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MIT LEAPS Program

Navigating science career journeys with LEAdership and Professional Strategies & Skills Training

Spring 2020 courses

In Spring 2020, a new course on leadership and professional strategies and skills will be offered at MIT in the School of Science. Currently, the SoS does not offer any such opportunity but it has been recognized that such training is vital for advancing graduate student and postdoc careers in academia and industry. A large variety of topics useful for all career choices will be covered throughout this two-part course, together with interactive components and discussions.

See here for the Course Content

Meet your Course Instructors


  • For graduate students

  • All graduate students are encouraged to register for this course!

    To ease grad student participation amidst your busy research life and various responsibilities, this course has two parts which can be taken separately or together.

    We strongly recommend taking both parts, though, for students to receive the full training and to make best use of this unique opportunity!

    8.S396 for Part I -- Professional Strategies and Skills (runs from Feb 3 to Mar 20, 2020)

    8.S397 for Part II -- Leadership Training (runs from Mar 29 to May 12, 2020)

    Please register for one or both parts in the same way as you do for your other classes during Spring registration. For planning purposes, however, we ask that you fill in this quick form to indicate your interest to us: https://tinyurl.com/ugbbltx. This is not mandatory!

    Classes meet Tuesdays 9:30-11am and Thursdays 5:30-7:30pm (with a light dinner) throughout the semester; location: TBD

    Each part has 3 credit units; expected weekly workload is ~6h, including class time. Each part is capped at 50 graduate students.

    As this is a pilot, this course is hosted in the physics department. There are not yet any matching course numbers across all SoS departments. Nevertheless, the course is open to all SoS graduate students.

  • For postdocs

  • We are now seeking interested postdocs in all departments in the School of Science to co-facilitate this graduate student class. Postdocs from other Schools should contact us to discuss participation options.

    The goal is for postdocs to learn the material alongside the graduate students but to also co-facilitate the class with us. The postdoc cohort will receive mentoring and extra weekly training from us about the core concepts of each week and how to teach it. They will be asked to co-teach/lead certain portions of selected classes. The mentoring session will be for 1h on Mondays. A certificate of completion will be presented at the end of the semester. Postdocs at any stage are welcome to apply. No prior experience teaching these subjects is required.

    The application form can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/tlme6j7

    Interested postdocs should fill in this application form by December 31, 2019. Brief (skype or in person) interviews with selected candidates will occur in early January. Final selections will be announced by January 15, 2020. The Spring semester starts on February 3, 2020. It ends May 12, 2020.

    More details about the course are given above and will also be provided to postdocs upon application

This course is supported by Michael Sipser, Dean of the SoS, Beatriz Cantada, Program Director, Institute Community and Equity Office, Timothy Jamison, Associate Provost and Ian Waitz, Vice-Chancellor for undergraduate and graduate education.

Contact: mitleaps@gmail.com

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COURSE INSTRUCTORS

 

Anna Frebel, astrophysicist and professor of physics at MIT. Credit:KEN RICHARDSON / THE MIRROR

Anna Frebel

astrophysicist and professor of physics at MIT

Part I: Sharpen your professional strategies and skills for career success

  • Professional career development training with Women Graduate Students in Physics (GWIP), 2017-now
  • Professional career development workshops for postdocs 2016-2017
  • Professional career development sessions for young researchers at various universities & conferences, 2013-now
  • Faculty liaison for GWIP, 2013-now

Photo credit: KEN RICHARDSON / THE MIRROR

Angeliki Diane Rigos, physical chemist

Angeliki Diane Rigos

physical chemist

Part II: Starting your leadership journey

  • Program Manager, Center for Enhanced Nanofluidic Transport, MIT
  • Associate Director, MIT Energy Initiative Education (MITEI)
  • Executive Director, Tata Center for Technology and Design, MITEI
  • Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Merrimack College 
  • Department Chair, President of the Faculty, Director of Women’s Studies Program, Associate
    Director of National Microscale Chemistry Center, Merrimack College
  • Executive Consultant, Levitan & Associates, Inc. Practice areas: renewable energy (wind, solar,
    fuel cells), fuel/power price forecasting, technical/safety advice on proposed LNG projects, evaluation of power supply proposals.
  • Associate Director, Bryn Mawr 2019 Leadership Institute, Higher Education Resource Services
  • Leadership Committee, Massachusetts Chapter of the Association for Women in Science -
    Developed a new Women’s Leadership Program, designed to help members become successful leaders in science and engineering

Photo credit: TATA Center for Technology and Design

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COURSE CONTENT

 

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Contact Us

mitleaps@gmail.com