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Are you a grad student with a clean energy technology that can be commercialised? Are you passionate about clean energy and wondering how you can maximize your impact? Want to know what it's like to start a new cleantech venture? If any of these describe you, then come check out the Founder's Panel Discussion. Several previous-MIT PhDs, now-clean energy entrepreneurs, will share with you their motivations behind their career choice, their challenges and successes in their journey from academia to entrepreneurship and answer questions you may have about taking an idea and building a successful business around it.

We are very honoured to have four entrepreneurs to join our panel:

1. Chris Fischer (Course III '07) from PellionTech
2. Raymond Raab (Course X '06) from Agrivida
3. Anthony Sagneri (Course VI) from Onchip
4. Bilal Zuberi (Course V '03) from General Catalyst Partners

Date: January 12th, 2012
Time: 6:00 to 7:00pm, with mixers thereafter
Location: 32-124

Please RSVP with via the googledoc link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFpsZUFaWWMxZEZLQ2R0T1haTkVPT0E6MQ

If there are any questions, please email: Athens@mit.edu

Many thanks
CEP organizing team

ABOUT CEP
The MIT Clean Energy Prize is the world’s premier student competition for early-stage energy ventures with the potential to catalyze a new generation of clean energy solutions. The MIT CEP endeavors to inspire and train entrepreneurs to build companies that will significantly accelerate the pace of energy innovation. The competition offers a low-risk, high-reward environment for student entrepreneurs to develop business ideas with the aid of mentorship and rigorous judging feedback, while gaining exposure to some of the biggest thinkers in the clean energy space. The 2012 competition comprises three categories (Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, and Deployment & Infrastructure) and culminates with a Grand Prize award of $200,000, in addition to three Category Winner awards of $20,000. See cep.mit.edu for deadlines and more information.

IAP LINK http://student.mit.edu/iap/nc43.html

Athens Fitzcheung
Team Matching Lead, Clean Energy Prize
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M: 650.5565.227 │ E: athens@mit.edu

This year, Professor JoAnne Yates and I are experimenting with offering a Ph.D.-level communication course, “Communication Skills for Academics” (15.289), in an intensive version during IAP. Class will meet in 13, 3-hour sessions (9:00 a.m.-noon) the 2nd through last weeks in January...

Best,
Lori

Lori Breslow, Ph.D.
Director, MIT Teaching & Learning Laboratory
Senior Lecturer, Sloan School of Management
1.617.253.3780

Responsibilities: MSRP PA’s are responsible for working closely with the MSRP Director and Coordinator to provide mentorship and facilitate a positive research experience for approximately 50 interns.

The primary role of PA’s is to work with undergraduate student interns participating in MSRP. The program is scheduled to run from June 10 – August 11, 2012. PA’s are responsible for meeting with the interns to provide advice and mentoring and to help assist them with various program requirements including their scientific posters, abstracts and research papers. Throughout the program, PA’s serve as a liaison
between the MSRP Coordinator and interns’ laboratories to monitor students’ progress and to help identify and remedy issues that might arise. In addition, PA’s are expected to attend planned MSRP field trips and events (often on weekends) and assume various programming responsibilities. PA’s will also assist in the review of applications and the selection of our 2012 cohort.

Time Commitment: PA’s are expected to fully participate in the Summer Program. The time commitment during the summer is approximately 15 – 20 hours per week. There will be 3 – 5 mandatory meetings and trainings throughout the spring. Additionally, PA’s must be available for the entire first and last week of the program. Qualifications: All MIT graduate students are eligible for this position. Strong organization and communication skills, knowledge of presentation skills and techniques (including PowerPoint), as well as experience teaching and/or mentoring undergraduates are required. PA’s must be able to comfortably and effectively interact with students from a variety of ethnic, social and geographic backgrounds.

Compensation: $5,000 stipend for 10 weeks, paid weekly More information about the program can be found at mit.edu/msrp.
Please submit a resume and the attached application via email to Monica Orta, MSRP Coordinator: mmorta@mit.edu.
Applications are due Friday, December 16th!

