Call for Papers

Please contact the symposium organizers with questions.

There are several unknowns when it comes to finding a job in academia or industry that fits one’s skills and passions. Even after landing the desired position, a significant amount of learning is required to become a successful professional.

This symposium is geared toward the next generation of professionals in academia and industry by providing technical instruction on different aspects of career development. This symposium will delve into the intricacies of the job application process, pinpointing potential opportunities, and sharing anecdotal experiences. Guidance on how to write successful proposals and grants needed for research in Early career will be discussed. Journal editors will share their vision on writing impactful papers, followed by a panel discussion. We aim to gather professionals from various stages of their life and career to offer diverse perspectives. Additionally, this symposium will feature talks on novel and successful teaching and mentoring strategies.

Direct interaction with the attendees of the symposium will be promoted in panel discussions around 1) work-life balance - strategies for maintaining good mental health, coping with pressure, combining family and career; 2) mobility in early careers - discussions will be on: should I move? When is it a good time? What issues will I face? How to get funding for my work?; and 3) What's next after my PhD? Is postdoc a correct decision? How to shift from industry to academia? Is my profile more suited for industry or academia? What other options are there besides industry and academia? An informal networking session will be organized at the end of the symposium.

Topics will include:

• Early career perspectives
• Faculty application
• Mentoring strategies
• Teaching methods
• Writing impactful research articles
• Grant proposal writing
• Job application
• Work-life balance
• Mobility in science

Invited Speakers:

• Jain Abnubhav (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA)
• David Bahr (Purdue University, USA)
• Jeffrey Cain (General Motors, USA)
• Pieremanuele Canepa (University of Houston, USA)
• Mallory Clites (U.S. Department of Energy, USA)
• Daniel Cole (U.S. Army Research Office—Materials Science Division, USA)
• Vincent Dusastre (Nature Materials, United Kingdom)
• Jessica Freyer (Rhapsody Venture Partners, USA)
• Chris Heckle (Argonne National Laboratory, USA)
• Germano Iannacchione (National Science Foundation, USA)
• Caroline Koustis (Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, USA)
• Christine Luscombe (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan)
• Suveen Mathaudhu (Colorado School of Mines, USA)
• Lincoln Miara (Pure Lithium, USA)
• Jagjit Nanda (Stanford University, USA)
• Mihrimah Ozkan (University of California, Riverside, USA)
• Gopal Rao (Materials Research Society, USA)
• Briana Simms (University of Cincinnati, USA)
• Mona Zebarjadi (University of Virginia, USA)

Symposium Organizers