Electrical and Computer Engineering

Faculty Speak to Graduate Students about Government Careers

January 13, 2005

On January 13, Kaigham (Ken) Gabriel, Professor of ECE and Robotics, and Newell Washburn, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, spoke to graduate students about careers for PhDs in large government agencies. The seminar, in which they discussed their diverse career backgrounds, spanning government, industry, and academy positions, was part of the Doctoral Career Path (DCP) series sponsored by the Graduate Programs Office.

Gabriel, who is Founder, Chairman, and CTO of Akustica, Inc., has held leadership positions within DARPA, the Electronics Technology Office, Bell Labs, the University of Tokyo, and the MEMS Industry Group. Washburn was the leader of the biomaterials group in the polymer division within the National Institute for Standards and Technology and an adjunct professor in the graduate program in biotechnology at Johns Hopkins University before coming to Carnegie Mellon University.

Both faculty members emphasized the importance of developing a network of professional contacts to make career connections and discover opportunities for advancement in government. They recommended that students seize chances to learn, meet potential employers, and increase their research visibility by attending conferences, taking visiting professorships in other countries, and participating in internships, fellowships, and trade groups.

"In graduate school you learn to learn," said Gabriel, explaining that although a PhD student's research will quickly become obsolete, a doctoral graduate will always have the skills to keep current with changing technology and adapt to new environments on the job.

Washburn summarized that the way for students to break into the Washington market is to find out which government agencies have programs for which they are qualified and emphasize the parts of their resume and experiences that meet the requirements of the position. Other tips for the job search include working with recruiters and outsourcing agencies, contacting human resources representatives for leads, and reviewing the structure of the government agency that corresponds to the student's research interest before an interview. Washburn also encouraged those interested in policy to take courses in economics.

The goal of the DCP panels is to help doctoral students focus their career ambitions, not simply weighing the comparatively reductive question of "academy versus industry?" but rather understanding multiple levels of workplace and career choice decisions.

For a list of upcoming events and to register, please visit http://www.cmu.edu/adm/gpo/index.html.