Workshops and Development Series
The Graduate School offers several writing, teaching, communication, and professional development workshops and series. All workshops and development series adhere to the attendance policy (below).
Development Series
Development Series are non-credit course-style workshop series that provide sustained support, practice, and feedback on key aspects of teaching, communication, writing, and career management. Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at any stage of their careers and in any discipline should enroll in these Development Series to improve their teaching, writing, speaking, and presentation skills, and preparation for industry. Development Series are non-credit bearing and free of charge (although some may require materials or refundable deposits).
Development Series that count toward the Teaching and Communication Certificate are indicated by an asterisk (*). Development series that count toward the Writing Certificate are indicated by a plus sign (+). Development series require compliance with the attendance policy. Email questions about Development Series to the instructor listed.
Spring 2019
Mondays 1:15-4:15 p.m.
Instructor: Vanessa Doriott Anderson
Communicating about your area of specialization involves so much more than content expertise and a captive audience. In this development series, we will explore tools and strategies to help you communicate more effectively with students, specialists, and the public alike. Topics will include motivation and development models, inclusive learning environments, the debate around teaching and learning styles, visual communication and multimodality, and more.
You may apply up to 44 hours from this development series toward the Teaching and Communication Certificate.
Participants in this 4-week, non-credit development series will learn and practice the conventions for writing strong grant proposals, including strategies for locating funding sources, aligning your proposed research project with the needs and values of the funding organization, articulating the broader impact of your work, and developing budgets, among other strategies. Come to the development series with a grant you would like to apply for and leave with a strong, persuasive proposal. Instructor: Shannon Madden
Section I: Mondays, February 4 – February 25, 1:30 – 3:30 PM
Section II: Thursdays, April 11 – May 2, 2:30 – 4:30 PM
You can apply up to 24 hours from this development series toward the Writing Certificate.
Tuesdays 3:00-5:00 p.m. (blended)
Instructor: Vanessa Doriott Anderson
In this development series, you will draft and/or refine a variety of personal statements (e.g. teaching, research, diversity); identify and gather evidence of effectiveness in teaching, research, service, and/or other areas of professional activity; and use basic design principles to create an engaging online portfolio of your work.
You may apply up to 44 hours from this development series toward the Teaching and Communication Certificate.
Wednesdays 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Instructor: Katie Homar
This 6-week professional development series will introduce international graduate students to academic writing in the United States. Among other topics, students will practice strategies for writing research papers, communicating with colleagues and professors, and presenting their
research at conferences. We will also pay special attention to how academic writers use style, grammar, and vocabulary to communicate their research findings to audiences in their field and beyond. This course is open to masters, PhD students, or postdocs who would like to improve their
academic English vocabulary and writing skills.
Section A: January 16-February 20 Register for Section A
Section B: March 20-April 14 Register for Section B
You may apply up to 24 hours from this development series towards the Writing Certificate.
Wednesdays (January 23 through March 20) 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Instructor: Shannon Madden
Participants in this 8-week, non-credit development series will revise a seminar paper, dissertation chapter, or conference talk into a publishable journal article. Open to graduate students and postdocs in any discipline and at any stage of their graduate career. Counts toward the *new* non-credit certificate in Writing. Registration requires a $50 motivational deposit to hold your seat, which includes textbook rental from the Graduate School. Motivational deposits will be returned to participants upon return of the textbook at the end of the series.
You may apply up to 48 hours from this development series toward the Writing Certificate.
Workshops
Workshops that count toward the Teaching and Communication Certificate are indicated by an asterisk(*). Workshops that count toward the Writing Certificate are indicated by a plus sign(+). Workshops can only be counted for credit once unless otherwise indicated. Please be aware of the workshop attendance policy (below).
January 2019
January 18/3PM-5PM/EBIII 2124
Gain a competitive edge in designing effective scientific posters! This is an information session and workshop for students interested in participating in the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering’s Spring Graduate Research Symposium. Participants will learn strategies to concisely translate research findings into posters, using past posters as models. Participants will also have the opportunity to get feedback on poster drafts from the facilitators and peers. While we will focus on Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, this workshop will also benefit any graduate student in the College of Engineering who is interested in learning about effective poster design and strategies for visually presenting their research to diverse audiences.
