PhD Academic Career Mentoring Panel Series

The Viterbi School of Engineering initiated an Academic Career Mentoring Panel Series to encourage Ph.D. students and postdocs to pursue a rewarding career in academia and research. Distinguished faculty will discuss their academic paths and offer strategic advice and answer your questions. Engineering Ph.D. students and postdocs from all areas and departments are strongly encouraged to attend.

Seminar Abstract: A panel of graduating PhD students and a postdoc, will discuss “Preparing For, and Landing a Faculty Position.” Moderated by Vice Dean Timothy Pinkston, the panelists will discuss key strategies for the early, middle, and latter stages of your PhD and postdoc that will help you prepare for landing a faculty position. A Q&A will be included in the panel discussion. A boxed lunch will be provided to all registered participants

The Spring 2019 Academic Career Mentoring Panel will be announced soon!

Previous Academic Career Mentoring Panels

Fall 2017: "Academic and Industry Paths: How to be Ready and in Demand for Both"

Spring 2017: "What Surprised Me About Work as a Faculty Member, and What Should I Have Done Differently"

The Spring 2017 Academic Career Mentoring Panel, “What Surprised Me About Work as a Faculty Member, and What Should I Have Done Differently” will be held on Thursday, April 6, 2017, from 11:30am-3:00pm in THH 210.

Panelists:

Leana Golubchik
Professor
Computer Science

Amy Rechenmacher
Associate Professor
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Paul Ronney
Professor
Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering

Ketan Savla
Assistant Professor
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

John Brooks Slaughter
Professor
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering
Rossier School of Education

Moderator:

James Moore
Vice Dean for Academic Programs

Fall 2016: "Preparing for Finding and Leveraging a Postdoc Position"

Panelists:

Eun Ji Chung
Gabilan Assistant Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering

SungWon Chung
Postdoc Scholar-Research Scholar
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering

Sajan Goud Lingala
Postdoc Scholar-Research Scholar
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering

Oliver Kroemer
Postdoc Scholar-Research Scholar, Department of Computer Science

Alejandra Uranga
Assistant Professor
Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

Han Wang
Assistant Professor
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering

Moderator:

Timothy Pinkston
Professor and Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs

Spring 2016: "Getting an Academic Job: What Really Matters and How to Do It Right"

The Spring 2016 Ph.D. Mentoring Panel, “Getting an Academic Job: What Really Matters and How to Do It Right” was held on Wednesday, April 27, 2016, from 2:00pm-5:00pm in SAL 101.

Panelists:

Dr. Andrea Armani
Associate Professor, Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Associate Professor, Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering

Dr. Hossein Hashimi
Professor, Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering

Dr. Aleksandra Korolova
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science

Moderator:

Dr. Maja Mataric’
Professor and Vice Dean for Research

Spring 2015: "Career in Industry vs. Research Labs vs. Academia"

The Spring 2015 Ph.D. Mentoring Panel, “Career in Industry vs. Research Labs vs. Academia” was held on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, from 3:30pm-5:00pm in EEB 132

Panelists:

Dr. Murali Annavaram
Associate Professor, Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering
Department of Computer Science

Dr. George Ban-Weiss
Assistant Professor, Sonny Astani Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dr. Yong Chen
Associate Professor
Daniel J. Epstein Deparment of Industrial and
Systems Engineering

Dr. Wyatt Lloyd
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science

Mahta Moghaddam
Professor, Ming Hsieh Department of
Electrical Engineering

Dr. Wei Wu
Associate Professor, Ming Hsieh Department of
Electrical Engineering

Moderator:

Dr. Timothy Pinkston
Professor and Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs

Fall 2014: "How to Prepare for an Academic Position"

The Fall 2014 PhD Mentoring Panel, “Preparing for an Academic Position” was held on October 22, 2014 in DML 240. The event was organized in partnership with the Center for Excellence in Research (CER), and was open to all PhD students and postdocs university-wide. In addition to Dr. Maja Mataric’, the panelists consisted of professors from schools outside Viterbi; Dr. Surya Prakash from Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Dr. Sarah Hamm-Alvarez from the USC School of Pharmacy.

Spring 2014: "Establishing and Building Professional Networks

The Spring 2014 Ph.D. Mentoring Panel, “Establishing and Building Professional Networks” was held on April 9, 2014 from 12:00pm-2:00pm in MHP 101

Panelists:

Dr. Sandeep K. Gupta
Dept Chair and Professor
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering

Dr. Stephen Lu
Professor
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department
Department of Computer Science

Dr. Lucio Soibelman
Dept. Chair and Professor
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Dr. Gerald E. Loeb
Professor
Biomedical Engineering Department
Adjunct Professor
Neurology, Pharmacy
Director
Medical Device Development Facility

Dr. Alice C. Parker
Professor
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering

Moderator:

Dr. James Moore
Vice Dean for Academic Programs
Professor
Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Sol Price School of Public Policy

Fall 2013: "Applying and Interviewing for Academic Positions"

The Fall 2013 Ph.D. Mentoring Panel, “Applying and Interviewing for Academic Positions.” was held on November 1st, 2013, from 12:00pm-2:00pm in SAL 101.