Sign up through CareerBridge- www.myinterfase.com/mit/student

Network into Career Success
Thursday, January 12, 2-3:30pm, 4-159
Did you know that 80% of individuals find jobs through their connections? Do you have a difficult time figuring out what to say at social events, career fairs or company functions? Does the word networking frighten you? Learn how to connect effectively with others while making a winning impression and creating a personal brand. Gain advice on how to use social media tools to turn online connections into in person connections that can help you grow professionally. Register on CareerBridge.

The Imposter Syndrome: How to Feel as Bright and Capable as Everyone Seems to Think You Are
Tuesday, January 17, 1:30-3pm, room 34-101
Do you secretly worry others will find out you are not as intelligent and competent as they seem to think you are? Do you often dismiss praise for your accomplishments? Are you crushed by even constructive criticism, taking as evidence of your ineptness? Does the thought of not knowing what you are doing strike fear in your heart? If so, join the club. The Imposter Syndrome is often found among high achievers. Learn to recognize the individual and organizational cost of this phenomenon. Discover how to stop the perfectionism and procrastination that can undermine your success. Presented by Valerie Young.

Does It Matter? Non-Verbal Communication and the Job Search
Thursday, January 19, 2-3pm, room 4-153
You might not think that things like hairstyle, tone of voice, facial expressions or posture would affect your networking, interviewing and negotiating processes, but in fact you would be incorrect! Come learn ways to effectively communicate non-verbally so that you can leave a positive lasting impression with all those that you meet. Registration requested through CareerBridge.

How Much Does Starting Salary Matter? Negotiating a job offer
Thursday, January 19, 4-5pm, 4-149
Negotiating a job offer is a delicate event. Knowing when to ask for more, how to ask for more, and what to ask for are all questions that you need to have answers for before you start the conversation. Join GECD staff for a session aimed at helping you understand the process and how to handle the situation.

Practice Makes Perfect: Group Mock Interviews
Monday, January 23, 3:30-5pm, room 4-145
In this group mock interview session, students will have a unique chance to practice and sharpen their interview skills. We will briefly review interviewing wisdom, discuss the art of giving and receiving feedback, then all participants will have a chance to answer questions and get feedback on their responses. Students who participate should first attend one of our in-person interviewing workshops or listen to our online workshop, Effective Interviewing, at http://gecd.mit.edu/workshop/interviewing/index.htm. Preregistration required through CareerBridge. Limited to 18.

Business Etiquette- Mastering Meals, Manners and Business Interactions
Tuesday, January 24, 3-4pm, room 4-231
Are you unsure as to what to do during interviews and networking dinners? People tend to equate a lack of etiquette with a lack of care and self-control necessary to be good at what you do. Etiquette is about presenting yourself with the kind of polish that shows you can be taken seriously. Come learn tips on how to have an etiquette advantage to help you land a job. Register on CareerBridge (click on Workshops Career Fairs and Events).

Alternative Careers Unplugged
Wednesday, January 25, 4-5pm, room 4-237
Your major or degree does not have to confine your career path choices. All MIT graduates have many unique talents and skills that are transferable and sought-after in many fields. Please join us for a panel of MIT alumni as they discuss their careers and how they found themselves making the leap out-of-the-box.

LinkedIn Lab
Thursday, January 26, noon-1:30pm, room 4-253
Registration required through CareerBridge (www.myinterfase.com/mit/students)
Bring your laptop to explore the many ways LinkedIn can help you in your career exploration and job or internship search. We will begin with an overview of LinkedIn and some of the key areas of a complete LinkedIn profile. This will be followed by individual work on your profile, with Career Services staff available to answer your questions. Required: Set up a free account at Linkedin.com and begin to fill in your profile prior to the workshop. Bring a laptop to the workshop. Limited to 15 students.

Management Consulting: Career Opportunities for PhDs
Thursday, January 26, 4-5:30pm, room 32-141
PhD alums in Management Consulting will talk about their work, their work lifestyle, how they made the decision to leave the bench and enter this field, what it’s like to transition out of the lab into management consulting, and the highs and lows of their work. Come learn from those who are doing it; ask questions, meet some interesting alums! Register through CareerBridge.

