Integrative Graduate
Education and
Research Traineeship

Highlight

Many Arms, One Goal

Leadership motto

Projects:

Integrative Training in Health-Assistive Smart Environments

Institution:

Washington State University

Primary Strategic Goal:

Learning: Build the Nation's research capability through critical investments in advanced instrumentation, facilities, cyber infrastructure, and experimental tools.

Secondary Strategic Goal:

Research Infrastructure: Build the Nation's research capability through critical investments in advanced instrumentation, facilities, cyber infrastructure, and experimental tools.

Achievement/Results

One component of our IGERT program is that all Trainees are required to take a multidisciplinary Leadership course. In this course students learn about ethics, multidisciplinary collaboration, communication, time management, and project leadership through lectures, panels, and discussions.

The course includes a weekend retreat. During the retreat students were split into groups and each group was given the task of brainstorming a motto and corresponding positive and negative leadership traits. One of the groups came up with the motto “Many Arms, One Goal” to signify that there are many of us (the students) and we all share the same goal. The image shows the positive traits the students felt define leadership as well as the negative traits they want to avoid.

Address Goals

The IGERT Trainees who took the leadership class felt that this project was a highlight of their training. They expressed that this was a great reminder of one of the positive aspects the IGERT program has brought to them. Through this experience students have been encouraged to think through aspects of leadership and cooperation and they have been motivated to pursue leadership in their careers.