Student Development Workshops

Two exciting development workshops will be on offer at NOBCChE 2019. Both are FREE for conference attendees with pre-registration:

ACS on Campus Logo 

The American Chemical Society will be holding the ACS on Campus workshop on Thursday, November 21st, from 1 to 5 PM. As part of this workshop, attendees will learn about methods of communicating science to a general audience, exploring non-research focused scientific careers, and developing Individual Development Plans. View an in-progress workshop schedule to see what will be on offer! Registration for the event will be live soon - check back in early October!

 

Gradlab logo

The National GEM Consortium will be hosting their GradLab for undergraduates on Monday, November 18th, from 2 to 6 PM. The GradLab is an event designed to offer strategies and support for undergraduates in applying to graduate programs and fellowship programs. View the flyer for the event, and register for the event to ensure a resource packet for you at the conference.

 

 

Overall Schedule

Sunday, November 17th

6:30-9:00PM: Overcoming Barriers to Success in STEM: Student Mentoring Reception

Sponsored by Washington University in St. Louis

This program consists of three themed sessions: a workshop on mentoring, a panel discussion on overcoming barriers to success, and a closing mixer.

“Mentoring Matters!” The Mentoring Matters! The workshop will assist students in starting to develop or expand their own personal mentoring network. Students will take away the first draft of their own personal mentoring map and most importantly be encouraged and equipped to seek out mentors for themselves to aid in their success. Topics discussed will be:
- The value and importance of mentoring relationships.
- The “How To” on identifying good mentors for yourself and how to request mentorship from a person.
- Development of a mentoring map.


Overcoming Barriers to Success in STEM: The panel discussion would gather leading scientists to discuss moments in their careers in which they had to overcome challenges leading to their success in STEM. Students would take away an awareness that the challenges which they may be facing now, or might face later in their STEM careers can be overcome by using some of the same strategies our panelists used.


Informal Mixer: After the seminar, a mixer would be held to allow participants in the program and panelist to meet and have an informal conversation.

 

Monday, November 18th

8:30AM-6:00PM: DuPont GOLD Graduate Seminar Competition (TS)

Sponsored by DuPont

The 2019 DuPont GOLD (Growth Opportunities Leading in Diversity) oral presentation competition will focus on the impact of graduate student research on future commercial technologies that will transform our world in 2035. This session will consist of a series of nine talks covering a broad range of cutting edge academic research and development efforts. The session will also include an overview of innovation at DuPont and a panel discussion with DuPont scientists focusing on their career paths in industry. This collaborative partnership with NOBCChE supports DuPont’s commitment to a diverse work force and is the first installment of DuPont’s GOLD program, a new platform geared towards exposing doctoral and post-doctoral scientists from underrepresented groups to the wide range of career opportunities in industrial research at DuPont. The top presenter will be awarded a $1000 prize and all participants will be able to explore career opportunities at DuPont.

 

 9:00-10:00AM: Getting the Most out of the NOBCChE Conference

Sponsored by 3M

Start your 2019 NOBCChE National conference off on the right foot! Informative and interactive, Getting the Most Out of NOBCChE will set the tone for your conference experience through a discussion on etiquette and networking. All conference attendees are encouraged to attend; First time Advancing Science Conference Grant awardee attendance is mandatory.

10:00-11:30AM: Secrets of Preparing and Applying to Graduate School

A group of outstanding graduate students in the Illinois department of chemistry and chemical engineering will share secrets of getting ready and applying to graduate schools. They will discuss applying for graduate fellowships, accessing application fee waivers, GREs, etc.; All undergraduate conference attendees are encouraged to attend; Advancing Science Grant awardee (Undergrad) attendance is mandatory.

 

 

2:00-6:00PM: GEM GradLab

"GEM Getting Ready for Advanced Degrees Laboratory (GRAD Lab) GRAD Lab offers underrepresented students exposure to the benefits of research and technology careers in a highly interactive one-day event. Speakers ranging from current graduate students to senior managers to faculty and senior administrators present on the following topics:

A. Why Graduate School
B. How to [Competitively] Apply to Graduate School
C. How to Fund Graduate School
D. Voices from the Field (a panel of current GEM Fellows / Graduate Students telling "how they did it"... managed the graduate school entry and matriculation process, and Q&A.

GRAD Lab encourages young people of color to consider graduate engineering or science education and applying for the GEM fellowship. Focusing on the global importance of research and innovation, life-long career benefits, and real-world role models, the symposium will help each student envision his or her future as a technology leader, successfully apply for a GEM fellowship, and gain entry to a graduate program. GRAD Lab is GEM’s portable and scalable solution for developing diverse technical talent with advanced degrees. All Undergraduate Advancing Science Grant awardees attendance is mandatory.

2:00-4:00PM: ACS Career Consulting – Resume Drafting Workshop

3:00-5:00PM: ACS Career Consulting – Career Fair Etiquette Workshop

Prepare yourself for your future! In this session, graduate students and postdocs will have the opportunity to have their résumés and CVs reviewed for non-academic positions. Attendees must sign up for a time slot with a reviewer in advance. To be run concurrently, a session hosted by ACS Career Consulting will cover how to prepare resumes, CVs, and Cover Letters for various positions. In addition, a portion of the session will be devoted to career etiquette.

 

6:00-7:30PM: Regional Mixers

Cosponsored by ACS and 3M

Join the Regional Chairs at this town hall-style mixer, where you will be able to meet and network with other students and your professionals in your region, learn more about how to create a student or professional chapter, and see how you can get more involved on a regional level!

 

Tuesday, November 19th

1:00PM-3:00PM: ConneXions Poster Session (SP)

Sponsored by Colgate

A multidisciplinary session covering various specialties of the sciences and engineering where research is presented by students and professionals. The poster session is an excellent opportunity to discuss research in detail with presenters and see some of the outstanding research being done across the country. Awards will be given for the best poster presentations and presented at the Three Minute Thesis Tuesday evening.

 

6:30-9:00PM: Three-Minute Thesis (SP)

Sponsored by Corning

The Three-minute Thesis will allow students and post-doctoral scholars an opportunity to condense their research and share it with judges and a scientific audience, all in 3-minutes. This will be an interactive event, with opportunities to win raffle and cash prizes--all while developing skills to communicate your science clearly and concisely! 

 

Wednesday, November 20th

10:10-11:30AM: Navigating the Internship Experience and Securing an Industrial Job (SP)

Sponsored by Corning

 

This panel session will arm you with tips on improving your chances of being selected for an industrial summer internship. Critical steps to successfully navigate your way towards a positive internship experience will be discussed. Insights will also be shared on how to secure your first industrial job with or without an internship experience. Corning Incorporated, Colgate-Palmolive, 3M, and Daikin America invite you to join us for this enabling informative session.

Thursday, November 21st

9:00-10:30AM: NIST NRC Postdoctoral Fellowship Panel (SP)

Sponsored by NIST 

This workshop will provide an overview of the NIST–NRC fellowship and application
process. Attendees will learn how to navigate the NRC website and assemble a strong
application package. We will highlight the career trajectories of former NIST–NRC
postdoctoral associates.

1:00-5:00PM: ACS on Campus (SP)

Sponsored by ACS

Join us for sessions on scholarly communication, publishing tips, a career panel, and so much more! You’ll benefit from exposure to ACS editors and local professionals, and networking opportunities with your peers. The program is FREE and open to all students and researchers studying the sciences. Light refreshments will be provided throughout the day.