Ellen Walker, Hiram College
Who am I?Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Research
University), 1989Research in computer vision, fuzzy logicGraduated 3 Ph.D. studentsSpent “too much” time helping undergraduates,
outreach (PipeLINK, see Rodger, Walker, SIGCSE 1996)
Hiram College (residential liberal arts college, 1000-1200 students total(!)), 1996Broadened teaching, research, work with undergradsFull professor, 2002; giving back through service,
now.
Who Are You?What size is your school?What size is your department?Are you the only woman in your department?What is your academic preparation?What is most important at your school –
teaching, scholarship or service?Is your school public or private?What is your teaching load?
Training and EducationYour institution benefits from investing in youThink of yourself as a $1,000,000 -
$2,000,000 investmentYou’ll need ongoing training and education in
your research areaemerging areas and technologyteaching methods
Where to LookAttend conferencesRead
Journals, magazines, booksStart or join a reading groupMailing lists
Online tutorials (ACM, IEEE, free)Local seminars, colloquia and professional
groups
Where to LookAttend workshops and tutorials at
conferences (SIGCSE, OOPSLA, SIGGRAPH)Apply for NSF Summer WorkshopsTake a graduate course Hardware and software vendors offer coursesTeach a course about something new
ConsultingSummer faculty fellowships: NASA, Air Force,
National Labs, Microsoft, and othersNSF panel reviews
Allows you to keep with the main trendsWill know what the most important issues areGood contacts and networkingProvides you with tips on how to write a successful
proposal
AP Exam gradingWorth doing especially if you are teaching introductory
CS courses
Instead of Summer Teaching
AskDon’t be afraid to ask for what you needIf you are consistently thwarted, don’t be
afraid to change jobs
Improving Your TeachingTeaching may be more important than
scholarship at your schoolFind your local teaching and learning centerAttend seminars on teaching techniquesAttend SIGCSE, ITiCSE or CCSC conferencesAsk your colleagues to share their lecture
notes and assignmentsAsk another good teacher to observe you
You need to maintain currency, you need to generate publications…
You need recognition, letters of recommendation…
FundingInternal sourcesExternal sources
Internal Funding SourcesIndividually earmarked funds
Travel / Equipment / StartupDepartmental fundsCollege / Division / School funds
Research & teaching centerTravel funds
Institution-wide funds
Additional Internal Funding“Hidden funds” at your institution
Can you connect with an institutional grant?Can you position your need in terms of
institutional priorities?Get to know your development officers
May help find trustees or alumni interested in your project
External Funding SourcesFederal agencies
http://www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/Science/Agencies.shtml
NSF relevant divisions: CISE, DUE, EHR General purpose equipment not supported; tie request to
curriculum development Volunteer to serve on panels to learn more
Corporate Research & Development Labs Often initiated by contact at the lab
ConsultingFurther your own goals (not only the company’s)Be careful about patent and copyright issues
Professional organizations such as SIGCSE
External Funding Sources (cont’d)State fundsPrivate foundationsCollaborations with others
NSF DUE Project Information & Resource system lists funded projects and PIs
https://www.ehr.nsf.gov/pirs_prs_web/search/You might serve as evaluator, beta tester,
become involved with dissemination
Travel FundingCombine trips
Give a talk nearbyVisit feeder institutions or alumni
Admissions or Development might help?Share costs
Travel with a colleague Share driving, hotels
Bring studentsBuilds visibility; institutions more inclined to
fund!
EquipmentInternal / external funding sources already
mentionedFind someone else to share it with
Who already has itWho can help you purchase it
Can you trade something you have for something you need?
Time for ResearchTime shift – don’t overloadDo not teach in the summerAsk for release time (and learn to say “no”)
Administrative responsibilitiesExternal professional activities
Incorporate research activities in your classesResearch-oriented projectsDiscussions of current literature
Recognition OpportunitiesSeek leadership roles with visibilityACM and IEEE senior membership
5 years of professional experience Grad school counts partially
“Press releases” at your institutionBlow your own horn!
Opportunities for awards & recognitionBe aware: institution, local, professional
societyNominating others helps your visibility
In SummaryInvest in yourself and your careerBe proactive and don’t wait for it to happenTake advantage of all available resourcesTake full advantage of the experience that
mentors and role models have to offerGood luck! And when you make it, be sure to pay
back and help others.
Equipment and curriculum development examplesHP (equipment grants for education):
www.hp.com/hpinfo/grants/us/programs/tech_teaching/higher_ed_main.html IBM (equipment through employee donations)
http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/grant/giving/match.shtmlMicrosoft (research and curriculum development projects)http://research.microsoft.com/erp/
Software and training examples IBM (Academic initiative - software & training)
http://www-304.ibm.com/jct09002c/university/scholars/academicinitiative/Microsoft (Academic Alliance)
msdn.microsoft.com/academicOracle Academy (formerly Academic Initiative)
https://oai.oracle.com/en/index1.html
Some companies mainly support their local geographic area (e.g. Dell)
Funding from Companies
Recruit work study students who have federal funding
Consider giving students course credits if money is not available or not sufficient.
If you have an NSF grant, you can get funds (relatively easily) through an REU supplement for undergraduate researchers
Undergrad Research Assistants