Blog posts

The PhD can be about more than scientific research

By Adam Persing.

I am Chief Data Scientist at MRB Partners, a Manhattan-based advertising/tech start-up, where I discover and develop machine learning algorithms that drive the firm’s products. I graduated from Imperial in 2014 with a PhD in computational statistics.

The main purpose of a PhD program is to teach a student how to conduct scientific research, but it also cultivates a skillset that can prepare a student for a career outside of academia. I have found that some of the most valuable elements of that skillset are:

  1. Communication,
  2. Market research, and
  3. Self-management.

In the following blog post, I will discuss each point in some detail, highlighting how the skill was developed during my PhD and how I apply the skill today in industry.

Communication

As a doctoral researcher, I communicated new, complex ideas to my peers through conference talks, journal publications, and my thesis. My thesis was a milestone in my personal development. It was the first time that I had ever organized, written, and presented such a large body of work, for an audience that I would expect to have little or no background in the subject matter. This skill is one I use today daily. As a technical person in industry, it is the norm for me to communicate science to people who have no formal training. Working in a start-up, there is the additional hurdle of having to explain and sell novel products to a market that previously had no concept of them.

Market research

I made a considerable effort to keep abreast with new research advancements in computational statistics when I was a doctoral researcher. I learned to check the arXiv on a daily basis, attend conferences and departmental talks regularly, and continually analyse my findings. This process of closely monitoring a field of research and forming opinions on the direction in which it will advance is parallel to market research in industry. I now track advancements in tech to help plan for the future. Just like in academia, I identify the key players within my industry and I read/listen-to everything they put out, while speaking with them when I have the opportunity. This research helps me form opinions about where tech is headed, thereby enabling me to form effective strategies.

Self-management

My principal PhD advisor gave me the freedom to manage myself when I was a doctoral student. I operated within his research framework, but I controlled my own pipeline of projects. Having this responsibility taught me how to structure a productive workday for myself, as well as time, resource, and project management. I would not be able to do my job today without these skills.

Conclusion

The truly unique aspect of a PhD program is that it teaches a student how to conduct research, and the purpose of this blog post is not to sell the degree to people who do not have a strong interest in research and in learning how to advance science. Rather, my hope with this post is to encourage research students to realize that there are important benefits to the experience (apart from the specialist knowledge) that can advance their careers.

(Left) I live in Manhattan in Tudor City, a 1920s apartment complex known for its rooftop TUDOR CITY sign. The complex takes its name from England’s Tudor dynasty.

(Right) I work in the Flatiron District, which is named for the triangular shaped Flatiron Building.

Three things I learned at MIT

by Matthieu Komorowski

During the fall and winter of 2016/2017 and as part of my PhD in the Department of Surgery and Cancer, I am visiting the Laboratory of Computational Physiology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. Here are three things I learned from my visit at one the world’s top institutions.

First, “Humans were meant to dwell in dark airless places, illuminated by a flickering glow, interrupted periodically by the janitorial staff, checking for signs of life.” (formula from MIT Alumni Janet Cahn). In September, I moved to a flat in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with two PhD students in computer science. A week in, I realised that I hadn’t seen my flatmates even once. In the morning, I woke up alone, worked what I felt were solid hours (roughly 8AM to 8PM), then came home to an empty house, and headed to bed before midnight – still alone. I soon came to realise that they had a very different schedule than mine, getting to work at around 10AM but working until 1 or 2AM. Whilst an extreme case, it is not rare for MIT students to work extremely long hours, neglecting social interactions and using coffee creamer as a source of nutrients. In essence, my flatmates endorse perfectly the lifestyle of the beaver, MIT’s formal mascot. As presented to former MIT President Richard Maclaurin by a student of the class of 1898: “Of all the animals of the world, the beaver is noted for his engineering and mechanical skill and habits of industry. His habits are nocturnal, he does his best work in the dark.” (Technology Review, vol. 16, 1914).

Second, don’t watch TV in the US. Fox News will show you clips pointing at Hillary’s emails controversy, and priests arguing about abortion laws and same-sex marriage. Switch to CBS and you’ll see pro-democrats commercials over and over again, with interviews of  a nuclear missile site employee together with clips of Trump saying “I love war” and “I want to be unpredictable”. To say the least, witnessing the show of the presidential election from the inside has been… entertaining. Being French, I am somewhat used to election debates avoiding the important questions (employment, social protection, health care, foreign policy…) and focusing much more on the candidates’ personalities (or lack thereof). But the Americans take it to a whole different level. Politicians use proven marketing techniques, like those ads that tell you how much better they are than a specific rival product (“our 4G network is 200% faster than AT&T!”, “our battery lasts 6h longer than the iPhone! ”) instead of plainly disclosing their features (“our battery lasts 20h”). But after all, I guess that this is also what elections are about: for the candidates, to seduce voters; for the opposite party: to discredit the opponent by putting into light potential scoops and fetid files.

