Career in Science in US

Alexei Safonov(Texas A&M University)

Outline• Typical Careers in Physics: Academic and

Research Paths• Academic System in US vs Russia or

Europe• Opportunities for you and choices you

have to make if coming to US• Texas A&M University graduate school:

– Research programs and professors– Admissions process

Career Paths in Physics

Graduate Student

Postdoctoral Researcher at a

National Lab

Postdoctoral Researcher at a

University

Career Researcher at a University

Professor at a University

Career Researcher at a National Lab

Industry and Business

Most ProbableFrequentSomewhat Rare

Start from the End: Professor• There are 3 levels:

– Assistant Prof, Associate Prof, and Professor– People usually start as Assistant Profs and then grow (4-6 years

per step)– Typical age when people become Assistant Professors is 30-38

• In the US system, a prof at any level is an independent researcher:– Even if there is a group of several faculty working in your field,

you are still largely on your own• There are exceptions where “empires” are built

– Different than most European places where you have to outlive many of your colleagues before you become an independent leader of your own group

• Good and bad:– The good: you are on your own. You are young and have many

ideas, you and your group will do whatever you want.– The bad: you are on your own. Getting funding is hard, there is a

fair chance that you will fail and nobody will help you

Professor’s Career• Assistant Profs are usually hired in so called

tenure-track positions: – University will give you a startup for the first 3-4 years

so that you have money to start a group (hire a graduate student and a postdoc, some travel funds) while you are working on establishing your own funding

– You have to get your own funding (grants) by writing proposals and demonstrating that your contribution will make a difference

– After ~4-5 years there is a tenure review: • If you didn’t establish your program and didn’t secure your

own funding - you likely won’t get tenure – You are pretty much screwed up: you will have to leave and

your career is likely over• Otherwise you pass and become a tenured professor (and

usually at about the same time you become an Associate Professor)

Professor’s Life• A lot of non-research responsibilities:

– You run your own little business with your own employees (engineers, postdocs, students)

– You write proposals to get funding, negotiate your shares in projects with collaborators

– You work on committees at your Department– You teach (typically a couple of lectures a week)

• For desert, you do research:– Work with students and postdocs on projects, help them pick

good topics, supervise their work– In experimental HEP, you usually have some responsibilities in

your experiment, so you work with someone else’s students and postdocs too

• Salaries are pretty good compared to national average, typically $80-100k/year that can grow to $120-160k as you get older– Quality of life depends on where you live, e.g. you can buy a

castle in some places but may still have to rent an apartment in California or Boston

Researcher• An alternative to academic path

– Can be at a National lab (like Fermilab) or at a University • Although fewer and fewer of these positions at Universities

– Considered equivalent to professor positions• Come in tiers similar to Assistant/Associate/Full Profs• Comparable salaries and benefits

• The good: – You don’t have to find funding, very little administrative stuff or

teaching, you can fully concentrate on research– Generally easier to get then professor positions

• The bad (depends on personality type, could be excellent for some people): – What you can do is limited by what you can do with your own

hands– You don’t have your own group

What Does It Take?• When hiring new faculty, the department wants a person

who is:– A very good and well balanced researcher with original ideas as

demonstrated by your reputation, your record and published papers

• In HEP-ex, that means you have to be good both in analysis and in building things and excellent in at least one of the two

– A leader (either by reputation or through work with other postdocs and students, through convener positions etc.)

• The thought is that this will make you a leader in the field, which helps your funding and improves university reputation

– Be able to clearly formulate your ideas and get them across, give good talks

• Important when competing for funding and for teaching – Be seen as a good colleague (you are likely to stay with them for

the next 40 years or so)• All your work as a student or postdoc are steps to this

culmination point. You want to arrive here very well prepared.

Step I: Graduate Student• Typically 5+ years (could be less in theory)

• What you want to accomplish:– Publish a few papers

• 1-3 in high energy experiment, probably more in theory– Become a qualified, well trained and balanced

young researcher that everybody wants as their postdoc

• In hep-ex people will know about you if you did an interesting analysis or developed a new technique and if it is clear that you were driving the work

First 2 yrs Last 3 yrsClasses 30-40% 0%Teaching 30-40% 0-30%Research 30-40% 70-100%

Choosing Graduate School• What you want to watch for:

– Big school name is a plus, but not a must: • At least in hep-ex, it will help you only a little in finding

postdoc or permanent job, but not by a lot. If you are good you will find it anyway

• Profs there are spoiled by a lot of good students, often do not spend a lot of time with you (ask me for examples)

– Professor active in research and with good reputation is a must

• Also must have funding as otherwise you risk to do teaching for 7-9 years at the expense of research

