Achievement

Trainees selected 2 professors from top research programs to visit and discuss their research: UCLA EE Assoc. Prof. Diana Huffaker and Ohio State Univ. ME Prof. Joseph Heremans. An IGERT trainee was appointed for each visitation to be responsible for organizing meals, discussions, and meetings. The visiting professors discussed their research and their career trajectories with small groups of trainees. The two trainees who invited the speakers gained experience with communicating and organizing schedules for the hosted professors. Trainees who participated in discussions with the speakers gained both the opportunity to improve networking skills and insights useful for augmenting their own professional development strategies. Several other trainees also had the opportunity to practice approaching other invitees who ultimately were unable to visit during this reporting period. We co-sponsored several seminars, which allowed trainees to meet one-on-one with speakers and host dinners.