecilia put the finishing touches on the dinner options. Following dinner is also dessert!!

As I have heard this dinner totally out-competes the awkward setting of having a formal sit down (feels like a pre-interview before the day of formal interviews. After dinner the next day begins with a breakfast at the Nittany Lion Inn with program chairs (our convenient on campus hotel). This again is an informal setting where recruits can ask them questions about the program and they get information about Penn State from current students. Immediately following this begins the interview process where recruits are personally led around by current graduate students to each of their respective interviews. In between interviews they can talk to students about the faculty they are about to talk to or even personal experiences the current students have had at Penn State. I have heard these conversations also differ from other graduate programs because instead of being talked to, recruits can talk with the student.  Finally, at the end of the day the recruits have a final dinner with graduate students only and can relax from a rigorous day of interviewing. Following this the students take the any recruits downtown who wish to see State College. This shows the recruits the family dynamic of the MCIBS program.

Ultimately, the best stories that set MCIBS interview weekends apart from other schools come from student responses to any issues that may arise.  Normally the day after interviews end recruits fly or drive back to their home towns. However, things do not go smoothly every time. This could be due to inclement weather that delays or cancels flights or long waiting periods between individual flights.  This is where current MCIBS students have stepped up to make sure recruits are not left stranded with nothing to do. Students in past years have taken their Saturdays to lead recruits on tours around campus, grab a bite to eat at local restaurants, bring them to their own houses or apartments, and even provide transportation to the airport. These personal endeavors speak for themselves and speak for the quality of caring students we gather in MCIBS. Every time these situations arise the feedback from recruits is overwhelmingly positive.

Overall MCIBS has grown each recruiting season since the inception of the program. In my opinion this is due to the enthusiasm of the faculty to take time to attend informal events and meet the students before any anxiously anticipated interviews and the extra effort enthusiastically provided by the current MCIBS students. In all, these little extras make a difference and set MCIBS apart as a special program for students to interview for and an even more amazing program to earn a graduate degree.

Prospective students stranded from a snow storm. But that did not stop us from having a great Saturday full of fun!

 

For a comprehensive overview of the program please follow this link:

https://www.huck.psu.edu/content/graduate-programs/molecular-cellular-and-integrative-biosciences

 

Career Feature

Dr. Melissa Crampsie Career Seminar

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By Kelly Marie Ness

Dr. Melissa Crampsie, director of the Oncology Business Unit at SAI MedPartners, came to speak to graduate students on Thursday, February 1st. SAI MedPartners is a global pharmaceutical consulting firm that assists its clients in identifying potential markets, developing commercialization strategies, and protecting themselves from competitors.

Melissa graduated summa cum laude from West Chester University with dual degrees in pharmaceutical product development and cell and molecular biology. She knew early on in her undergraduate career that she wanted to work in the pharmaceutical industry, and therefore, transferred to West Chester University when she heard about their pharmaceutical product development program from a friend. As a part of her degree requirements, Melissa completed two internships at Johnson & Johnson, the first in the laboratory, and the second on the business side; both of which cemented her desire to work in industry following graduation.

Melissa quickly realized that in order to move up in the pharmaceutical industry, she would need to go back for her doctoral degree, so she applied and was accepted into the pharmacology Ph.D./M.B.A. dual-degree program at Penn State Hershey College of Medicine. The dual Ph.D./M.B.A. program sounds challenging: Melissa completed her doctoral research and accompanying classes during the day, and M.B.A. classes at night and over the summers, yet she still managed to graduate in five years!

Many graduate students feel pressured to stay in academia post-graduation, with a sense that academia is the ‘golden’ path down which only the most successful students venture. Choosing a non-academic career path such as the pharmaceutical industry, many feel as though they are choosing the ‘lesser’ path. When asked about this phenomenon, Melissa responded that she never felt pressure to remain in academia. In fact, she felt impervious to the academic ‘shaming’ of industry careers because she came into graduate school with clear career goals: pharmaceutical product development, marketing, and business strategy.

