With the globalization of the economy, there are questions that we have never faced before. And the answers to those come only with that kind of deep, analytical ability that people with Ph.D.s hold the ability to make sense out of disparate data and to a bring meaning to things that we never looked at and juxtaposition before. To highlight strategies for implementing change and innovation, the Re-envisioning the Ph.D. research team members created a Web site to enable institutions, organizations, agencies, and corporations to display descriptions of promising practices occurring across the nation and abroad. Following Dr. Nyquist's talk, a group of panelists from Penn State presented some of the innovative initiatives in place at Penn State to enhance the quality of our Ph.D. students as they prepare for the workforce. Synopses of the panel presentations follow.
Students apply to the program and rank their top three options.
Once enrolled, students have the flexibility to participate in programs across several colleges at Penn State. For example, a student in neuroscience can spend a semester at University Park followed by a semester at Hershey and can perform thesis research at either campus. Many programs encourage dual mentorship for the Ph.D. committee. Additionally, students are encouraged to undertake summer internships in commercial, governmental and related settings, and are encouraged to explore non-traditional venues for internships. Finally, all LSC students are required to take coursework in scientific ethics and a colloquium.