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“A Ph.D. Is Not Enough!”
The idea for “A Ph.D. Is Not Enough!” began with two graduate
students in the Polymer Science & Engineering (PSE) Department at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst. Jessica McCoy
, former president of the PSE student organization, and
Ticora Jones, a former officer in the
organization, were introduced to Peter J. Feibelman's book,
A Ph.D. is Not Enough: A Guide to Survival in Science, by
PSE Professor Al Crosby during a Science and Engineering Management class in
spring 2004. The book and the class focused on skills, beyond technical
training (the Ph.D. degree itself), that are required for a successful
scientific career.
When the opportunity (in the form of a grant from Rohm & Haas) arose to
plan a corporate-sponsored event for the PSE student organization, Jessica and
Ticora thought that bringing the author of the book to campus for a workshop
with students would be beneficial. The event quickly grew to an all-day
campus-wide event because of the additional support from campus officials.
This became the inaugural “A Ph.D. Is Not Enough!” event, which
was held in May 2005.
The attendance of over 250 students, faculty, and administrators, along
with much positive feedback from the event, highlighted a need within the
UMASS graduate student community. The UMass administration announced its
commitment to making APINE an annual event at the May 2005 event.
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The Formation of GECDI: Graduate Education and Career
Development Initiative
The now-annual “A Ph.D. Is Not Enough!” events were moved to
September to aid in the orientation of incoming first-year graduate students,
as well as to continue to serve the larger graduate student community. In
order to ensure a sustainable and student-organized planning committee
focused on education and career development, Jessica and Ticora founded the
Graduate Education and Career Development Initiative (GECDI). This
organization is designed to enhance and augment graduate student education
by:
- Recognizing the career development and educational needs of graduate
students
- Partnering with offices and departments to implement programming to
address the needs of graduate students
- Providing a central clearinghouse for resources related to career planning
and graduate school matriculation
- Building the graduate student community based around our common goals for
success
In addition to the APINE Events, GECDI will also host more intimate events
throughout the school year to raise awareness about, and continue training in,
the non-technical skills that are vital to success in graduate
school - and beyond. These events will include special topics lunches,
speakers, networking events, and poster sessions. Anyone interested in
participating in the planning and organization of GECDI programming should
contact apine2005 at yahoo
dot com.
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About The Founders
Ticora V. Jones (May 2005)
While organizing the May 2005 event, Ticora V. Jones was a fourth-year graduate student in the
Polymer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She
received her B.S. in Material Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in 2000 and her M.S. in Polymer Science and Engineering from UMASS in 2002. In 2003,
Ticora was awarded a Ford Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. While at UMass, she served on the board of the PS&E
Club, and as a mentor and facilitator with the NSF-sponsored Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education
and the Professoriate. Her research interests included the design, synthesis, and characterization
of biomimetic materials to further the understanding of self-assembly in naturally occurring systems,
as well as applications for innovative biomaterials. This work culminated in her doctoral dissertation,
"Synthesis and Characterization of ortho Phenylene Ethynylene Oligomers: A New Scaffold for
Foldamer Research," which she presented in July of 2006. Currently, Dr. Jones is a postdoctoral
associate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Jessica L. McCoy (May 2005)
While planning the May 2005 event, Jessica McCoy was a third-year graduate student in the
Polymer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She was
President of the PS&E Club (Polymer Science student organization) and co-chair of the Polymer
Outreach Program. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh
in 2001 and her M.S. in Polymer Science and Engineering from UMass in 2003. Currently, she is
pursuing her Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering at UMass. Her research interests include
studies of responsive, biomimetic polymer gels linking molecular structure to macroscopic behavior.
These systems have applications in controlled release, drug delivery, biosensors, and artificial
nerves and muscles. In addition to her scientific pursuits, she has chaired the Volunteer Coordination
Committee for Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity, is an avid long distance runner, and is a founding
member of the Graduate Education and Career Development Initiative (GECDI).
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