““Successfully Successfully Managing Dual Managing Dual

Graduate, Graduate, Postgraduate Postgraduate

CareersCareersand Beyond”and Beyond”

Preparing for an Academic Career in the Geosciences: Workshop for Graduate

Students and Post-Doctoral Fellows

University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Ashanti J. Pyrtle, Ph.D.apyrtle@marine.usf.edu

Session GoalsSession Goals

• Present strategies for successfully managing dualPresent strategies for successfully managing dual– UndergraduateUndergraduate– Graduate; and Graduate; and – postgraduate careerspostgraduate careers

• Topics covered will include successfully managing Topics covered will include successfully managing individual and joint activities including: individual and joint activities including: – internship opportunities;internship opportunities;– organizational leadership experiences;organizational leadership experiences;– entrepreneurial endeavors;entrepreneurial endeavors;– financial management and planning;financial management and planning;– extracurricular activities; and extracurricular activities; and

• Present “How to tips” regarding obtaining Present “How to tips” regarding obtaining positions positions at the same universityat the same university

Background/QualificationsBackground/Qualifications• Drs. Frank and Ashanti Pyrtle, who Drs. Frank and Ashanti Pyrtle, who

began dating as undergraduates, began dating as undergraduates, will celebrate their 13th wedding will celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary in August, 2007. anniversary in August, 2007.

• Throughout their 16 years Throughout their 16 years together, the Pyrtles frequently together, the Pyrtles frequently negotiated decisions related to:negotiated decisions related to:– individual and joint professional individual and joint professional

careers; careers; – academic and personal pursuits;academic and personal pursuits;– extracurricular activities;extracurricular activities;– graduate school decisions;graduate school decisions;– post-graduate career opportunities; andpost-graduate career opportunities; and– familyfamily

• The Pyrtles are Univ. of South The Pyrtles are Univ. of South Florida Asst. ProfessorsFlorida Asst. Professors– Dr. Frank Pyrtle, III. is an Asst. Prof. of Dr. Frank Pyrtle, III. is an Asst. Prof. of

Mech. Eng. Mech. Eng. – Dr. Ashanti Pyrtle is an Asst. Prof. of Chem. Dr. Ashanti Pyrtle is an Asst. Prof. of Chem.

OceanographyOceanography

Undergraduate Undergraduate ExperienceExperience

• Both attended Texas Both attended Texas A&M Univ.-GalvestonA&M Univ.-Galveston– FP, III.-Marine Eng./Mech. FP, III.-Marine Eng./Mech.

Eng. major; Eng. major; – AP-Marine Sci. majorAP-Marine Sci. major

• Activities:Activities:– Student Govt., Resident Student Govt., Resident

Advisors, Multicultural Advisors, Multicultural Activities, Minority Student Activities, Minority Student Recruiters, Sorority and Recruiters, Sorority and FraternityFraternity

• B.S. degree completionB.S. degree completion– AP- graduated in 4 yearsAP- graduated in 4 years– FP, III.- graduated in 5 ½ FP, III.- graduated in 5 ½

years (switched major & years (switched major & campuses) campuses)

– Both graduated with >3.0 Both graduated with >3.0 GPA’sGPA’s

• Undergraduate Undergraduate professional activitiesprofessional activities– AP- Polymer Chemist intern AP- Polymer Chemist intern

for 4 summers, Christmas for 4 summers, Christmas Breaks at Texas Instruments Breaks at Texas Instruments in Dallas, TXin Dallas, TX

– FP, III.- 1 summer as a youth FP, III.- 1 summer as a youth camp counselor; 3 summer camp counselor; 3 summer REU experiences; 1 summer REU experiences; 1 summer internship at 3M in Austin, internship at 3M in Austin, TXTX

StrategiesStrategies• Communication Communication beforebefore making making

decisionsdecisions• Extracurricular campus Extracurricular campus

activitiesactivities– Work on projects together Work on projects together andand

separatelyseparately• Acknowledge shared Acknowledge shared

interest/benefit in achieving interest/benefit in achieving goalsgoals

• Willingness to compromiseWillingness to compromise• During summer internships:During summer internships:

– Communication via telephone, Communication via telephone, letters and cardsletters and cards

– Scheduled weekend visitsScheduled weekend visits• Always remember that school Always remember that school

comes first!comes first!• Build in a little “play time”Build in a little “play time”

Graduate School Graduate School ExperienceExperience

• Both attended Texas Both attended Texas A&M Univ.-College A&M Univ.-College StationStation– FP, III.-Mech. Eng. majorFP, III.-Mech. Eng. major– AP-Chem. Eng./Chem. AP-Chem. Eng./Chem.