Careers in Non Profits: Learn about this exciting field from Non Profit professionals!
Monday, January 30, 5-6:30pm, room 4-270
If you are wondering what a career in non-profit might be like or what opportunities are available in your field in the non-profit world, this is the workshop for you! After a brief information session about the field, panelists working for non-profits will tell their success stories. There will be time at the end to speak with the panelists and to ask questions. Co-sponsored by GECD and the Public Service Center. Registration through CareerBridge.

Policy Analysis and Research Careers
Wednesday, February 1, 3-4:30pm, room 4-237
Do you like to research complex problems and recommend solutions? Are you interested in influencing policies that relate to science, healthcare, energy, education, defense, transportation, food, poverty, space, to name a few? Policy analysts work in venues such as government, think tanks, universities, nonprofit and profit organizations. Many analysts have graduate degrees in technical fields. Come and hear from MIT alums who work in policy analysis and learn more about this interesting way to put your MIT education to work.

Amanda C. Peters
Career Development Specialist, Career Services
MIT Global Education & Career Development (GECD)
617-253-4733
acpeters@mit.edu * www.linkedin.com/in/acpeters
Sustainability@MIT http://ehs.mit.edu/site/sustainability

Graduate Student Travel Funds: ENERGY- Apply by December 9th!

I'm pleased to announce that limited funds are available for travel to conferences or for field research having to do with energy. Please visit the webpage (http://web.mit.edu/mitei/education/graduate-travel-funds.html) to read more. Application Deadline: December 9th. Email energytravel@mit.edu with questions.

__________________________________

Christie Ko
Academic Coordinator
cko@mit.edu

MIT Energy Initiative
77 Massachusetts Avenue, E19-370W
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
Tel (617) 253-3478
Fax (617) 253-8013

http://web.mit.edu/mitei/education/graduate-travel-funds.html

click here to enter the lottery for 21F.217 until December 5, 2011 at 5pm.

21F.217: Workshop in Strategies for Effective Teaching (ELS)
An intensive workshop for international Teaching Assistants. Covers special problems in teaching when English is a second language and the USA a second culture. Emphasis on practical skills and participation. Videorecording of practice sessions for feedback. Individualized programs to meet different needs.

Instructor: A.C. Kemp
Email: ackemp@mit.edu
Schedule: MTWRF ( Jan. 23-27 ONLY ) Students are expected to attend all sessions.
Time: 2:30 - 5:00pm 
Location: 14N-225

 Selection by departmental lottery. Do not pre-register on WebSIS. 

Level: G 1-0-2 units 
Standard A-F grading.
Attendance and preparation is mandatory.
Signup will BEGIN Monday, November 7, 2011 at 9:00 AM and will END Monday, December 5, 2011 at 5:00 PM.

  • Students who have been placed in a subject will receive an email message by 12:00 noon on Friday, December 9, 2011. If you do not receive an email by this date, then you were not placed in a Foreign Languages and Literatures IAP credit subject(however you may be on a waiting list - see below).
  • Students who are given slots in a subject must confirm their intention to take the subject no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, December 12, 2011. Exact instructions for confirming a place will be included with the initial placement message. Failure to confirm will eliminate the student from the subject's roster and the slot will be offered to someone on the waiting list.

Launch of MIT Press Engineering Systems Book Series
ESD celebrates launch of new MIT Press Engineering Systems Book Series

Launch event on Thursday, November 17th
5:00-6:30pm in Building E14, Room 674

MIT Engineering Systems Division is pleased to announce a special event celebrating the launch of the MIT Press Engineering Book Series. The series currently includes these titles:

Flexibility in Engineering Design - Richard de Neufville and Stefan Scholtes
Engineering Systems: Meeting Human Needs in a Complex Technological World - Olivier L. de Weck, Daniel Roos and Christopher L. Magee
Engineering a Safer World: Systems Thinking Applied to Safety - Nancy G. Leveson
Design Structure Matrix Methods and Applications - Steven D. Eppinger and Tyson R. Browning
You can read much more about the series on the MIT Press website. The celebration will include refreshments and brief remarks on the series.