Friday, January 25 / 3:00-5:00pm/Daniels 214
Contact colleagues at NCState and beyond with tact and ease! In this workshop, you will gain strategies for crafting efficient, professional emails for a variety of purposes such as making inquiries, requesting letters of recommendation from faculty, and contacting researchers outside NCSU about their work. In addition to critiquing sample emails, you will apply these techniques to your own correspondence with faculty and/or in the workplace, and leave the session with a draft of an email message for future use. To get the most out of this session, you should bring a laptop and have access to emails that you have recently sent or received. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
This interactive workshop will introduce participants to funding sources, how to locate grant and fellowship opportunities as a graduate student, and research strategies for identifying and responding to the mission and values of the organization and target funding source. This special session hosted by the Catalyst Research Group will take place on the NC State Kannapolis Campus. Contact Shannon Madden with questions about registering for the workshop.
Friday, January 25 / Located on the Kannapolis Campus
Monday, January 28 / 10:00-11:00 am / ONLINE
AND
Monday, February 4 / 10:00 am-12:00 pm / ONLINE
In this two-part workshop, we will go beyond formulating learning outcomes to consider their use for both course planning and assessment. In the first session, we will use backward course design concepts to practice using outcomes as planning and assessment tools. In the second session, participants will share an activity and assessment sequence that they’ve developed from a specific learning outcome. Open to ALL graduate students and postdocs regardless of your teaching experience. Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
Thursday, January 31 / 3:00-4:00pm/Talley Student Union 4270
Preparing the Professoriate is a nationally recognized program designed to give exceptional doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars an immersive mentoring, teaching, and future faculty preparation experience. Come learn about the application process for the 2019-2020 academic year!
February 2019
Monday, February 2/3:00-5:00pm/Mann Hall 307
This is an information session for students interested in participating in the department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering’s spring 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Participants will learn about the structure of effective 3MT presentations and visuals. Using examples of past NCState 3MT winners’ performances, they will identify strategies for effectively presenting their research to broad audiences. They will also have the opportunity to practice these speaking techniques and receive feedback from the facilitators and peers. While we will focus on Civil Engineering, this workshop will also benefit any graduate student in the College of Engineering who is interested in learning about NCState’s 3MT competitions and strategies for presenting their research to nonspecialist audiences.
Wednesday, February 6/11:30am-12:30pm/Talley Student Union 3221
This workshop will provide an overview of the deadlines, formatting requirements, and submission process for your thesis or dissertation. The ETD Reviewer and Graduation Coordinator will introduce the resources available on the ETD Guide website, provide examples, and answer any questions. Students are not required to take this session prior to ETD submission.
Friday, February 8/ 3:00-5:00 pm/Daniels 214
Abstracts and introductions give stakeholders crucial information about your research. In this workshop, you will learn how experienced academic writers craft these key components of research papers and articles. We will examine specific parts of abstracts and intros. You will have the opportunity to apply these techniques to your own written work and get feedback. To get the most out of this workshop, you should bring 1-2 articles with abstracts from your subdiscipline and a draft of an abstract and/or introduction you are working on. You may bring a laptop and/or hard copies of these deliverables. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
Monday, February 11 / 10:00-11:00 am / Winston Hall
AND
Monday, February 18 / 10:00 am-12:00 pm / Winston Hall
In this two-part workshop, we will explore ways to engage with students’ diverse learning styles. In the first session, we will conduct a self-assessment and discuss concrete strategies to motivate students according to their learning style. In the second session, you will receive feedback on an activity that you designed based on what you learned in the first session. Open to ALL graduate students and postdocs regardless of your teaching experience. Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
This interactive workshop will introduce participants to the basics of Grant Proposal Writing. Come to the workshop with a request for proposals for a grant you are interested in applying for and leave with a strong draft of your proposal executive summary. This special session hosted by the Catalyst Research Group will take place on the NC State Kannapolis Campus. Contact Shannon Madden with questions about registering for the workshop.
