ESTABLISHING AN ACADEMIC CAREER IN OR 

PROFESSOR COLLETTE COULARD 
DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING 
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 

ESTABLISHING AN ACADEMIC CAREER
IN OPERATIONS RESEARCH 

Disclaimer

• *my* observations based on *MY* experiences
• everyone is different
• wide range of successful academic paths

• Outline of talk
• Define your mission
• Accomplish your mission

• Individual:
• to [insert research/teaching/practical plan here]
• to become *the* expert on queuing approximations
• or find short proof of 4-color theorem
• or revolutionize O.R. practice
• or develop new generation of O.R. software
• or revolutionize O.R. education

• based on interest, passion, whatever drives you
• distinct from the "be successful" goal

• Institutional:
• to support education/research mission of academic institution

• Compatibility of these two missions
• might reinforce
• might conflict
• recognize the issue

• Identify and sharpen relevant skills/attributes
• technical
• communication/listening
• organizational
• tenacity
• resilience
• ability to filter

 
• Ph.D.
• Learn a specialty
• Learn how to do research
• Lay out research plan (individual mission)

• Faculty Position
• Get the job
• Do the job
• Keep the job

• Research Community
• Identify
• Plug yourself in

• Industrial Community

• Get the job
• Kinds of jobs
• teaching/research balance
• institutional culture - extent to which they support your individual mission
• cooperation vs competition
• Resume
• Interview
• show interest in your hosts and institution
• show enthusiasm for your research
• give a great talk
• Negotiation
• salary
• start-up money
• start date
• course load

• Do the job
• teaching
• courses
• advising
• service (committees)
• graduate
• undergraduate
• recruiting
• research
• publishing
• presentations
• Ph.D. students
• grants
• industry
•  Keep the job
•  tenure and promotion process
•  tenure and promotion criteria
• Pitfalls
• Time-management
• immediate pressures vs long-term pressures
• local pressures vs distant pressures
• Improper balance between individual mission and institutional mission

• Advice
• Find a mentor/role model who is
• successful
• accessible
• compatible
•  Ask for help/advice
• "What would you do?"
• "Read my paper."
• "Read my grant proposal."
• "Visit my class."

• Identify
• Prominent senior members
• Peers
• Professional Societies
• Look at their members
• Look at their conferences
• Look at their journals
• Plug yourself in
• get to know your colleagues and their work
• read their papers
• talk to them
• work with them
• visit them
• invite them
• inform your colleagues about your work
• talk to them
• send them your papers
• work with them
• attend and speak at conferences
• referee journal articles
• do professional society work
• organize sessions, conferences
• committee work
• Pitfalls
• Isolation
• Over extension

• Consulting
• Industry research contracts
• Education (short courses)

• Define your mission
• Accomplish your mission
• Stay healthy - mentally and physically