Tag Archives: graduate experience

Alumni Spotlight

Dr. Colleen McSweeney, Senior Scientific Consultant at Noldus Information Technology, Inc.

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We interviewed Dr. Colleen McSweeney about her experiences during graduate school at Penn State. Here, she shares her opinions and advice on how to be successful during and after graduate school.

About Colleen McSweeney, PhD

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Colleen McSweeney obtained a Ph.D. in Neuroscience here at Penn State in 2017. As a part of Dr. Yingwei Mao’s lab, she investigated the role of RBM8a in neurogenesis, neurodevelopment, and psychiatric disease. Dr. McSweeney is now a Senior Scientific Consultant at Noldus Information Technology, Inc., where she consults with scientists to provide them with solutions for their behavioral research needs. Thus, she serves as a liaison between company staff and clients to help create complete lab solutions.

What motivated you to choose your PhD program at Penn State? 

A couple of reasons. First, Penn State has a very collaborative environment, and the program and students have the type of culture I was looking for. I also wanted to do research on neuropsychiatric disease, and Penn State had quite a few labs that worked in that area.

How did your PhD training prepare you for your current job position? 

My PhD training taught me how to ask scientific questions, think critically, juggle multiple projects, and communicate science effectively. In my current job, I have to talk with scientists daily, communicate with them to understand their needs, and think critically to propose a solution that can help them better their science. These were skills I was able to hone in different ways at Penn State (lab, seminar groups, HGSAC, etc.)

What is something surprising that you learned about yourself during your graduate training? 

I learned that I was very good managing collaborations and projects. I didn’t need to be the smartest or most experienced person in the room to be effective. Instead, I just needed to find the best way to be able to help scientists communicate with each other and determine what needed to be done.

Describe a setback you experienced during graduate school. How did you overcome the setback and what did you learn from it? 

During my third year, my project got scooped by a lab at a different institution. It was gut-wrenching, and I didn’t know what to do. I was eventually able to pivot and take my research in a slightly different direction, and still utilize a lot of my data. There are several labs studying the same thing, and if you are on the right path, there is a good chance someone else is on it, too—which is good! You want your science to be replicable. Even if this results in someone beating you to publication, it isn’t the end of the world. Publish your data confirming their results, then add on some new data that expands the topic a bit further. There is so much unknown in science, and it is so important for labs to replicate data. Even being scooped can be a good thing!

What advice you think is the most valuable for someone who is:

Applying for graduate school: Your goal for graduate school is to acquire the tools that allow you to think critically as a scientist, as well as learn some new methods. You don’t actually need to be researching a topic you plan to research for your entire life. Focus on schools and labs that will give you the techniques to succeed, even if they are applied to a topic that you are less interested in. Once you graduate, if you stay in academia, you can research exactly what you want. Or maybe you can take the tools you learned on the way and apply it to something totally different!

Starting graduate school: Don’t get stressed by failure early on. I think the majority of my data in my thesis was generated in my last two years. For your first couple years, just focus on learning all you can, and making all the mistakes! Mistakes are how you learn and are essential to your development. You will be surprised how quickly you can generate data in your last two years.

Finishing graduate school: As you finish up your degree, look ahead and think about what career you want to pursue. It’s also okay to not know and to pursue multiple paths at the same time! I didn’t know exactly where I would end up until I accepted a job (in a type of role I didn’t really know even existed). Success after graduate school also requires so many skills other than the research methods you use. Take time to pursue extracurricular activities that can help develop your interpersonal skills, as they are crucial to success!

Interview by Janhavi Damani

Alumni Spotlight

Dr. Zhi Chai, Postdoctoral Fellow at ISMMS

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We interviewed Dr. Zhi Chai about his experience during graduate school at Penn State. Here, he shares his opinions and advice on how to be successful during and after graduate school.

About Zhi Chai

ZhiChai_Sinai | LinkedIn | ORCID

Zhi obtained a Ph.D. in Integrative and Biomedical Physiology at Penn State in 2019. He is now a Postdoctoral Fellow at The Judy Cho Laboratory, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where their research broadly focuses on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Zhi conducts genetic, molecular, and genomic studies on large collections of research specimens, including mice, zebrafish, and humans using the BioMe® BioBank Program to investigate the pathology of ulcerative colitis and detect potential drug targets. Outside of research, Zhi loves cooking, mixology, and caring for his pet turtles and fish.

What motivated you to choose your Ph.D. program at Penn State?