Friday, February 15 / Located on the Kannapolis Campus
Wednesday, February 20 / 10:00-11:00am/Talley Student Union 4280
Preparing the Professoriate is a nationally recognized program designed to give exceptional doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars an immersive mentoring, teaching, and future faculty preparation experience. Come learn about the application process for the 2019-2020 academic year!
Friday, February 22/3:00pm-5:00pm/Daniels 214
So you presented your results . . . now what? The Discussion section of an article explains the significance of your findings and provides readers with an interpretation and applications of your results. In this workshop, you will learn and practice appropriate strategies for writing discussion and conclusion sections for research papers, journal articles and for dissertations/theses. You should bring 1-2 articles from your subdiscipline that include a “Discussion” section, as well as a laptop and their own research results to get the most out of this workshop. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
Monday, February 25 / 10:00-11:00 am / ONLINE
AND
Monday, March 4 / 10:00 am-12:00 pm / ONLINE
In this two-part workshop, we will explore strategies to make PowerPoint slides more visually engaging and interactive. In the first session, we will analyze effective and ineffective forms of visual communication. In the second session, you will present your own slide(s) for peer review. Slides can be course- or research-based. Open to ALL graduate students and postdocs regardless of your teaching experience. Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
QPR is intended to teach individuals who have contact with students (e.g., faculty, staff, friends) how to recognize the warning signs of suicide including verbal, behavioral, and situational clues. It provides guidelines on to how to question a person about suicidal thoughts, persuade them to get help, and refer the person for help.
The QPR training is both educational and experiential, and includes:
- An overview of national, state, and NC State-specific statistics regarding suicide
- Myths versus facts
- Identifying behavioral, verbal, and situational warning signs
- Practicing concrete tools for helping someone in distress
Tuesday, February 26 / 10:00 AM – 12:00 noon / Student Health Center 2301
Graduate students and Post docs are invited to register to any one of the five QPR workshops featured in reporter.
Wednesday, February 27/10:30-11:30am/Talley Student Union 3221
This workshop will provide an overview of the deadlines, formatting requirements, and submission process for your thesis or dissertation. The ETD Reviewer and Graduation Coordinator will introduce the resources available on the ETD Guide website, provide examples, and answer any questions. Students are not required to take this session prior to ETD submission.
March 2019
Friday, March 1 / 9:30-11:30 a.m. / ITTC Lab 2 at D.H. Hill Library
Professional Portfolios are a great way to highlight skills and experiences that don’t fit on your curriculum vitae (CV) or resume. For example,
• Key graphics and messages from your publications or research presentations
• Pictures and interesting finds from field campaigns or laboratory work
• Samples of your course materials, e.g. syllabus, lessons, handouts
• Student reviews, both qualitative and quantitative
A Portfolio can be a useful tool for job applications, and it can also be a good way to get your name and work noticed by others in your field. In Creating a Professional Portfolio workshop, we will walk you through what items to include and how to develop them. Then we will start setting up your own Portfolio online. We will look at examples of professional portfolio websites and discuss details on how to build one using wix.com. Bring your own laptop or borrow one from the library. Feel free to bring any digital content you want to add as well, there will be time for you to get help at the end.
Feel like your writing is never enough? Do you struggle to finish papers and worry that your writing always needs more before you can turn it in, submit it for publication, or show it to someone? In this special workshop co-facilitated by the Graduate School and the Counseling Center, we will examine how identity issues, self-esteem, and mentoring relationships contribute to writing perfectionism. We will discuss strategies that you can use to manage expectations about your writing, build a more positive perspective about your research, and create healthy writing routines. Open to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at any stage and in any discipline. Workshop Facilitators: Shannon Madden & Kate Hibbard-Gibbons
Friday, March 1 / 11:00 AM-noon / Fox Building room 140
QPR is intended to teach individuals who have contact with students (e.g., faculty, staff, friends) how to recognize the warning signs of suicide including verbal, behavioral, and situational clues. It provides guidelines on to how to question a person about suicidal thoughts, persuade them to get help, and refer the person for help.
