How to prepare students for STEM careers outside academia
By L. K. Lautz, D. H. McCay, C. T. Driscoll, R. L. Glas, K. M. Gutchess, A. J. Johnson, and G. D. Millard for Eos
Current graduate programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) prepare students for a career that most of them will never find themselves in. These graduate programs have traditionally been apprenticeships that prepare students to become researchers at academic institutions [Hancock and Walsh, 2016]. However, more than 50% of all doctoral degree holders do not work in academia or even do research as their primary job.
Given these trends, a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends adjusting our mind-set to recognize that many of our most talented graduates will enter career sectors such as industry and government [National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2018]. Ideally, programs should encourage students to explore such diverse career options by allocating the time and resources needed to pursue course offerings designed for career exploration, as well as seminars, internships, and real-life professional experiences.
With this report as a backdrop, we offer recommendations that have worked in our experience to build a program that prepares students for diverse careers after graduating. Our recommendations are derived from experience developing the Education Model Program on Water-Energy Research (EMPOWER), one program in the first cohort of National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) programs at Syracuse University.
To learn more, read "Preparing Graduate Students for STEM Careers Outside Academia" from Eos.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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