During my undergraduate studies in China, my research area was primarily focused in the field of ruminant nutrition. When applying to Ph.D. Programs at Penn State, I planned to switch gears a bit and explore research focusing on human health and nutrition. After contacting several Penn State Alumni, I discovered that I was interested in working with faculty at the Integrative and Biomedical Physiology Program, an Intercollege Graduate Degree Program that is a part of the Huck Institute of the Life Sciences umbrella. Faculty members residing under the Huck Institute of the Life Sciences are from various departments, such as Animal Science, Nutritional Sciences, and Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. I contacted several faculty members from these departments; although, they were not taking new students at that time, they provided me with the opportunity to rotate at their lab! Therefore, the offer from the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Physiology was a perfect fit for me, compared to two offers from other schools I got in the meantime.

How did your Ph.D. training prepare you for your current job position?

In addition to essential research skills (critical thinking, rigorous logic, scientific communication, etc.) that most peers develop and acquire from Ph.D. programs, I was fortunate to be immersed in an interdisciplinary environment (Nutritional Sciences, Immunology, and Bioinformatics), which helped me to be resourceful, always ready to learn new things, and to never be afraid of stepping out of my comfort zone to disseminate research among varied fields! My current position as a postdoctoral fellow requires both wet and dry lab skills. To be more specific, the project that I’m working on requires experience with rodent models, performing and interpreting -omics data (single cell RNAseq, and ATAC-seq), as well as communicating with bioinformaticians in the group, all of which were core skillsets I gained during my Ph.D. at Penn State. I’m very grateful for the friends and colleagues from bioinformatics at Penn State, and among the courses I took, STAT 555 widened my horizon to the world of bioinformatics. Last not but the least, I’m also thankful for the encouragement and support from the T32 Training Grant (Physiological Adaptations to Stress) and Dr. Ross (my Ph.D. advisor), under her visionary leadership, patience, and trust, gave me confidence to design and execute an interdisciplinary project.

What is something surprising that you learned about yourself during your Ph.D.?

I was surprised by the power of maintaining a schedule book. I had some down times during my Ph.D. career due to time management issues, which affected my motivation and productivity. I had some counseling for a while, and since then, I began to actively set executable and time-bounded goals (SMART goals). I gradually realized that writing down these goals in my schedule book was actually the first step for me to estimate the amount of time I needed to dedicate to each task. This helped me overcome my concerns on not completing all my tasks in my schedule book on time.

Describe a setback you experienced. How did you overcome and learn from it?

The setback was lack of productivity and the resulting low motivation. I overcame this setback by improving my time management skills, through which I learned the importance of setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.

What advice do you think is the most valuable for someone who is:

  • Applying for graduate school. Use as many resources (e.g. networking with alumni and senior students, information interviews, masters programs, summer internships, volunteer work, or rotations) to understand the detailed process behind applying to grad school, the research field you’re interested in, and possible career paths that you can take.
  • Starting graduate school. Attend conferences as early as possible during your graduate studies. I now regret postponing my first conference for years because I wanted to perfect the project I was working on. However, now I don’t think there would ever be a “perfect” project! Even if you only have a vignette of preliminary data, it shouldn’t be the excuse for missing the benefit of your very first conference. A conference can be regarded as a motivation, reward, or a milestone. I feel it is especially crucial to get feedback as an early-career researcher, as opposed to working behind closed doors. Conferences not only widen one’s vision on how other research groups tackle the same problem, but are also great opportunities for networking. Keep visioning the career trajectory, and seek resources to develop skillsets according to that career plan.
  • Finishing graduate school. It’s been only a few years since I finished graduate school, but I’d like to share a few practical tips/suggestions:
  1. Use platforms/search engines (LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, hercjobs.org) to assist your job search, with the understanding that different recruiters may have their own preference where to post their job ads.
  2. Follow your dream labs on LinkedIn or Twitter; there might be some “surprise” job ads.
  3. Job Boards of academic journals (such as Cell, Nature, and Science), the national society/association that you’re interested in, and various institutions (such as Harvard University-Office for Postdoctoral fellows; Stanford-Office of Postdoctoral Affairs)
  4. Actively network at conferences! Participating in leadership committees helps build these skills. While reading research articles, if you come across PI’s you’re interested in working with, reach out to them using contact information on their lab homepage or department websites.

Interview by Janhavi Damani

 

Student Stories

In-person TAing during COVID-19

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Collin Hudzik is a Ph.D. candidate in the Plant Biology program. For the last three Fall semesters, he has taught as a Lab TA for Bio 220. The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges to his teaching experience the past Fall. In this brief interview, he discusses how the course adapted to the challenges posed by the pandemic and his own experience teaching in-person.

Did you feel anxious about teaching in-person? Were you provided with the opportunities to teach remotely?

