Interview 1: Teaching at an Undergraduate Institution

Samantha Schlachter My career interests within science have varied widely over the years, including a little bit of everything from clinical science to the bench. Aside from knowing that I wanted to study science, the other common thread to my vast interests has been the opportunity to teach. I enjoy being in a classroom setting, from being a TA throughout my undergraduate and graduate careers, to working briefly as a K-8 substitute teacher. My overarching interest in education recently prompted me to seriously consider teaching as a career path. Pursuing a career in science education, however, varies greatly in scope, content, and difficulty depending on the grade level; with pros and cons at every stage. To understand these grade-level differences, and identify the best fit for my own personal interests, strengths, and qualifications, I was introduced by Doreen Badheka (Program Director for Special Projects at SGS-Newark, responsible for overseeing Career development for PhD students) to three science teachers who were willing to discuss their careers.

1. Melissa Baralt, a full time faculty member at Berkeley College
2. Patricio Mujica, an adjunct professor at Lehman College
3. Heather Potts M.Sc., a high school science teacher with the Wayne Board of Education

I will summarize each of my interviews in separate blog posts to provide others who are considering teaching as a possible career path with greater insight into education across different grade levels. In my first informational interview with Dr. Melissa Baralt I was interested in finding out more about opportunities in teaching at primarily undergraduate institutions. Full-time teaching positions in this setting are highly coveted, and in her workshop hosted by Rutgers SGS, she provided some helpful job search suggestions and gave details about the demands and expectations of being in the role of professor.  Background: Dr. Baralt began her academic career after graduating from Montclair State University, and completing an NIH-bridge MS-PhD program at UMDNJ (Rutgers University). She completed her doctoral dissertation project on DNA damage and repair mechanisms on Fanconi Anemia, in the laboratory of Dr. Muriel Lambert at the Pathology department. She expanded upon her doctoral research with a post-doctoral fellowship at Georgetown University. Nearly a year into her post-doc she realized that she had lost her interest in research (this realization hit her while sitting at the biological hood where the thought of designing and performing another experiment was too much to bear! Enough was enough!). She then decided on a career change and turned her efforts to teaching undergraduates. Steps to prepare:   Job search: Dr. Baralt’s motto when it comes to job searching is, “your network is your net worth” – meaning that if you build a large network you automatically increase your chances of knowing someone who is looking to hire. For her, this was the main gateway into her current position. Although other resources were available, Dr. Baralt leaned on her network of college professors/advisors to get accepted into the NIH bridge program. She also networked extensively to find people who would support her Ph.D. graduation in a timely fashion. She maintained contact with her cohort from graduate school to get information about post-docs/adjunct positions, and when she was ready to transition into full-time teaching Dr. Baralt reached out to all of these existing networks. Although she had minimal teaching experience it was not seen as a negative since having a Ph.D. can infer that you are well-prepared for a job. When applying, she simply focused on how working with undergraduates in the laboratory setting presented her with teaching opportunities. Also, publications from your Ph.D. are also not necessarily required for teaching undergraduates, unless you are applying to research institutions. Her interview process for these positions was straightforward, and her best advice was to be yourself, be nice, and be flexible (particularly about the subject matter you are being considered for). Of course, you will want to be clear on your strengths/ weaknesses/ interests/ qualifications, teaching philosophy statement, and do the homework on the institution/position. Typical day: Once you accept a position, Dr. Baralt warns that there is a steep learning curve until you find a teaching rhythm. Additionally, most colleges/universities work from a specific textbook to ensure the necessary curriculum is met and the publisher often provides ample resources to build a foundation for lectures. Dr. Baralt teaches 16 hours a week with most of her classes scheduled in the evening (allowing for plenty of time to visit Chuckie-Cheese with her young son during the week). She uses the rest of her time to complete the necessary prep work, identify new ways to motivate students (i.e. integrate new technologies), and also adjuncts at a few other universities for course variety and extra income.

  Parting advice: Dr. Baralt left us with three main pieces of advice for finding opportunities at a primarily undergraduate institution.

• Your network is your net worth – so make connections, be nice to everyone, and don’t burn bridges (make sure to use your network when you start job searching).
• Be your own advocate – whether it is during your Ph.D., or when you start teaching, don’t be afraid to reach out to people who will help you achieve your goals.
• She also jokingly reminded us that we are trained in a laboratory setting for such a lengthy amount of time that we lose awareness of our people skills. So, when working with students we should be aware of not only the course content, but also of the people we are teaching -- so take advantage of opportunities that help sharpen your people skills.