Hi all,

The next PDS talk will be held the coming Thursday evening, Nov 17 at E51-315. Please RSVP to the google form and hope to see you all there!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
What: Some advice for technologists wanting to do startups, by Bilal Zuberi
When: Thursday, November 17, 7- 8 pm
Where: E51-315

  • Bilal is an investor with General Catalyst Partners, a Cambridge, Palo Alto and NYC based venture capital and private equity firm.
  • Bilal focuses on investments in companies with deep technology & engineering focus, especially clean energy.
  • There will be food---please try to bring your own reusable tupperware/ utensils. Also bring lots of questions!
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

More PDS updates on GSC webiste: http://gsc.mit.edu/programs-initiatives/pds/

Best,
Lei

Lei Dai, Graduate Student
Gore Lab, Department of Physics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Office address: 13-2038
Cell: 617-758-9073

Event with Joanna Barsh, Director at McKinsey & Co. (RSVP required)

If you are interested in Management Consulting, or working at McKinsey, we encourage you to attend the event on Monday 11/21 with Joanna Barsh, Director at McKinsey & Co.'s New York office. This is a final reminder to RSVP now using this form, before we open the event to the Sloan and MIT Community on Tuesday. You must RSVP to attend the event.

Event Details:
Time: 11:35am -1pm (Lunch, Talk and Q&A)
Location: We will send you details upon confirmation of your RSVP
Dress code: Business casual at a minimum (i.e. no jeans, running shoes, etc.)

Topics to be Addressed during Presentation:
A leader of both the Consumer Packaged Goods and Organization Practices at McKinsey, Joanna will give an overview of her 31 year career at McKinsey and discuss some of the challenges that arise from working in her industry.

We will send another e-mail with the event location when we confirm your RSVP. We look forward to seeing you on Monday!

-Management Consulting Club and Sloan Women In Management

---------
Asha Parekh
MBA Candidate 2013, MIT Sloan School of Management
PhDCEP Candidate 2012, MIT Department of Chemical Engineering
e: aparekh@mit.edu | m: +1-(617)-800-3677

JOANNA BARSH
McKinsey & Company
The McKinsey Centered Leadership Project

Joanna founded The McKinsey Centered Leadership Project in 2007 to unlock the potential of talented women (and men) leaders. Based on five years of research, she co-authored the business best-selling book, How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life published by Crown Business (2009), which has been translated into a number of languages, including Mandarin Chinese. Its paperback edition will be published in December 2011. Joanna is a Director in McKinsey & Company's New York office. Since joining the firm in 1980, she has served a broad range of consumer-facing clients on mergers and acquisitions, corporate growth strategy, performance transformation and organization effectiveness.

Joanna is a strong advocate for women at McKinsey and beyond. In 2002, she was appointed to the New York City Commission on Women's Issues by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. She also created "Living Portraits," a video archive of 125+ interviews with women leaders from around the world and led McKinsey’s research effort with The Wall Street Journal’s Women in the Economy Executive Taskforce in April 2011. Her awards include the Girl Scouts Council Woman of Distinction Award and the National Council for Research on Women Achievement Award.

A dedicated contributor to the New York community, Joanna has served the Partnership for New York City, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Manhattan Theatre Club, as well as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Alaska Conservation Foundation. She has been a trustee of Sesame Workshop, the education organization responsible for Sesame Street, for 16 years.

She holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, where she was a Baker Scholar.

In addition to her many passions and activities, Joanna enjoys her family life with her two wonderful daughters, Gaby and Jetta and a husband (David) of 20 years.

The Office of the Dean for Graduate Education has two openings for diversity fellows with the Graduate Community Fellows Program. Applications are due no later than December 1.

Graduate Community Fellows are a cadre of graduate students who work on projects and assignments that enhance MIT graduate community in unique ways. Each Fellow reports to a staff member in the Office of the Dean for Graduate Education or in a partner organization, and focuses on a specific project. Fellows receive partial stipend support for the length of their appointment period. Positions include:

• Committee on Race and Diversity (1 position available)

• Alumni Partnership for Diversity (1 position available)

Please see our web site for available assignments and an application form: http://web.mit.edu/odge/community/fellows/ , and contact me with any questions.