Not really. There was a little anxiety at the beginning when I agreed to teach in person but I did feel that I could have a better connection with the students in person than I would be able to remotely. My course offered opportunities to teach in person or remotely only and I decided to teach in person. Teaching in person meant that I would essentially be doubling my in-class time where I was responsible for four sections, instead of 2. This came with the trade-off of doing a little less grading (even though it didn’t feel like it) which was picked up by the remote TAs.

How did the class change to accommodate COVID-19 safety practices?

There were a few changes to the design of Bio 220 and it was a bit complicated. The course was designed so that each section was split into A and B sections. One section would be the ‘in person’ component and the other would be an entirely remote section. For ‘in person’ sections, like the one I taught, I would have to simultaneously broadcast a zoom classroom for students who either chose to be entirely remote or were quarantining after a positive COVID test. Additionally, the in-person sections were reduced to no more than 10 students at a time to respect social distancing practices. While I was teaching the “in-person” section, the other section would be attending the remote section with a remote TA at the same time. They would switch between in-person and remotely every other week.

Could students choose to be remote or change their minds after the semester started?

Unless they were quarantining, not really. We wanted to avoid situations where students decided like they didn’t want to come for the in-person lab one week and rejoin the next week.

Were there any logistical issues with students who were required to quarantine?

For me, not really. Because I would broadcast my sections on Zoom, if a student had to quarantine, they would just join virtually. However, it was initially difficult to monitor Zoom questions while teaching in person, but with practice, it became much more manageable.

Were your students respectful of the COVID-19 safety practices?

Students in my section were extremely respectful of all COVID-19 safety practices–they were compliant with mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines. I didn’t have any issues whatsoever throughout the semester with my students.

Do you feel like you gained any new skills given the unique circumstances of the past semester?

As most of us can relate, I definitely upped my game on how to use Zoom. While I generally feel comfortable interacting with students in person, I found interacting with students only over zoom after the Thanksgiving break took a bit of getting used to.

Do you have anything else you’d like to share about this teaching experience?

In general, I don’t believe that graduate students are fairly compensated for their work—especially during the pandemic.

Interview by Isaac Dopp

Student Stories

Checking feelings

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As a scientist, I often spent more time lost in thoughts outside of myself – experiments, deadlines, coursework – than devoting time to personal introspection. However, I discovered that reflecting on my motivations and goals are important to feeling centered and succeeding in grad school. Thus, I wrote to myself some reminders and started revisiting them as checkpoints for my mental health. Although, in the beginning, the following advice sounded to me like superficial aphorisms on the back of a teabag, “sip by sip” I became aware that I could be happier if I followed them.

Note: It is bittersweet to write about my personal experiences as I am still finding my ways to conclude my degree. I am not here to give anyone advice. Instead, I share my story to contribute to the community of graduate students who are enduring difficult times and want to talk about it.

Stop comparing yourself with others

I heard this advice on my first day in graduate school by talking with senior students. At the beginning of my training trying to be as good as my peers helped me acquire and improve upon skills that were beneficial to my professional performance. However, overtime, comparing myself with others often led me to think that I was not working hard enough. My continuous desire to out-do myself drained my energy and led to negative self-esteem. After a few good cries and self-analysis, I noticed that excessively comparing myself with others was detrimental to my overall well-being. Each graduate student has different life experiences, abilities, and cultural and educational backgrounds. Our differences provide us each with unique ways to execute tasks. So instead of looking at my classmates as rivals, I asked for their advice and offered support. Their accomplishments now inspire me to believe that I will also be successful in my own way and in my own time.

You are good enough

Being in academia has allowed me to encounter many smart and talented people and explore unfamiliar situations. Inevitably, I went through periods of self-doubt and despair. I often asked myself if I deserved to be a doctoral student while I was hopeless that I would be able to get anything done correctly. I was afflicted with “imposter syndrome.” Luckily, I had emotional support from family and friends who reminded me of my own self-worth. They reminded me of my story, my frustrations, my persistence, and my accomplishments. So, when you start doubting yourself, remember your trajectory, your victories, and that you are already successful for simply making it this far.

There is always something to be thankful for

It is easy to dwell on problems and let the negative thoughts become all-consuming. I experienced this when I projected my frustrations at work onto my partner. After hearing me out, a friend helped me realize how I was making my relationship unhealthy and how my partner, to the best of his abilities, was being nothing but supportive through my hard times. From this situation, I learned that when I am having bad days at work, instead of projecting my feelings onto others, I should remind myself of the good things I have in my life – family, friendships, accomplishments – and be grateful for them.

