CS 6190 6190 CS Research Research Mentors and Advisors Mentors and Advisors
Advanced degree - - research research Advanced degree � This term, you need to find a research This term, you need to find a research � adviser/mentor adviser/mentor � What research area What research area � � Take classes Take classes � � Talk to professors Talk to professors � � Do projects with professors Do projects with professors � � Talk to other students about the Talk to other students about the � professors professors
What is a Research Advisor? What is a Research Advisor? Learning to do research - - Apprentice Apprentice Learning to do research relationship: Explains, shows and helps relationship: Explains, shows and helps you do research you do research � Find a research problem Find a research problem � � Get proper background: literature, skills Get proper background: literature, skills � � Apprentice research Apprentice research – – � � How to identify problems worthy of Ph.D. How to identify problems worthy of Ph.D. � � How to tackle problems How to tackle problems � � Organize and write papers & proposals Organize and write papers & proposals � � Give talks Give talks �
What is a Mentor? What is a Mentor? � Mentoring is establishing very special Mentoring is establishing very special � relationship relationship � acts as advocate professional & personal acts as advocate professional & personal � development as well as research development as well as research � develops and lasts over an extended develops and lasts over an extended � period of time period of time � provides help, advice, contacts, and provides help, advice, contacts, and � information information � provides encouragement and acts as provides encouragement and acts as � advocate advocate � Research advisor may or may not be a Research advisor may or may not be a � mentor mentor
Need both Need both � If adviser not a mentor, need to If adviser not a mentor, need to � find one – – or more or more find one � Could be in department or not Could be in department or not � � Could be in research area but in Could be in research area but in � different university or industry different university or industry � Can have more than 1 mentor Can have more than 1 mentor � � Assume research advisor is a Assume research advisor is a � mentor - - ideal ideal mentor
What should you expect What should you expect Research apprenticeship Research apprenticeship � Help build confidence Help build confidence – – � encouragement encouragement � Help with networking Help with networking � � Conferences, workshops, email Conferences, workshops, email � � Helps prepare you for talks Helps prepare you for talks � � Helps prepare you for interviews Helps prepare you for interviews � � Helps with funding Helps with funding �
Finding/evaluating an adviser Finding/evaluating an adviser Is the person in a research area you like? Is the person in a research area you like? � � Is the person’ ’s work current and s work current and Is the person � � relevant? Funded? Where publish? relevant? Funded? Where publish? How many students does she/he How many students does she/he � � supervise? supervise? How long does it take students to finish? How long does it take students to finish? � � What is the placement of past students? What is the placement of past students? � � How responsive is adviser ? ? How responsive is adviser � � � How long to return written materials? How long to return written materials? � � How accessible? How accessible? �
Finding/evaluating an adviser Finding/evaluating an adviser How much freedom does the student have? How much freedom does the student have? � � � Learn to do research Learn to do research – – find problems find problems � Does the adviser publish with students? What What Does the adviser publish with students? � � is the order of names? is the order of names? Who presents the papers that are co- - Who presents the papers that are co � � authored ? ? authored Does the person take students conferences Does the person take students conferences � � and help with networking? and help with networking? Are the person’ ’s work habits compatible with s work habits compatible with Are the person � � own? own?
How to find out How to find out � Look at faculty Look at faculty’ ’s web page s web page � � TALK to current and past students! TALK to current and past students! � � Work on a small project with her/him Work on a small project with her/him � � Take a class from faculty member Take a class from faculty member � � Make an appointment Make an appointment – – � � ask about their projects they have ask about their projects they have � � Ask about the Ask about the project(s project(s) they presented ) they presented � � You need to meet with the faculty member! You need to meet with the faculty member! �
Barriers to good mentoring Barriers to good mentoring � Faculty member doesn Faculty member doesn’ ’t have enough time t have enough time � to devote to mentoring to devote to mentoring � Being too busy is not acceptable Being too busy is not acceptable � � Faculty member and student are in Faculty member and student are in � competition with each others competition with each others � Faculty member and student lack personal Faculty member and student lack personal � experience with people of different experience with people of different backgrounds backgrounds � Trust is not there Trust is not there – – different agenda different agenda � � Communication problems Communication problems - - listening listening � � Unrealistic expectations Unrealistic expectations �
Do and Don’ ’ts ts Do and Don Do Do � Listen and consider advice of adviser Listen and consider advice of adviser � � Talk to adviser if have a problem in research Talk to adviser if have a problem in research � � Make sure you are getting what you need Make sure you are getting what you need � from an adviser from an adviser � Talk to adviser if not satisfied Talk to adviser if not satisfied � Don’ ’t t Don � Talk criticize your adviser in public Talk criticize your adviser in public � � Get too involved personally with adviser Get too involved personally with adviser – – � including intimate relationship including intimate relationship
Resources Resources “ Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend “ Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend - - On being a On being a � � mentor to students in S & E” ”, NAS, NAE, IOM, , NAS, NAE, IOM, mentor to students in S & E National Academy Press, 1997 National Academy Press, 1997 http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/mentor http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/mentor � � CRA- -W Career Mentoring Workshops Booklet W Career Mentoring Workshops Booklet CRA � � Getting tenure, Building research career, Finding Getting tenure, Building research career, Finding � � funding, Time management funding, Time management http://www.cra.org/craw http://www.cra.org /craw � � Research Student and Supervisor: An Approach to Research Student and Supervisor: An Approach to � � Good Supervisory Practice Good Supervisory Practice Council of Graduate Schools, Washington, D.C. Council of Graduate Schools, Washington, D.C. � � http://www.cgsnet.org/PublicationsPolicyRes http://www.cgsnet.org/PublicationsPolicyRes � �
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