– Will slow you down, which won’t look good later on your CV

– A Prof with a big name is a two-sided issue: • Plus as they are likely smart and have good reputation that

can help you pick a good research topic and find a job later• Could be a minus if the person is not very active or has either

too many students or just no time to work with students

Choosing Grad School• My advice: rather than going after a great

school, go after a great professor. • You want someone who is capable to help you

deliver a good PhD, wants you to succeed, and who will be working with you and helping you– Someone understanding Russian “mentality” could be

a plus as they will help you avoid stupid mistakes (at least the ones they did themselves)

• “Dos and don’ts” are somewhat different in the US science culture than what you are used to in Russia

• I know many people from Russia who did not succeed primarily because they couldn’t adapt to the culture here

• Getting over that threshold is as important as developing research skills and experience

Graduate Student’s Life• Grad student salaries: not a lot, but enough to get by, usually

around $1.5-2.0k per month– Fellowships could be up to ~$2.5k

• Typical expenses:

– Whatever is left can be spend your favorite way– Excess will become your credit card debt!

Expense Per Month Notes

Taxes $200 You may get it back

Various school related expenses

$100

Housing $350-$700 Depends on the area

Food $250-300

Clothes, entertainment $150-300

Car lease (new)/loan(old) $200-300

Car Insurance $40-150

Total: $1.3 - 2.1k

Typical Housing Options• Large part of your monthly expenses, so worth

discussing• Inexpensive areas like Texas or Florida:

– 1Bd apartment (bedroom, living room, kitchen): $350-600– Studio (no separate bedroom): $300-500– 2-4Bd house/apartment shared with roommates $200-400 per

person• More expensive areas like large cities, CA, northeast:

– Studio could be $600-900– Apt/house with roommates $500-750 per person

• Prices in the range depend on amenities (dishwasher, washer, dryer), area (close to campus), quality (how new the apartment is) etc – Beware: typically apartments are rented w/o furniture (kitchen

cabinets, refrigerator, heater are always there, but nothing else, even lighting)

• Conclusion: quality of life can vary depending on where you will live

Step II: Postdoc• Relatively easy to find a position for a decent student • At this stage, you are expected to grow into an

independent researcher, develop your interests and taste, become visible in the field, be recognized as a leader – (e.g., a convener, if in an experimental collaboration like CMS)

• Very important step b/c professor positions are highly competitive– You are much more likely to not find a prof position than to find it

• Wise to look for a postdoc in a well established group:– Established groups have visible responsibilities before you even

come, you just need to show how good you are– In younger/smaller groups, you will have to work hard to help the

group join a project before you start making your own name– A recognizable advisor and brand name university (they usually

have stronger groups) can play a strong positive role in the success of your job search

Postdoc’s Life• Good time to get married (bad idea if you are a

grad student and your husband or wife has no money)– Still a bit early to buy your own house

• Salary range: $45-55k/year (but even $60-65k is not all that impossible in some places)

• Certainly not the time to relax:– Every day spent that does not help you get a faculty

job is a waste of your time– After a couple of years, it is worth assessing your

situation (talk to someone): • If it is clear your prospects are not good, it could be a good

idea to leave physics• You will make lots of money in business or industry

When to Get on the Wagon?• There is a misconception that a PhD from MIPT

will open you doors everywhere– Absolutely not true, MIPT is not a universally

recognizable brand name in the US– Coming for a postdoc is possible, but it is much

harder and in most cases just too late for a successful career

• The right time to go is when you got your M.S. (or even better B.Sc.)– That will give you enough time to get used to the

culture and life there, improve your language, speaking and writing skills etc.

– Don’t wait, the sooner you go the better are your chances

Visas, Green Cards etc.• Students usually come on F-1 visa

– With all paperwork in place, getting a visa is not a problem if you have a legitimate case

– There is a chance that your case will be sent for administrative review (may take ~3 weeks after interview and sometimes up to 2 months), so apply early

• Postdocs usually start on “optional training”:– After you get your PhD, you can stay and work in US for

“practical training” for 1-2 years– Then switch to H1B (work visa)

• H1B has a limit of 6 years, so this should be kept in mind– Getting H1B if you are abroad can take 9-12 months from the

point your application is submitted by your employer• Green card requires permanent job, postdocs are not

permanent positions– There is an option to get a researcher title that can allow doing a

green card, but it’s a special case• If you get a permanent job (faculty or researcher), green

card is easy

TAMU• Texas A&M is an old and known school

– Like many state universities, historically has been an agriculture and engineering university (that’s where A&M comes from)

– … but with a twist: it has also been a major military college• Even now about 20% of all students are military cadets

• A&M is the 4th largest university in the US– Nevertheless, our football team somehow completely sucks

• Has been on the slower side for some time due to lack of funding, new hires … and probably a vision…

• Now on a steep rising slope that started ~5 years ago with a start of a major reinvestment program expanding university faculty ranks by ~1/3– Initiated by then TAMU president Gates who is now US

Secretary of Defense– Part of a plan to get TAMU to become one of the 10 best US

public schools by 2020.

