Advice from our faculty for prospective graduate students

With only three weeks until graduate school applications are due, we asked our newest Virginia Tech faculty for their best advice for students interested in our engineering education Ph.D. program.

First, I’d really encourage them to believe in themselves. Insofar as you have developed a critical understanding of what other scholars have done, trust your intuition. You may have developed some really interesting ideas in my mind which can advance your field. Don’t feel that you cannot do anything innovative as you think you are only a PhD student. You are supposed to innovate. That’s why science can progress!

Second, while I encourage students to be bold, I also recommend that they be humble and always be ready to learn from other scholars. Finally, I think not only students but all of us as researchers need to balance work and life. Taking care of yourself and your own wellbeing is the single most important thing we all need to do. Only you have taken good care of your own wellbeing then you can have successful career. Otherwise, no matter how successful someone’s career may seem to be it will not be sustainable or healthy.

Engineering education is an emerging field with growing opportunities and endless possibilities. You will be able to test your idea as a researcher and educator and pave your own pathway.?

1. Get into the literature – read deep and across disciplines (e.g. higher education, psychology, sociology).
2. Take opportunities that help you grow and move beyond your comfort zone.?
3. Run your own race; a good dissertation is a done dissertation.

This is a great field and community to be in! My advice is to be open to new opportunities and work to learn from each one. Your career journey and graduate school, especially, may not be a straight one—build friendships with those who walk along with you to help bring joy even during the twists and turns!

My biggest piece of advice for students looking into the engineering education field is to go into the experience with an open mind. Graduate school and conducting research is a wonderful opportunity to expand your worldview, have new experiences, and learn more than a grad school curriculum can plan/outline.?

The engineering education community is the most supportive and nurturing community that I have been a part of - and the work is rewarding and fulfilling, as we seek to make a difference in students' engineering journeys. Definitely a community where one can thrive in, with great opportunities to engage in interdisciplinary, collaborative work and embark in careers in both industry and academia!

I would say to prospective students that graduate school is an incredibly rewarding journey if you know what your?long term goals are and the graduate program aligns with these goals. I would also just generally share that the engineering education community is a very supportive and great community to be a part of especially at VT!

Thanks for your thoughts: Qin Zhu , Dayoung Kim , Sarah L. Rodriguez , Susan Sajadi , Cassie Wallwey, Michelle Soledad and Mark Huerta !