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AB:
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Objectives and Assessment of the Physics Graduate Program
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Location:
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HC 3027 |
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Date:
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Monday, Aug.01 |
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Time:
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8:00AM - 10:00AM
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Presider:
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Juan Burciaga,
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Co-Presiders(s):
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None
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Equipment:
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N/A
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AB01:
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Changes and Challenges in Physics Graduate Programs
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Location:
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HC 3027 |
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Date:
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Monday, Aug.01 |
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Time:
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8:00AM - 8:20AM
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Author:
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Michael Thoennessen, Michigan State University
517 908 7323, thoennessen@nscl.msu.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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None
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Abstract:
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Many physics departments have made significant changes to their graduate programs in the last few years. These changes were partly driven by the increasing specialization of the field and the increasing number of interdisciplinary programs. Changes included modifications of the core curriculum and the comprehensive exams. Are these changes effective? Are the students better prepared for non-academic/industry careers? Are these changes improving the traditionally high drop-out rates? It is still too early to answer these questions, but the departments are encouraged to document and analyze the results of the implemented changes carefully so that the "best practices" can be implemented in other departments.
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Footnotes:
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None
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AB02:
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Defining and Assessing Goals of a Graduate Physics Program
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Location:
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HC 3027 |
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Date:
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Monday, Aug.01 |
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Time:
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8:20AM - 8:40AM
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Author:
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Chandralekha Singh, University of Pittsburgh
41-262-49045, clsingh@pitt.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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None
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Abstract:
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In this talk, I will discuss and encourage participants to consider how success should be defined for a graduate physics program and how departments can assess it. A particular focus will be on the inclusion of underrepresented students in the physics graduate programs.
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Footnotes:
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None
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AB03:
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The Challenge of Setting Objectives in Physics PhD Programs
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Location:
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HC 3027 |
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Date:
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Monday, Aug.01 |
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Time:
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8:40AM - 9:00AM
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Author:
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Thomas D. Cohen, University of Maryland
301-654-7702, cohen@physics.umd.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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None
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Abstract:
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It is particularly challenging in the context of physics PhD programs to construct objectives and schemes to systematically assess whether these objectives are met. This is for two reasons. The first is that these programs focus on research. It is probably true that there is broad agreement the purpose of these programs is to train students to become independent and highly competent researchers. The challenge is to articulate in a precise and measurable way precisely what skills and/or knowledge an independent and competent researcher needs to acquire. The second challenge is related to the great diversity of research subfields that exist in Physics PhD programs. Students who work on experimental "big science'' such as an LHC experiment need to learn a radically different set of skills than students working in say biophysics or computational plasma physics. Given the disparate needs of these subfields, it is particularly difficult to construct meaningful objectives that apply to all of these.
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Footnotes:
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Sponsor: Juan Burciaga
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AB04:
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Graduate Education as Vocational School: Industrial and Entrepreneurial Physics
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Location:
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HC 3027 |
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Date:
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Monday, Aug.01 |
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Time:
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9:00AM - 9:20PM
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Author:
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Robert W. Brown, Case Western Reserve University
216-368-4010, rwb@case.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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None
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Abstract:
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Three decades of my industrial partnerships with more than 10 companies have led to significant publications, patents, start-ups, and jobs. My 20 graduated PhD students have upwards of 150 patents and 200 publications and abstracts, and have worked in remarkably diverse areas, from radiation, imaging, and heat transfer physics, to magnetic particle ferrofluids, and sensor development for contaminated industrial fluids. I am connected to three new manufacturing companies with more than 100 employees, 20% of whom have been trained in my computational laboratory. This is aligned with a national award-winning master's program in physics entrepreneurship, where I've been co-advisor for 25 graduates. As an outgrowth of a unique imaging course, my former students and I have co-authored a 900-page textbook referred to as the "daily companion of the MRI scientist." I discuss the relevance of all of this to general physics graduate education, especially in today's funding climate.
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Footnotes:
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None
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