The
CID
and
the
Neuroscience
Program:

the
Forma8on
of
Scholars
at
Illinois


Claudia
Lutz,
Margaret
Ferris,
Pa@y
Kandalepas,
Molly
Kent,
Samit
Shah,
Samuel
Beshers


Neuroscience
Program,
University
of
Illinois
at
Urbana‐Champaign

Introduction
The
Carnegie
Ini8a8ve
on
the
Doctorate
gave
us
the

chance
to
compare
ourselves
with
other
programs.


Because
all
programs
vary
in
their
formal
require‐

ments,
and
all
turn
out
excellent
PhDs,
we
decided
 Core
curriculum
 Diverging
trajectories

to
focus
our
CID
ini8a8ves
on
small
adjustments
to
 ? Whether
to
have
one
is
the

the
program's
formal
structure,
and
larger
changes
 eternal
ques8on
 ? Subfields
such
as
Cogni8ve
Neuroscience

emphasize
their
own
dis8nct
ques8ons,

to
informal
aspects.
 methods,
and
knowledge






In
retrospect,
our
efforts
can
clearly
be
8ed
to

three
major
themes
of
central
concern
to
the
CID:


the
internal
coherence
and
consistency
of
the
 Tracking
the
Discipline

program,
students'
development
of
a
professional
 • 
Flexibility
of
curriculum
allows
rapid
movement


iden8ty
during
graduate
school,
and
the
fostering
of
 




into
new
areas



intellectual
community.

Ideally,
these
represent
the
 • 
Collabora8ons
among
faculty
promote
student

answers
to
three
basic
ques8ons:

Do
students
know
 Orienta4on
 



interdisciplinary
projects
 SfN
Night

• 
Program
overview
and
general
expecta8ons
 • 
Strengthened
interdisciplinary
connec8ons
‐‐


what
they
are
supposed
to
do?

Do
they
know
 



especially
with
engineering,
clinical
research
 • 
Students
show
SfN
poster
draOs,


where
they’re
going?

Do
they
have
a
suppor8ve
 • 
Specific
focus
on
steps
to
Qualifying
Exam

 



prac8ce
presen8ng

• 
Addi8onal
sessions
throughout
first
year
 • 
Community
joins
in
giving
feedback

community
to
help
them
get
there?
 • 
Students
organize
social
ac8vity
to
welcome





Our
poster
shows
changes
and
enhancements
to
 • 
Salute
to
those
who
have
served







newcomers
 



the
program
with
dis8nc8on

the
program
begun
during
and
aOer
the
CID,
and

how
they
relate
to
the
three
major
themes.

In

addi8on,
we
feature
three
persistent
problems
that

are
readily
iden8fied
but
not
easily
solved.

Awards

Guidelines

• 
Revised
for
consistency
 Program
 Intellectual
 • 
Help
foster
culture
of
excellence

• 
C.
Ladd
Prosser
essay
contest

• 
Commi@ee
structure
simplified

Coherence
 Community

• 
Best
First
Year
Project

• 
Timelines
adjusted
to
facilitate
 • 
New
awards
recognize
research







progress
 



and
service


Annual
Reports
 Professional
 Student
Involvement


• 
Summarize
progress
and
plans
in






academics,
research,
and
service


• 
Include
current
CV

• 
Review
by
Execu8ve
Commi@ee,
with


Iden4ty
 • 
Organize
program
events:

Open
House,






Brain
Awareness
Day

• 
Invite
seminar
speakers

Conclusions
• 
Commi@ee
service,
including
program
 The
past
five
years
have
seen
numerous
changes






feedback
to
students
and
advisors






Execu8ve
Commi@ee
 and
improvements
to
the
program.

How
do
we

• 
Produce
newsle@er,
“NeuroNews”
 know
if
they
are
working?



• 
Neuroscience
Student
Organiza8on
with





revised
charter
and
elec8on
procedures
 Signs
of
progress



SeDng
expecta4ons
 • 
Liaisons
to
Undergraduate
Neuroscience
 Reduced
average
8me
to
the
Qualifying
Exam

? High
expecta8ons
may
inform
 Professional
 Careers
 



Club
 From
over
5
years
in
the
late
1990s
to
less
than
3

and
inspire
–
or
in8midate
 Development
Program
 • 
Awareness
and
support
of
more
 years
today,
with
overall
8me
to
degree
also
shorter.


• 
Seminar
introduces
professional
skills,

 



op8ons


 This
may
reflect
revisions
to
the
program
guidelines







career
planning,
and
ethics
 • 
Alumni
Careers
Workshop
in
2006
 and
be@er
tracking
of
students.

• 
Further
opportuni8es
as
students
progress:
 • 
Speakers
at
seminars
and
SfN
Night






discuss
different
career
paths

 Our
students
are
accomplished
presenters






presenta8ons,
grant
wri8ng,
ethics

• 
Outside
speaking
opportuni8es
for
 The
program
creates
opportuni8es
for
prac8ce,
and






senior
students
 many
present
at
na8onal
mee8ngs
within
their
first

two
years.



The
development
of
professional
iden8ty,
the

growth
of
a
suppor8ve
intellectual
community,
and

overall
morale
are
more
subjec8ve
and
difficult
to

measure.


 


Future
steps

Improved
communica8on

Essen8al
to
hear
and
respond
to
student
issues,

have
everyone
follow
program
structure
and

procedures,
allow
for
flexibility
in
procedures
and

requirements





Faculty
models
of
professional
behavior

Joint
faculty
presenta8ons
and
debates
will
allow

students
to
observe
high‐level
faculty
interac8ons

Alumni
involvement

Alumni
have
perspec8ve
on
graduate
study,

important
career
experience
and
insights,
and
are

natural
advocates
and
models
for
current
students