The QPR training is both educational and experiential, and includes:
- An overview of national, state, and NC State-specific statistics regarding suicide
- Myths versus facts
- Identifying behavioral, verbal, and situational warning signs
- Practicing concrete tools for helping someone in distress
Thursday, March 7 / 5:30 – 7:30 PM / Talley Student Union 3210
Graduate students and Post docs are invited to register to any one of the five QPR workshops featured in reporter.
Friday, March 8 / 9:00-10:00am/Talley Student Union 4280
Preparing the Professoriate is a nationally recognized program designed to give exceptional doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars an immersive mentoring, teaching, and future faculty preparation experience. Come learn about the application process for the 2019-2020 academic year!
Friday, March 8 / 9:30-11:30 a.m. / ITTC Lab 1A at D.H. Hill Library
Professional websites are becoming more common, especially within academia. Did you take the “Creating a Professional Portfolio” workshop, and would like guidance on how to put your professional portfolio online? Are you currently using Wix.com to build a website and would like to learn more? Wix.com is a free and easy to use (“drag and drop” style) website builder, which is great for beginners. There are numerous page templates and color palettes, which allow you to get a website built quickly. Come join other students with the same goal in mind — building a professional website!
It’s conference season! Are you creating a research poster for a research symposium, academic conference, or class project? Come to this interactive workshop to learn (and implement) strategies for communicating your research in an effective, clear, and accessible poster presentation. Open to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in any discipline who want to improve their research poster skills. Workshop facilitator: Shannon Madden
Friday, March 8 / 1:00pm-2:30pm / 201 Park Shops
Friday, March 8/3:00pm-5:00pm/214 Daniels Hall
Research posters and oral presentations are two formats in which engineers are frequently called to present their scholarship. Although the results you are presenting in each format may be the same, users’ needs and what is possible in each format are not. In this interactive workshop, you will practice strategies for crafting two key types of presentations—research posters and oral research meeting talks—in ways that effectively, memorably, and cohesively communicate your research for an audience. To get the most out of this workshop, you should bring a laptop and have access to notes about your research project. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
Monday, March 11 / 10:00-11:00 am / Winston Hall
AND
Monday, March 18 / 10:00 am-12:00 pm / Winston Hall
In this two-part workshop, we will explore strategies for delivering a compelling, accessible academic job talk. In the first session, participants will reflect on the purpose of their talk as well as its audience, and will engage in a number of exercises to help them pitch their research to an interdisciplinary audience. In the second session, 1-3 speakers will present their job talk for peer review. Open to ALL graduate students and postdocs regardless of your teaching experience. Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
QPR is intended to teach individuals who have contact with students (e.g., faculty, staff, friends) how to recognize the warning signs of suicide including verbal, behavioral, and situational clues. It provides guidelines on to how to question a person about suicidal thoughts, persuade them to get help, and refer the person for help.
The QPR training is both educational and experiential, and includes:
- An overview of national, state, and NC State-specific statistics regarding suicide
- Myths versus facts
- Identifying behavioral, verbal, and situational warning signs
- Practicing concrete tools for helping someone in distress
Wednesday, March 20 / 10:00 AM- 12:00 noon / Engineering Building II 3001
Graduate students and Post docs are invited to register to any one of the five QPR workshops featured in reporter.