Third, don’t say “I like Winter” in Boston. In the last days, temperatures have been plummeting and are fast approaching the freezing point of water. We are soon expecting the first snowfall. Whenever I tell locals that “I don’t mind the cold” or even worse “I like snow”, they stare at me in horror, like I said that I worship Nicolas Cage’s performance in Bangkok Dangerous. Snow is no joking matter. Two years ago, Boston drowned under 9 feet of it, making it the snowiest season on record. Everything -literally- froze and people got locked inside their houses for days or even weeks, surviving on tin cans and Netflix.

As of right now, I’ve got exactly two hours of daylight left, so I’m off to make the most of it. Winter is coming.

Top left – In front of MIT’s emblematic Maclaurin building.

Bottom left – Hiking the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

Right – At the top of the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower in Chicago, 1353 feet up.

A day lost?

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By Janet De Wilde, Head of Postgraduate Professional Development, Graduate School, Imperial College London. 

Opportunities for Professional Development are snapped up by some, but for others time spent on professional development is perceived to be a “day lost” or “hours lost”. We witness this division of opinion in the Graduate School courses quite often. It is something we all have felt at some point, our mind is thinking about what we need to be getting on with. However, if we stay task focused, when would be the time to consider the big picture, develop our self-awareness, or challenge ourselves to improve if we are always busy?

Personally, I have studied and worked in several places where there was no opportunity for professional development, no opportunity to step outside of the day-to-day work focus. There was just no occasion to think about what I was doing, how I was going about my work and my career – in fact there was no prospect of a supported process to develop my self-awareness.

Some people advocate that learning the hard way, by being thrown in at the deep-end, is the best way. However, one challenging experience of this for me was being recruited directly into a technical team at a major engineering firm. I instantly recognised that I had to sort out my approach, I had to learn fast to communicate well with technicians and managers in order to deliver my part of a project. If I didn’t I would sink very quickly and may not pass probation period. I wish I could have had some preparation to handle that transition.

The real gift from development courses is not ‘solutions to problems’ but the development of an ‘array of tools’ that provide you with methods to get around potential road blocks in your work or your relationships. You have the space to practice a skill or you can learn a new technique.

Companies see the benefit from taking top talent students and putting them on graduate schemes. They learn the technical knowledge for the company alongside great support for developing professional skills. The two are synchronised in development. Professional bodies also recognise these skills, they have a list of professional competencies that they expect each level to achieve. The graduate school has been working with these external organisations to align our provision with their recommendations. This has been so successful that the Royal Society of Chemistry has approved our courses so that students in that department can submit their attendance as evidence to gain Registered Scientist status, and for membership status.

So what may seem like a day lost can give you a life time of inspiration, recognition and direction. I would encourage all students to make the most of professional development at the College.

 

Exciting times ahead!!

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The Graduate School is pleased to welcome new students to Imperial College London and to welcome you back if you are returning. This is our new blog and we hope that you find it interesting. We would like to encourage you to contribute articles for the blog site so if you have something you would like to share with the postgraduate community, please do get in touch!

My name is Laura Lane and I am the Manager of the Graduate School and it is a great honour for me to be invited to write the first blog entry! I have been in my current role for coming up to four years now and I am really excited about the new programmes and events that the Graduate School is organising for the year ahead.

We are introducing a suite of four new residential retreats: Writing (for students who need to submit within 6 months), Global Impact, Building Global Teams and Communication and Global Entrepreneurs. Each retreat will take place at Cumberland Lodge, which is in Great Windsor Park, and will be a chance for you to meet other students from across College, develop professional skills with global emphasis and take a step back from your usual working environment to learn something new! Last year we piloted the Writing Retreat and feedback from students who attended was excellent, one remarked, “this is the best course that the Graduate School has ever run” – what a compliment! I do hope you will get the chance to participate in at least one of the retreats.dscf8371

The Graduate School introduced webinars for the first time last year in order to make our courses more accessible. We are aware that many of you are studying part time or have lots of commitments outside university and work which can sometimes make it difficult to attend the usual face-to-face workshops. The wonderful thing about webinars is that all you need is a PC with internet access so if you are at a placement, undertaking fieldwork, at work, or even abroad you can still engage with Graduate School courses. This year we are extending the suite of webinars to cover topics such as building your research profile, wellbeing, making an impact, plus a new webinar called, “Ask the Doctor”, which will provide opportunity for you to talk to alumni.

I would also like to take the opportunity to promote our cohort building programme which was shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Award in 2015. 3mt_2016We offer two types of provision under this programme; firstly we can tailor our courses so that they are more specialised for subject areas and secondly, we have funds available to support students who wish to undertake cohort building activities. To give you some examples, we have previously funded student-led symposia, journal clubs, sporting networking activities, and even funded a trip to the Eden Project for a group of students. I would encourage you to have a look at our cohort building website for ideas and submit an application!

img_1501As well as continuing to host the IgNobels, 3 Minute Thesis and Live Chemistry Show we will also be launching a brand new summer research showcase in July which celebrates the amazing research that postgraduates students carry out and to celebrate your achievements – look out for more information about this in our regular e-newsletters!

Once again, I hope you find the blog interesting and please do get in touch if you would like to write an entry for us. Hopefully I will meet some of you at our courses and events next year!

Laura