11 Skills and Attributes: Self-Management
Leadership Objective: Network and explore electronics field
Activity: Device Research Conference (2009)
Evidence: Emails with Research Collaborator
An innovative pulsed electrical characterization technique that I helped pioneer won me the opportunity to attend the Device Research Conference. My graduate student mentor presented our study at the conference, leaving me an opportunity to learn from and network with other professionals.
At the start of the conference I was shy, a mere undergraduate surrounded by experienced graduate students, faculty, and industry leaders. I soon changed my approach by familiarizing myself with the types of research presented and research groups I could work with in the future. I began to get introduced to the other experts.
One student I met at a dinner had an interest in my background. His research group at first seemed unrelated to mine, but I came to understand that both of our groups study transistor-level devices. In our discussion I realized that his research group had no fabrication capabilities. I brought up that his research group could perform their RF studies on novel devices fabricated by my group. He expressed great pleasure at the prospect of collaborating with our group members and we kept in contact. In the next several months I talked to my research advisor and was allowed to set up one of our group's fabrication experts-in-training to work with my new friend from the Device Research Conference. A technical discussion ensued, and the collaborative study between institutions is proceeding.
My networking at the Device Research Conference, in summary, opened several doors for me in pursuing a research career.