Physics Department• Physics department grew from 40 to 65

– Very thorough and aggressive recruitment– Brand new, very strong and broad Astronomy

group – A lot of first class young professors hired

• The number of NSF and DOE awards per new hire in the last 2-3 years is just unbelievable

• One Nobel prize winner, members of National Academies

• A number of first rate senior people– Optics, Atomic, Nuclear and High Energy,

Condensed Matter

Admissions Process• Deadline for applications: Jan 15, 2008

– http://www.physics.tamu.edu/academics/faqapplicant.html• Need to apply with the department (a short informal online

application) and with the university system (also online)• 3 letters of recommendation, your statement, transcripts

from MIPT• Required tests:

– TOEFL: 550/213/80– GRE General/Subject: no strict requirement

• There is some flexibility in terms of lower scores or sending them late– It is possible to admit students in special circumstances with some

missing paperwork (e.g. no GRE), but that greatly complicates things– It is a lot easier if all your paperwork is in order, though!

What Are They Looking For?• All schools want to get students who:

– Have high likelihood of succeeding • Your GPA and GRE

– Are likely to stay in physics or at least graduate• Record of work in your research field (papers or preprints, some

documented research contributions, recommendations, your statement)

– For international students, another problem is that with their English they often cannot teach

• There is only a very small number of positions for this kind of students (unless some prof promises to take you on research on day one)

• High TOEFL and good English can improve your chances, but the main factor is still how likely you are to succeed

• A professor that wants specifically you can double your chances– A good idea to find someone who you want to work with and see

if they are as enthusiastic as you are. – Email me if you need help finding someone at Texas A&M

What to Expect When You Come?• First few weeks will be hard as you will need to do a lot

of things– Various paperwork in Admissions Office, International Services

and at the department, various orientations and more paperwork– Apply for your social security card to be able to receive salary– Finding a place to live, transportation etc.– Driver’s license, bank accounts, credit cards etc.

• First expenses can be significant:– It’s a good idea to have $1.5-2k on you when you come here (if

not, you will have to borrow from someone)• Having someone who can help you will make you start a

lot easier– We help people, e.g. my wife and I are already used to have at

least one student in our house who stays here till they find their own place

• Having someone to talk to here is also important:– Changing research specialization, choosing a professor etc.

What Happens Next?• Classes on core courses:

– QM, EM, Analytical Mechanics, Stat Physics– These are hard classes and require a lot of work,

many homework assignments and intermediate exams

– Typically about 1.5 years to complete• Starting this year, we will have an option to

bypass them if you pass Qualification Exam – If you got 5 or almost 5 in corresponding MIPT

classes, you should do well if you spend a couple of weeks preparing

– Will help you get to research faster and graduate sooner

• You will still have to take (or transfer from MIPT) 3 more introductory classes on specific subjects, like high energy physics or condensed matter

Programs at TAMU that expressed explicit interest in

students from MIPT

Does not mean that others are not interested, just that these guys want to hear from you and you are welcome to

contact them directly (you will see email addresses)

Chances of being admitted are much better if a faculty wants you!

Thin-film nanoscience group

• Nanomagnetism• Proximity effects

– Exchange bias (Ferromagnet-Antiferromagnet)

– Superconducting proximity effects– Hybrid Superconductor-Magnetic

systems• Emerging nanotechnology

applications

nanomagnetism

superconductivity

Prof. Igor Roshchin: riv@tamu.eduhttp://science.komkon.org/~igor

M Z

15 nm

65 nm

100 nm

Condensed Matter Group• Experiment:

– G. Agnolet, I. F. Lyuksyutov, D. G. Naugle, Igor Roshchin, J. H. Ross, W. Teizer, M. Weimer, W. Wu

• Theory – A. Abanov, R. E. Allen, A. Belyanin, A.

Finkelstein, C. R. Hu, H. Katzgraber, V. Pokrovsky, W. M. Saslow, J. Sinova

– Those underlined specifically asked me to tell you that they want to hear from you!

Артём Абановabanov@tamu.edu

Высоко-температурная сверхпроводимость, квантово-критические явления, сильно-связанная Ферми жидкость

Спиновый ток, взаимодействие спиновых и зарядовых токов, движение доменных стенок, динамика намагниченности.

Физика конденсированного состояния and all that blues.