Do you lack confidence in your personal or professional abilities? Impostor syndrome is common among high-achieving, goal-oriented academics within professional contexts that influence our perceptions about who we are, what we are worth, and what success looks like. Come to this workshop to better understand what impostor syndrome is, how it functions, and to get tips and strategies on how to empower yourself, affirm your worth, and reclaim your expert status. Workshop facilitators: Twyla Howard and Shannon Madden
Thursday, March 21, 12:00 to 1:00 PM
Friday, March 22/3:00 pm-5:00 pm/214 Daniels Hall
Update stakeholders about your project! In this workshop, you will learn and practices techniques that experienced writers use to communicate with nontechnical stakeholders. You will discuss key components of progress reports and apply these techniques to craft your own reports. To get the most out of this workshop, you should bring 1-2 examples of reports aimed at nonspecialist audiences and drafts of a report you are working on. You may bring a laptop and/or paper copies of these deliverables. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
Monday, March 25 / 10:00-11:00 am / Winston Hall
AND
Monday, April 1 / 10:00 am-12:00 pm / Winston Hall
In this two-part workshop, we will explore strategies for managing conflict in the classroom. In the first session, we will examine various approaches to preventative and reactive conflict management, using real-life examples. In the second session, participants will role-play a variety of scenarios to practice assertive conflict management. Open to ALL graduate students and postdocs regardless of your teaching experience. Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
Understanding and processing peer review feedback from journal reviewers and dissertation committee members can be challenging, and incorporating feedback into substantive revisions on your writing even more so. In this workshop, participants will discuss and implement strategies for using writing feedback to revise and improve written documents. Methods for guiding readers’ interaction with your writing and requesting targeted feedback that is most useful and appropriate for the given stage of writing you are in will also be discussed. Open to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at any stage of their program and in any discipline. Workshop facilitator: Shannon Madden
March 27 / 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM/ Jordan Hall room 1112
Are you looking for ways to create healthy working relationships with your colleagues during service activities or with faculty on your thesis/dissertation committee? In this special session co-sponsored by the Graduate School and the Counseling Center, participants will learn strategies for facilitating productive committee relationships and communication strategies for effective team collaborations. Open to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at any stage and in any discipline. Workshop facilitators: Shannon Madden & Kate Hibbard-Gibbons
Friday, March 29 / 11 AM – noon / Fox Building room 140
March 29/ 3PM-5PM/ EB II 1021
Participants in this interactive workshop will explore strategies for composing preliminary proposals. More than just a PhD program requirement, proposals play vital roles in the growth of a research project from formulating an initial question to refining the aims and scope of your work. In this hands-on session, participants will hear from successful COE graduate students about their research journeys and critique sample proposals. Participants will also have the opportunity to revise their own proposals and receive feedback from the facilitator and peers. While the focus will be on preliminary proposals for Electrical and Computer Engineering, this workshop will benefit any COE graduate student who must compose a preliminary dissertation proposal.
April 2019
QPR is intended to teach individuals who have contact with students (e.g., faculty, staff, friends) how to recognize the warning signs of suicide including verbal, behavioral, and situational clues. It provides guidelines on to how to question a person about suicidal thoughts, persuade them to get help, and refer the person for help.
The QPR training is both educational and experiential, and includes:
- An overview of national, state, and NC State-specific statistics regarding suicide
- Myths versus facts
- Identifying behavioral, verbal, and situational warning signs
- Practicing concrete tools for helping someone in distress
Thursday, April 4 / 10:00 AM- 12:00 noon / Student Health Center 2301
Graduate students and Post docs are invited to register to any one of the five QPR workshops featured in reporter.
Networking at academic conferences and making connections with faculty on campus is an important part of scholars’ career development and success, regardless of their academic discipline. However, it can be challenging to figure out how to identify the most useful endeavors, how to gain access to networking opportunities, and how to participate actively and in ways that advance your personal and professional goals. Come to this workshop for tips and strategies for identifying relevant opportunities and maximizing your professional success at networking events. Workshop facilitators: Tatiana Height and Shannon Madden
Thursday, April 4 / 1:00-2:00 PM
Friday, April 5/3:00 PM-5:00 PM/214 Daniels Hall
From dissertation plans to NSF statements to pitches, proposals are ultimately persuasive documents that convince diverse stakeholders to invest in your project or product. In this workshop, you’ll examine and apply techniques that are common to different kinds of proposals. You will also apply and test these strategies in a draft of your own persuasive proposal. To get the most out of this workshop, you should bring an example of “persuasive” writing in your subdiscipline (dissertation proposal, grant application, pitch etc.) as well as a draft of a persuasive document that you are working on. You may bring a laptop and/or paper copies of these deliverables. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
Monday, April 8 / 10:00-11:00 am / ONLINE
AND
Monday, April 15 / 10:00 am-12:00 pm / ONLINE
In this two-part workshop, we will explore strategies for writing a teaching statement that is professional yet personalized. In the first session, we will look at models of effective and ineffective teaching statements and hone our ability to critique and revise them. In the second session, participants will present their own draft teaching statements for peer review. Open to ALL graduate students and postdocs regardless of your teaching experience. Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
QPR is intended to teach individuals who have contact with students (e.g., faculty, staff, friends) how to recognize the warning signs of suicide including verbal, behavioral, and situational clues. It provides guidelines on to how to question a person about suicidal thoughts, persuade them to get help, and refer the person for help.
