How to become a professor (in Engineering)? Cases and examples.
In short, there are more than one road to Rome. Yet, the general principles agree with those in the previous article.
The panelists
Prof. M
(Tenured, female) Did undergrad in UIUC and worked in industry for 10 years before going to grad school. In the stage of PhD/PostDoc, she was thinking about back to industry afterwards. Yet, the Dean offered a chance in a newly-developed program in engineering education. That is how she ended up to be a faculty member.
Prof. J
(Tenured, female) Directly became a tenure-track AP after PhD. What surprised her was that (1) she had to be hands off the direct research (such as coding) and focus on writing proposals, and (2) high level of interdisciplinary research (univ. dependent). Two mistakes she wished to have avoided in the AP period are that (1) continuing dissertation research (only) and (2) not knowing the field - resulting in, e.g. journal rejection. Her major tip is that an AP should identify the field of impact and research vision, so that he/she can focus on one core area due to the limited timeframe of the tenure process.
She was able to gave birth to a baby while striving for tenure. Having a baby is beneficial in the sense that it makes the life becomes more focused. Work has to be done when the baby is still in daycare.
Prof. C
(Fresh AP, female) Worked as Postdoc in a NL before becoming an AP. That is probably how she developed a strong publication record.
Prof. K
(Senior AP, female) She applied for a faculty position to over 30 institutions when she graduated and received around 10 interviews. Now what she thinks is that she should have applied to less places so that the time and energy are more focused. During the negotiation, she was able to convince the dept. to create two courses based on her research work, which are potentially beneficial for her later-on research. Two more tips she offered:
- Do not be afraid to ask for resources.
- It is natural and okay to have no experience in the beginning.
Prof. L
(Just tenured, male) He was hired through an interdisciplinary program between several depts. Now he is running a lab with around 10 grad students and some undergrads. Two things he found challenging: (1) dealing with a few superviors, (2) motivating the students. Concerning work-life balance, he suggested using the conferences as a means for family vacations.
Prof. S
(Senior AP, male) He and his spouse were hired utilizing the dual-career program offered by the univ. He pointed out that the lab should be treated as a small business. The AP needs to be hands-off the “field work” and let the students do the labor. Also, one cannot always do what one wants.
Q & A
Writing research statement
The key is to balance the old and new projects. The RS works as research proposals, presenting the new ideas and the start-up budget. This also indicates how one becomes independent from the advisor. The RS also shows the existing technical asset of one person, represented by the old projects. Anyways, make sure the RS receives feedback from the peers and mentors before application.
Start-up package
It is basically university dependent. Keep in mind that, during the negotiation, the dept. on the AP’s side against the univ. in some aspects. A few suggestions: (1) Have a flexible requirement of the necessities. (2) Confirm what courses to teach. (3) Make sure any communication be recorded and all the requirements be written.
Getting tenure
First of all, check the memos on tenure requirements and talk to senior faculty members for mentoring. Typically, a tier 1 research university focuses on research, but bad teaching would annihilate the tenure.
As a mentor
The role of a mentor is about not just academics, but also the overall well-being, such as the student’s career development. Taking undergrads is usually the starting point of a new AP. Two suggestions: (1) utilize existing univ. program support, (2) avoid people aiming for recommendation letters - maybe give a one-year observation period.
Always note that the team chemistry is vital for the lab and the tenure.
Time management
The key is to prioritize the schedule and do not become deadline-driven. A typical work load of 50 hrs a week is decomposed as 60-70% for R, 20-30% for T, and the rest for S. 60% of time would be spent in course preparation.
Work-life balance
First, “balance” itself should be well defined. It could mean a fixed time frame for life and work. Apparently, the understanding of the family and the partner is paramount. Especially the kids would force the AP to optimize the time management. There are univ. guidelines for faculty with family, which could be exploited.
Reasons to transit from NL to univ.
- Family factor
- Desire to interact with students and have more impact on people.