Ультра-холодные фермионы, переходы из Бозе-Энштейновского конденсата в Бардин-Купер-Шриферский, динамика ультра-холодных газов.

Лапласовский рост, DLA (Diffusion Limited Aggregation), матричные модели, двумерная квантовая гравитация, диэлектрический пробой и т.п.

•Dmitry Pestov

•Robert Murawski

•Ari Gombojav

•Vladimir Sautenkov

•Alexei SokolovФПФЭ выпуск 1994sokol@tamu.edu

•Marlan Scully

•Xi Wang

•Yuri Rostovtsev

•Jiahui Peng

•Miaochan Zhi

•Lei Wang

•Alexey Chugreev

•Andrea Burzo

Quantum Optics at TAMU: Fundamental

and Applied, Theoretical and Experimental

ScienceCoherence is at the core of almost everything we do

( )b R

r

( )c R

( )R

Dipicolinic acid

Bacillus anthracis

Marker-molecule!

High Energy• Historically a very strong group

– String Theory– Phenomenology– Experiment (collider/neutrino/DM)– Accelerator Physics

High Energy Theory

High Energy Theory• Well established and respected group:

– String theory group (Mitchell Institute) with strong reputation and connections

– Strong Phenomenology group (including co-fathers of SUSY)

• Very interested in good theory students:– Bhaskar Dutta is their representative on the

Graduate Admissions Committee• Email: dutta@physics.tamu.edu

Collider HEP Experiment• Members of CDF (Tevatron)

and CMS (LHC) experimentsTeruki KamonSUSY, DM, Z’

Alexei SafonovHiggs, SUSY, Z’

David TobackSUSY, DM

Accelerator Physics• Seasoned expertise in accelerator

physics research– Peter was one of three people who proposed

pp-bar colliders (Tevatron)• Texas A&M is a rare home to this kind of

expertise that can usually be found in national labs only

• Main avenues of research:

Peter McIntyre

– Superconducting magnet technologies• One of critical requirements for future

accelerators– New particle acceleration techniques– Recent proposal: 100 TeV pp collider

Direct Dark Matter Searches• Direct DM searches study cosmic rays:

– Look for signs of a heavy new very weakly interacting particle

– Competing/complementary to searches at LHC

– Texas A&M has been in the game for a long time putting us on the forefront in xenon-based world (White and Web)

– Brand new large program on CDMS (Mahapatra)

1

A

WIMP

Recoil

20 Ascalar

• Two competing technologies:– Xenon-based (e.g. XENON-100 or LUX) and

cryogenic silicon-germanium detectors (CDMS) James White

Rupak Mahapatra

Neutrino Oscillations• In Standard Model, neutrino mass=0

– Needed to get rid of right-handed neutrinos– Each neutrino type lives by themselves– One annoying problem: not enough neutrinos

detected coming from the sun Bob Webb

• MINOS experiment studies oscillations as we speak

• Next step - NOVA

• Recent discovery: neutrinos can go from one sort into another (“oscillations”)– Can’t happen if no mass, thus mass is not zero!

Heavy Ion Collisions• Part of the Cyclotron Institute

– One of the strongest efforts in the country– We have our own cyclotron and also

participate in experiments elsewhere• Next few slides from Prof. Ralf Rapp

– rapp@comp.tamu.edu• Please contact him for more

information

• Building Blocks: Quarks (u,d,s,c,b,t) + Leptons (e,,,i)• Stable Matter: u, d, e-, mass me,d,u=0.5-10MeV small! But: proton, neutron Mp,n=940MeV• Where does the mass come from?• Why are quarks “confined”?

Where to look in Nature? • Early Universe: few s after “Big Bang” • Interior of Compact Stars (“Neutron Stars”)• High-Energy Collisions of Atomic Nuclei!

Fundamental Properties of Matter

heat and compress matter “Quark-Gluon Plasma”

temperature

“Freeze-Out”Hadron Gas QGP ?!

Au + Au

Quark-Gluon Plasma in Heavy-Ion Collisions

Au + Au → X

e+

e-

Signatures of the QGP?• Suppression of J/ Mesons• Decays of -Mesons• …

J/

[Profs. C.M. Ko, R. Fries, + R. Rapp; rapp@comp.tamu.edu]

Lepton Pairs from in-Medium →+- Decays

-Meson “melts” in Matter

Mass Dissolution?!

+- Spectra in Nuclear Coll.

[R. Rapp et al.]

• Thanks for coming here!• Please feel free to contact me if I can be of

any help:– safonov@tamu.edu

• I will be more than happy to help you get in touch with a good professor or a group at Texas A&M– Start here: www.physics.tamu.edu

• I will also be happy to help you in any way throughout your studies at A&M