Symposium on Graduate Education
Symposium on Graduate Education: Defining Academic Success
Monday, February 21, 2005, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Illini Union Rooms A, B, & C
1:00 p.m. Welcome and Introductory Remarks
Richard Wheeler, Graduate College Dean
1:10 p.m. Keynote address: The Feminization of Graduate Education: a Life-course View
Dr. Mary Ann Mason, Dean of the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley and co-director of a major research project on the impact of family on the career paths of academic women and men, entitled Do Babies Matter?
2:00 p.m. Break and Refreshments
2:10 p.m. Concurrent Focus Sessions (choose 1)
Session 1: Career Paths in the Academy: What Is Success?
Many graduate programs are designed to prepare graduate students for roles as faculty researchers and scholars at large research-oriented
institutions like the University of Illinois, but only a small proportion of doctoral recipients will have faculty careers in research
universities. Many more will accept positions at a wide variety of colleges, universities, and community colleges. This panel discussion
by UI graduate alumni who are faculty or administrators from a variety of academic institutions will discuss the many ways in which
success is defined in academia.
Paula Havlik, Associate Director, Club & Constituent Programs,
University of Illinois Alumni Association, Moderator
Maria Mobasseri, Department Chair, Computer Science and Information Technology, Parkland
College
James Painter, Chair, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Eastern Illinois University
Christopher Prom, Assistant Professor of Library Administration and Assistant University Archivist,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bridget Trogden, Assistant Professor (beginning Fall 2005), Department of Chemistry, Mercer
University
Session 2: What Makes an Advising Relationship Good?
The quality of the relationship between a graduate student and his/her adviser can make a critical difference in virtually all aspects of
a graduate student's educational experience. An adviser typically serves on a graduate student's dissertation committee, but s/he also
takes on a range of mentoring roles, including academic and research advising, as well as career guidance and personal support. Greg
Lambeth, Clinical Psychologist at the University of Illinois Counseling Center, will lead a panel discussion of faculty, postdocs, and
graduate students examining what makes an advising relationship "good", what outcomes are associated with poor advising relationships and
what faculty and graduate students can do to improve these relationships.
Nancy Abelmann, Associate Professor, Anthropology
Greg Lambeth, Clinical Counselor, Counseling Center, Moderator
Michael C. Loui, Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sarah MacDonald, Graduate Student, English
Brandy S. Russell, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
3:15 p.m. Break
3:25 p.m. Plenary Session: Do Babies Matter? The Challenges of Balancing Career & Family
As academics and professionals, we are largely defined by our work-our success in the lab, classroom, and in publishing. But in addition to our professional identities, we also play vital roles as partners, spouses, parents, and friends, and the challenges of balancing professional and family responsibilities can be demanding and even overwhelming. This panel discussion will explore the aspects of academic culture that make traditional work-family balance difficult, discuss structural inequalities, and explore cultural and policy changes that might make a difference.
Kal Alston, Director of the Gender & Women's Studies Program and Associate Professor in
Educational Policy Studies, Moderator
Steve Boppart, Assistant Professor, Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and
Bioengineering Sarah Mangelsdorf, Acting Dean, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Mary Ann Mason, Graduate Dean, University of California, Berkeley
4:30 p.m. Closing Remarks and Reception
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