Dr. Crampsie’s career trajectory is evidence of the importance of networking. In searching for careers post-graduation, she applied to SAI MedPartners and suggested that her friend also apply for the open position. Prior to hearing back from SAI, Melissa was offered, and accepted, an industrial post-doctoral fellowship at a startup called BioSample Solutions; upon which she withdrew her application from SAI and her friend landed the job. A few years later, when BioSample Solutions dissolved, Melissa’s friend returned the favor by recommending her for an open position at SAI MedPartners.

At SAI MedPartners, new associates are brought on as analysts. They handle the majority of the literature research and preparation of presentation materials for clients. Their work is reviewed and interpreted by senior consultants whose assessments and work hours are coordinated by project managers. The jump from consultant to project manager is the most difficult transition for most people because the position involves a very different set of skills. Project managers need to create budget proposals for clients, keep their teams organized, within budget, and prompt. They also work with office managers to ensure that no team members are over- or under-utilized in any given workweek. This is coordinated through a resource-allocation meeting that occurs each Monday morning, in which staff work-time is divvied up between project managers (for example, if one project has deliverables due that week, they may request more days of work from the analysts assigned to their project that week, and the other project managers adjust their other assignments to that analyst accordingly).

Consulting is known for brutal travel schedules and long work hours. SAI MedPartners is committed to creating a better work environment for its employees: associate preferences are taken into consideration for travel and the target for all associates is a 40-50 hour workweek. SAI is also very flexible in allowing its employees to work from home; the majority of their consultants do so regularly or on a part-time basis (i.e. three days a week in office, two at home). For students considering making the transition to the pharmaceutical consulting world, Melissa stressed that scientists learning business-strategy have an easier time than the reverse, which is why SAI tries to hire analysts from science or healthcare backgrounds and trains them on the consulting process.

Pharmaceutical consultants perform lots of primary research by following earnings and investor calls of clients’ competitors, reading and assessing clinical trials data for upcoming drugs, and attending medical conferences to learn about research breakthroughs and establish relationships with scientists and physicians in the field. SAI MedPartners relays this information to their clients via reports and presentations and also uses it to provide clients with strategic advice, marketing and communications suggestions, and assessment of the overall competitor landscape.

If you are interested in Pharmaceutical consulting, feel free to reach out to Dr. Crampsie for advice or to answer questions about the general career.

Career Feature

Dr. Lydia Cox Career Seminar

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By Hillary Figler

It was refreshing to listen to Dr. Lydia Cox’s career seminar last semester. After getting her Ph.D. and a few years employed in industry, she decided to take some time off to raise her children. This is quite unique in the life sciences. As female scientists, we usually can’t afford a gap in our career, for fear of never getting back to the place we once were. To be able to do this she gave the following advice, “Don’t burn any bridges – the world of science is smaller than you think.” It was refreshing to hear that Lydia had re-entered the workplace successfully, and not even that but was able to take an eleven-year break between employment. While this isn’t for everyone, it’s nice to have options. Currently, Lydia is working at Nichino America, an agricultural chemical company as Director of Regulatory Affairs. She describes her current job as science plus business, and a logical progression and on the job training allowed for this.

“The people that I see as successful are those that are not only driven, but who are also positive, optimistic, and can interact well with others who are above and below them in the hierarchy.”

Dr. Cox received her Bachelor’s in Animal Science from Cornell University and Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of the Sciences. She then completed a postdoc at New York University. Now in her current job, she works in regulatory affairs. She explained the field, “Everyone I know in Regulatory Affairs started off doing another job first and then moved to Regulatory Affairs.  I think it is unusual to be hired into Regulatory Affairs directly from graduate school, at least in my industry sector.”

As graduate students, we must keep an open mind and consider all possible career options. If you are interested in regulatory affairs, feel free to reach out and ask Dr. Cox additional questions.

Huck Graduate Student Advisory Committee at Penn State

Created by Corrine Smolen and Maria Isabel da Silva