Panelists:

Dr. Nora Ayanian, Assistant Professor
Computer Science
Dr. Ayanian Presentation Slides

Dr. Paul Bogdan, Assistant Professor
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering
Dr. Bogdan’s Presentation Slides

Dr. Amy Childress, Professor
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dr. Childress’ Presentation Slides

Dr. Stacey Finley, Gabilan Assistant Professor
Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Finley’s Presentation Slides

Moderator:

Dr. Timothy Pinkston
Vice Dean, Faculty Affairs
Dr. Pinkston’s Presentation Slides

Spring 2013: "Developing a Research Plan and Getting it Funded"

The Spring 2013 Academic Career Mentoring Panel, “Developing a Research Plan and Getting it Funded” was held, Wednesday, April 17, 2013 in GFS 106 from 12:00pm-2:00pm.

Mentoring Panel 20131 Flyer Final

Panelists:

Dr. Andrea Armani
Ray Irani Chair in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering-Electrophysics, and Chemistry

Dr. Yolanda Gil
Research Professor of Computer Science and Spatial Sciences

Dr. Hossein Hashemi
Ming Hsieh Faculty Fellow in Electrical Engineering-Electrophysics and Professor of Electrical Engineering-Electrophysics

Dr. Nenad Medvidovic
Professor of Computer Science

Dr. Shri Narayanan
Niki and Max Nikias Chair and Professor of Electrical Engineering-Systems, Computer Science, Linguistics, Psychology, and Pediatrics

Moderator:

Dr. Maja Mataric’
Vice Dean for Research

Fall 2012: "Navigating the Tenure Process"

Fall 2011: "Career Choices: Industry vs. Academia"

Panelists

Dr. Peter Beerel
Professor of Electrical Engineering-System
Dr. Beerel’s Presentation Slides

Dr. Mike S.W. Chen
Colleen and Roberto Padovani Early Career Chair in Electrical Engineering and Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering-Electrophysics
Dr. Chen’s Presentation Slides

Dr. Henryk Flashner
Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and Biological Sciences
Dr. Flashner’s Presentation Slides

Dr. Yan Liu
Philip and Cayley MacDonald Endowed Early Career Chair and Associate Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering-Systems
Dr. Liu’s Presentation Slides

Dr. Azad Madni
Professor of Astronautical Engineering Practice and of Education

Dr. Azad Madni’s Presentation Slides

Moderator:

Dr. Timothy Pinkston
Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs
Dr. Pinkston’s Presentation Slides

Spring 2011: "Academic Career Work-Life Balance"

Panelists:

Dr. Nenad Medvidovic
Professor of Computer Science
Dr. Medvidovic’s Presentation Slides

Dr. Ellis Meng
Gabilan Distinguished Professorship in Science and Engineering, Dwight C. and Hildagarde E. Baum Chair, and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering-Electrophysics
Dr. Meng’s Presentation Slides

Dr. Shinyi Wu

Associate Professor of Social Work and Industrial and Systems Engineering Education
Dr. Wu’s Presentation Slides

Moderator:

Dr. Maja Mataric’
Vice Dean for Research

Fall 2010: "Preparing for a Career in Academia"

Fall 2010 Academic Career Mentoring Panel: “Preparing for a Career in Academia” flyer.

Panelists:

Dr. J.P. Bardet

Dr. G.J Halfond

Dr. John Brooks Slaughter
Professor of Education and Engineering

Dr. Alejandro Toriello

Dr. Francisco Valero-Cuevas
Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering-Systems, Computer Science, and Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy

Moderator:

Dr. Timothy Pinkston
Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs

Spring 2010: "Preparing to Interview for an Academic Position"

Spring 2010 Academic Career Mentoring Panel: “Preparing to Interview for an Academic Position” flyer.

Panelists:

Dr. Hossein Hashemi
Ming Hsieh Faculty Fellow in Electrical Engineering-Electrophysics and Professor of Electrical Engineering-Electrophysics
Dr. Hashemi’s Presentation Slides

Dr. Alexander (Sandy) Sawchuk
Leonard Silverman Chair in Electrical Engineering and Professor of Electrical Engineering-Systems
Dr. Sawchuk’s Presentation Slides

Dr. Alan Willner
Steven and Kathryn Sample Chair in Engineering and Professor of Electrical Engineering-Systems
Dr. Willner’s Presentation Slides

Moderator:

Dr. Maja Mataric’
Vice Dean for Research
Dr. Mataric’ Presentation Slides