Be true to your current self

Not long ago, I found myself imagining what my future would look like. I started asking; What do I want to achieve in my personal life? What do I want to do for a living? What are my passions? I felt odd for not knowing or having complete answers to these questions. Little by little, I discovered new goals and priorities that were significantly different from those I had at the beginning of my Ph.D. training. In my first two years, I worked overtime, trying to advance my training and get more work done. I often canceled social meetings with friends and colleagues. Then, I found myself feeling lonely and missing fun moments. I realized that developing friendships and bonding with my peers improved not only teamwork but gave me a sense of belonging. I also thought that a career in academia was my only option after graduation. But now I see that there are other careers in science that I would love to contribute to. Today, I am working towards achieving my new goals and adjusting my work-life balance to meet my expectations for my future career. Thus, knowing what you want and knowing that this too may change, is something powerful and transformative.

Overall, I AM proud to be a Ph.D. student. I also agree academia needs to change and support a healthier environment for the minds of students, faculty, and staff. So, check our feelings, talk about them, and work together to promote change.

Written by M. Isabel da Silva

Mental Health at Penn State

Whether you are struggling with academic stress, homesickness, relationship issues, depression, or another mental health concern, the staff at the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) are available to support you. >> Read more

Alumni Spotlight

Michael Santillo, Chemist at FDA

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We interviewed Michael Santillo about his experience during graduate school at Penn State. Here, he shares his opinions and advice on how to be successful during and after graduate school.

About Michael Santillo

LinkedIn | ORCID

Michael obtained a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry at Penn State in 2009 and served as a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2010 to 2013. For the past decade, he continued working at the FDA as a research chemist. Michael develops in vitro cellular and biochemical methods to detect and predict the safety of chemicals in foods and dietary supplements. His applied-research spans the fields of chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology.  

What motivated you to choose your Ph.D. program at Penn State?

I applied to the Chemistry Graduate Program at Penn State because of its excellent reputation in research quality and output, and grant funding opportunities. I liked how the department focused on interdisciplinary research projects, particularly my advisor who was also affiliated with the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. Furthermore, I noticed that alumni from my advisor’s lab had successful careers in academia, federal government, and industry. All of these factors led me to choose Penn State for my graduate education.

How did your Ph.D. training prepare you for your current job position?

Through my doctoral training, I was exposed to diverse experiences that prepared me to become a research scientist. As a teaching assistant, I developed skills in leadership, time management, communication, and organization that enabled me to lecture and supervise lab activities in a room of 25 undergraduate students. In my advisor’s lab, I learned to be resourceful, a fast learner, and an independent problem solver. I gained teamwork skills by training junior lab members in new methods and instruments and offering critical advice on their research projects. Finally, after giving talks at national meetings and writing journal articles, I realized that communication skills are equally important as technical knowledge and lab skills.

What is something surprising that you learned about yourself during your Ph.D.?

I learned that I could overcome many challenges in graduate school (failed experiments, short deadlines, rejected manuscripts, etc) if I focused on the task at hand and identified all available options to solve a certain problem. By trying different solutions, I realized at least one of them would be successful.

Describe a setback you experienced. How did you overcome and learn from it?

I wrote a few manuscripts that were rejected by journals without opportunities for revision. Receiving criticism from editors and reviewers allowed me to improve my scientific writing and experimental thinking which resulted in future manuscripts being published.

What advice do you think is the most valuable for someone who is:

  • Applying for graduate school. (1) Obtain practical experience in academic research or industry internships instead of only taking classes through the university. (2) Apply to a graduate school that has multiple faculty members who you would be interested in working with as not all advisors can accept a new student into their labs. (3) Contact current graduate students to gain a sense of the academic and cultural environment of their program. (4) Research the alumni of a given program and learn the career paths that your degree or research field can provide you with.
  • Starting graduate school. (1) Be attentive to faculty personality, leadership style, lab management, and research team interactions when choosing a thesis advisor. (2) Attend career fairs and start browsing job listings early on to know your options and better prepare for job positions. (3) Be resourceful and take initiative in your training. (4) Look for opportunities to give oral presentations and write papers. Communication skills are equally important as technical lab skills regardless of your career path.
  • Finishing graduate school. (1) Apply to as many jobs as possible and do not be surprised if it takes several months for you to receive a response. The more applications you submit, the higher the chances you will get an interview. (2) If you are invited for an interview, obtain information beforehand on the organization and what they do. (3) Develop a short “elevator pitch” that you can use when marketing your research or skills to potential employers, and modify it depending on who you are speaking to (e.g., human resources recruiter vs. scientist).

Interview by M. Isabel da Silva