Thanks to the many people who posted or emailed thoughts about meetings
that are valuable for grad students who are considering a career at a PUI.
They brought up more questions and issues than I had even considered. The
volume and QUALITY of the discussion shows that this is one of the best
newsgroup on the net.
A brief summary of some of the recurring themes:
Some meetings provide good programs content for learning techniques in
biology education, and for presenting your own acheivments in this area.
Presenting a poster on an education topic while a graduate student looks
good on a job application.
Some meetings provide good opportunities to meet botanists who work at
PUIs. They are the network of disciplinary colleagues, with whom to
exchange technical ideas, to get the scoop on differnt schools, and to
maintain a professional pride and identity.
You can learn things at meetings that will be valuable in applying for
jobs, but you are UNlikely to meet anyone who will be involved in hiring
you.
Some meetings that have been hostile to PUI scientists in the past now
have a forum that works well. [Thanks to grassroots efforts by a number of
the stalwart contributors to this newsgroup].
There are some published materials the provide excellent advice to the
prospective undergraduate-college biology professor.
--
Thomas Björkman
Dept. of Horticultural Sciences
Cornell University