Thank you,

Heather (Fry) Konar
Communications Officer
Office of the Dean for Graduate Education
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Room 35-332
(617) 253-1940
heatherf@mit.edu

http://www.switzernetwork.org/grant-programs/fellowship-program-how-apply

Dear Colleagues:

Just a reminder to all of our faculty contacts and academic colleagues in New England and California that the application period for 2012 Switzer Environmental Fellowships is now open. Switzer Fellowships are given to top graduate students in New England and California who are committed to leadership in their environmental fields. The Fellowship provides a one-year $15,000 cash award, access to other grant programs and support, and access to a Fellowship Network of nearly 500 environmental professionals. We invite you to check out Switzer Network News to see live podcast interviews with some of our Fellows for an idea of the issues on which Switzer Fellows are working. You can also receive the latest news and updates via RSS feed, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn per the links below.

This year's fellowship application deadline is January 15, 2012.

Please see the Call for Applications which describes the Fellowship program and its requirements. Please pass this on to eligible candidates and colleagues, and post to your financial aid or graduate student office bulletin boards! Links to the online Fellowship application form, as well as detailed instructions on its completion, are available on the Switzer Foundation website.

For academic colleagues who will write Recommendation Letters for applicants, instructions for recommendation letters are available on our website.

Student applicants are urged to submit their applications as early as possible to ensure timely review and confirmation of the application.

If you have any questions about the Fellowship program guidelines or the online application process, please do not hesitate to contact any of the Switzer Foundation staff. Thank you. We look forward to receiving your students' applications!

Erin Lloyd, Program Officer
Don Brackett, Administrative Officer
Lissa Widoff, Executive Director
Office: (207) 338-5654 (office hours 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. eastern, other hours available by appointment)

Subscribe for website updates: http://feeds.feedburner.com/SwitzerFoundation
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SwitzerFoundation
Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/switzernetwork
Become a member of our LinkedIn group: http://linkd.in/switzernetwork

The Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation is a results-driven family foundation that invests in individuals and organizations that drive positive environmental change. Founded in 1986, the Foundation is a grant making organization that mobilizes leaders from diverse disciplines who focus on integrated solutions to environmental issues. Through the Switzer Environmental Fellowship Program and related grants, the Foundation supports a Network of nearly 500 Switzer Fellows who are leaders in the nonprofit, public policy, business, academic and government sectors working to solve today's environmental challenges.

Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation
P. O. Box 293
Belfast, Maine 04915
(207) 338-5654
www.switzernetwork.org

Faculty Position in Engineering Systems
October 7, 2011
Engineering Systems Division
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The MIT Engineering Systems Division (ESD) invites applications for a tenure track faculty position. ESD includes over 20 dual and primary faculty with overall, 60 faculty with an affiliation with the division. ESD has the 3rd largest graduate population of any department or division in the School of Engineering at MIT, and focuses on important global challenges: http://esd.mit.edu/about/strategic-report.html.
This is a broad search in engineering systems that will focus on applying engineering systems methodologies to address challenges in complex sociotechnical systems.
Some areas of emphasis include:
• Global Product Design, Manufacturing and Supply Chains
• Systems Safety for Major Infrastructures
• Complex service systems, with special emphasis on health care, or education
• Statistics and Data Visualization for Complex Systems
However, candidates in any number of areas related to complex, socio-technical systems are encouraged to apply. We expect to appoint an assistant professor or an associate professor without tenure. In special cases, a senior faculty post will be considered.
This faculty member will develop a significant research program and teach related courses. The successful candidate will also collaborate effectively with cross-disciplinary teams of faculty, students and external stakeholders (e.g., industry and government). The selected candidate will hold a dual appointment with another academic department in the School of Engineering at MIT.
Applicants with an advanced degree in engineering or related fields (e.g., operations research, statistics, service science) are strongly encouraged. Applicants must have a PhD in a relevant field before the beginning of the MIT appointment period. We value further academic, government or private sector experience. Strong teaching skills and demonstrated excellence in research are critical.
The search committee will begin reviewing applications in November 2011, with a view to inviting candidates for a campus visit beginning in January 2012. Applicants should submit a current curriculum vita, names and addresses of three references, up to three publications, and a three-page statement of teaching and research interests at http://esd-search.mit.edu. Please ask your references to submit their letters at http://esd-search.mit.edu/letters by January 15th, 2012. Responses received January 15 will be given priority.
MIT is an affirmative action/equal employment opportunity employer. Women and under-represented minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Global Fellows Program: MIT and Imperial College London
Information Session: Wednesday, November 16th, 3-4 PM, Room 3-442