Oceanography majorOceanography major

• Graduate degree Graduate degree completioncompletion– AP- Ph.D. in 5 years (switched AP- Ph.D. in 5 years (switched

major after first year)major after first year)– FP, III.- M.S. in 2 ½ years, FP, III.- M.S. in 2 ½ years,

Ph.D. in 5 yearsPh.D. in 5 years– Both graduated with > 3.0 Both graduated with > 3.0

GPA’sGPA’s

Graduate School Graduate School ExperiencesExperiences

•Fellowship awardsFellowship awards– GEM (FP, III.), NSF GK-12 (FP, GEM (FP, III.), NSF GK-12 (FP,

III.) III.) – Ford Foundation (AP), EPA Ford Foundation (AP), EPA

STAR (AP), AAUW (AP)STAR (AP), AAUW (AP)•Professional activitiesProfessional activities

– AP- Research Geologist for 1 semester at AP- Research Geologist for 1 semester at Exxon in Houston, TXExxon in Houston, TX

– FP, III.- Research Engineer for 3 summers at FP, III.- Research Engineer for 3 summers at Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, MichiganFord Motor Co. in Dearborn, Michigan

• Support SystemSupport System– confidantsconfidants– study groupsstudy groups– familyfamily– churchchurch– organizations organizations

(student-centered, (student-centered, culturally-centered, culturally-centered, professional professional societies)societies)

– fellowships, graduate fellowships, graduate assistantships, assistantships, internships internships

• ActivitiesActivities– exerciseexercise– hobbieshobbies– ““down-time”down-time”– community servicecommunity service– mentoringmentoring– cultivate a network cultivate a network

of “like-minded” of “like-minded” individualsindividuals

Graduate Survival Graduate Survival StrategiesStrategies

Extracurricular ActivitiesExtracurricular Activities• AP - joined a sorority (AKA) in AP - joined a sorority (AKA) in

19911991• FP, III. - joined a fraternity (A FP, III. - joined a fraternity (A

Phi A) in 1997Phi A) in 1997• AP - Texas A& M-Galveston AP - Texas A& M-Galveston

student body president and student body president and FP, III. was vice-presidentFP, III. was vice-president

• AP - Texas A&M Black AP - Texas A&M Black Graduate Student Association Graduate Student Association presidentpresident

• FP, III. - Georgia Tech Black FP, III. - Georgia Tech Black Graduate Student Association Graduate Student Association presidentpresident

• Co-directors of church's youth department in TexasCo-directors of church's youth department in Texas• Co-taught in church's marriage ministry in GeorgiaCo-taught in church's marriage ministry in Georgia• Purchased and sold houses in Texas, Georgia and Purchased and sold houses in Texas, Georgia and

Florida.Florida.• Owned businesses in Texas and FloridaOwned businesses in Texas and Florida

Job SearchJob Search• Began researching options 2 years before FP, III. Began researching options 2 years before FP, III.

anticipated graduationanticipated graduation• Considered positions in academia, government and Considered positions in academia, government and

industryindustry• Both went on job interviews/site visitsBoth went on job interviews/site visits• Negotiated as a “package deal” to some extent with Negotiated as a “package deal” to some extent with

two universitiestwo universities– individual offers and start-up packagesindividual offers and start-up packages– Did not entertain the idea of a split positionDid not entertain the idea of a split position– Listed advantages and disadvantages of job offersListed advantages and disadvantages of job offers– FP, III. was the tie-breakerFP, III. was the tie-breaker

• Accepted tenure-track assistant professor Accepted tenure-track assistant professor positions at Univ. South Florida positions at Univ. South Florida

Dual Career StrategiesDual Career Strategies• Negotiated schools and citiesNegotiated schools and cities

– FP, III. completed a M.S. degree at the FP, III. completed a M.S. degree at the same school that was AP’s first choice same school that was AP’s first choice doctoral program (Texas A&M)doctoral program (Texas A&M)

– Moved to Atlanta, GA so that FP, III. could Moved to Atlanta, GA so that FP, III. could attend his first choice school (Georgia attend his first choice school (Georgia Tech) for his doctoral degree. Tech) for his doctoral degree.

– While FP, III. Attended Georgia Tech, AP While FP, III. Attended Georgia Tech, AP worked asworked as

• Georgia Tech Postdoctoral and Research ScientistGeorgia Tech Postdoctoral and Research Scientist• Savannah State Univ. Research ProfessorSavannah State Univ. Research Professor

• Acknowledge that AP’s career options Acknowledge that AP’s career options were more limiting than FP, III.were more limiting than FP, III.

• Decided to focus on finding the 'best-fit" Decided to focus on finding the 'best-fit" for AP and a 'good-fit' for FP, III. for AP and a 'good-fit' for FP, III.

• For the past 1.5 years engaging in For the past 1.5 years engaging in “baby toss” between offices with FP, IV.“baby toss” between offices with FP, IV.

Stay Focused!!!Stay Focused!!!

When things appear overwhelming refocused by asking…

• What is my/our purpose?

• Why am I/are we here?

• What are the rewards?

• What contribution am I making/ can we make as a result of this experience?

• How am I/are we growing?

• What am I/are we learning?

• What is the purpose of this experience?

Final ThoughtsFinal Thoughts