The QPR training is both educational and experiential, and includes:
- An overview of national, state, and NC State-specific statistics regarding suicide
- Myths versus facts
- Identifying behavioral, verbal, and situational warning signs
- Practicing concrete tools for helping someone in distress
Monday, April 15 / 5:30 – 7:30 PM / Talley Student Union 4280
Graduate students and Post docs are invited to register to any one of the five QPR workshops featured in reporter.
Research is infinite—but your literature review is not. How do you know what sources to review, how to access those sources, how to organize the literature review for logical coherence, and what sources to leave out? Come to this workshop to learn research and writing strategies that will help you narrow your research topic, cover the essentials of that topic, and set parameters that will result in a comprehensive and concise literature review. Bring a laptop, a topic for your literature review, and an idea about relevant databases and/or journals that you can search in for your topic. Open to all graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at any stage and in any discipline. Workshop facilitators: Andrew Smolski and Shannon Madden.
Wednesday, April 17 / 2:00-3:30 PM
Monday, April 22 / 10:00-11:00 am / Winston Hall
AND
Monday, April 29 / 10:00 am-12:00 pm / Winston Hall
In this two-part workshop, we will consider best practices for reading, analyzing, and using the data from your course evaluations. How can you make your evaluations work for you, so that they become part of a cycle of reflective teaching practice? How can you use them as evidence of effective teaching in your job materials? How can you separate constructive criticism from ad hominem attacks and excessive praise? And how can you supplement your standard course evaluations to get the information you really need to improve your teaching? Attendance at both sessions is mandatory.
An important first step to publishing your research is identifying a publication venue for your work. In this workshop, we will discuss strategies for locating and assessing appropriate journals for your work, writing letters of inquiry to press editors, and developing the tools to investigate the journal’s audience and mission. This special session hosted by the Catalyst Research Group will take place on the NC State Kannapolis Campus. Contact Shannon Madden with questions about registering for the workshop.
Friday, April 26 / Located on the Kannapolis Campus
May 2019
This interactive workshop will provide guidance on the basics of preparing manuscripts for publication. Come to the workshop with a journal you would like to publish in and leave with strategies for producing a manuscript that is appropriate for that journal in content, structure, and formatting. This special session hosted by the Catalyst Research Group will take place on the NC State Kannapolis Campus. Contact Shannon Madden with questions about registering for the workshop.
Friday, May 24 / Located on the Kannapolis Campus
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, NC State will honor requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities. Requests can be served effectively if notice is provided at least 10 days before the event. Direct accommodation requests for professional development programs to professional-development@ncsu.edu.
Attendance Policy
Participants who cancel their registration for any Professional Development event (e.g., workshops, seminars, symposia) more than 24 hours before the first session of an event will not be penalized. Registrants who fail to attend an event or who cancel their registration less than 24 hours before the first session of an event will be marked as a “No Show” for the event. Those with two recorded “No Shows” will automatically be dropped from all future Professional Development events for the remainder of the semester in which the two “No Shows” occur.
This policy is in place to encourage students to practice time management and professionalism. The instructors create materials and activities based on attendance so this information needs to be as accurate as possible in order for participants to get the most out of the session.
For development series, please review the syllabus for the attendance policy specific to your course.
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The professional development team is pleased to announce new opportunities for digital credentialing. We will be issuing evidence-based badges through the Graduate School NC State account at Badge List. You can display the badges you’ve earned on your LinkedIn page. Create an account to get started, then join our group using this code: gradpack. We will add new badges throughout the year, so check back often.