Sponsored by the Office of the Dean for Graduate Education (ODGE) & the Dean for Undergraduate Education (DUE)

MIT Global Education & Career Development and Imperial College London are jointly offering an intensive 4 day Global Fellows Program for PhD students in the United Kingdom. Through presentations, interactive work and hands-on activities, PhD students from Imperial (20) and MIT (20) will develop professional skills required to launch and manage a successful research career. Emphasis will be on creating and sustaining successful international research collaborations.

This workshop will take place in the United Kingdom

Dates: March 26-30 (Spring Break)
Location: Near London, United Kingdom
Eligibility: PhD Students:
Cost: Fellowship covers cost of travel, program and some meals.

Content: Topics covered will include:
• Building successful working relationships and global collaborations
• Team and project development
• Global intercultural skills and communication
Participants will work in small groups with either an MIT or Imperial facilitator. Faculty members from each university will present on the topic of developing and managing international collaborations as an integral part of a research career.

Imperial College London is a science-based institution, consistently rated amongst the world's best universities. For more information about Imperial College: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/aboutimperial.

Application Due Date: Wednesday, December 28 by 5:00 PM

Contact: Kimberly Benard, globalphd@mit.edu

http://gecd.mit.edu/go_abroad/global_fellows_program

Thanks,

Scott R. Murray
Program Assistant, Global Education
Global Education | Career Development (GECD)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Building 12-189, 77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
t: 617.253.0676
f: 617.452.2101 http://www.facebook.com/pages/MIT-Global-Education-GECD/23609336444

Many MIT Graduate Students don’t realize that the setting of yearly stipend levels, on-campus rents, and student fees at MIT is significantly informed and based on a very important set of data which is collected through a survey only once every four years. This survey is called the Cost of Living.

We are very excited to inform and remind you that the 2011 Cost of Living Survey is now live and waiting for your responses. You can find your unique survey link in an email from Dean Christine Ortiz sent on November 5th, 2011. In addition to helping better represent graduate student expenses, dozens of students will win great prizes like IPads, Toshiba Netbooks, or Amazon Gift cards. Please do take some time to fill out the survey… without it we will have little means of understanding the true costs of graduate student life.

What: Cost of Living Survey
Where: Your link is in an email from Dean Ortiz on November 5th
Why: This is our only method of quantifying the cost of being a graduate student
When: Now!

Regards,
Brian Spatocco and Maokai Lin
Housing and Community Affairs, Co-Chairs
Graduate Student Council (GSC)

January 21, 2012
www.euro-career.com
________________________________________

Want to work or study in Europe?
Looking for a full-time job, internship or university?
Submit your resume today!
www.euro-career.com
Discover the many opportunities that international companies, academic institutions and non-profit organizations from Europe have to offer at the European Career Fair (ECF) at MIT.
January 21
• Exhibits and presentations by companies and academia
• Networking with employers and other candidates
January 22 - 23
• Interviews
• Career development seminars
• Networking

• Largest career fair of its kind in the US with 130+ companies & 5000+ participants.
• Searchable database allows employers to view your resume, and schedule interviews.
Registration is free!
Submit your resume today!
www.euro-career.com
The deadline for resume submission is Saturday, December 3, 2011.
For regular updates, "like" us on Facebook or join our group on LinkedIn. Also you can check us out on Youtube.