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Category: CIRGE Publication

International PhDs: Exploring the Decision to Stay or Return

Findings from the Ph.D.s–10 Years Later study regarding Ph.D. recipients from abroad who earned their degrees at U.S. institutions of higher education centers and whether they stayed in the US or returned home. While, overall, 40 percent of the Ph.D.s from abroad returned home to start their post-Ph.D. careers, there was, in fact, considerable variation by field of study, region of origin, and even subregion. While many factors helped determine the choices on initial job locations made by international Ph.D. holders, one overwhelming trend that ran through the “return” data was a predetermination to return, powered by the pull of existing ties. Those who returned home were somehow “bound” to return, through the strong pull of their ties to cultural values and preferences, to friends and family, to their employers or governments, or to personal values such as the desire to contribute to their nation or society.

Gupta, D., Nerad, M.,  & Cerny, J. (2003). International PhDs: Exploring the Decision to Stay or Return. In CIHE, International Higher Education, Spring, Boston: Boston College.

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Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Interdisciplinarity

The US National Science Foundation’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) programs aim to encourage new approaches to interdisicplinary education.  IGERTS are developed to meet the challenges of educating doctoral level scientists, engineers and educators with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in chosen disciplines and the technical, professional and interpersonal skills to lead their fields and become creative agents for change.  The University of Washington’s Urban Ecology IGERT has provided insights into how to create and sustain a culture of interdisciplinarity.  This report describes this IGERT’s approaches to interdisciplinary team-learning, team-working and team teaching and reports on the problems, challenges and progress.

Marzluff, J., Nerad, M., Bradley, G., Alberti, M., Ryan, C.,  Zumbrunner, C., &  Shulenberger, E.  (2003).  Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Interdisciplinarity: Novel approaches to graduate education in the environmental sciences.  Unpublished report.

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Postdoctoral Appointments and Employment: Patterns of Science and Engineering Doctoral Recipients Ten-plus Years after Ph.D. Completion

This paper highlights major findings regarding postdoctoral appointments and employment outcomes of science and engineering doctoral recipients ten to thirteen years after receiving the PhD. These results are part of comprehensive study, PhDs -Ten Years Later.

Nerad, M. & Cerny, J. (2002).  Postdoctoral Appointments and Employment: Patterns of Science and Engineering Doctoral Recipients Ten-plus Years after Ph.D. Completion. Communicator, VXXXV(7).

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Widening the Circle: Another Look at Women Graduate Students

Today, graduate women are still lagging behind their male counterparts. In this paper we will try to explain, both historically and empirically, the situation of women doctoral students and what problems keep them from parity with male students. We will present practical suggestions for graduate deans on how to improve the present situation and how to truly welcome women into the circle of doctoral students.

Nerad, M. & Cerny, J. (1999). Communicator Vol XXX11 (6)

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Postdoctoral Patterns, Career Advancement, and Problems

Postdoctoral appointments can have different functions and meanings, depending on the field and whether the postdoc is a man or a woman. This papers summarizes the findings from the Ph.D.s—Ten Years Later survey for biochemists and mathematicians.

Nerad, M. & Cerny, J. (1999). Postdoctoral Patterns, Career Advancement, and Problems, Science, Vol. 285, pp. 1533-1535

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From Rumors to Facts: Career Outcomes of English PhDs

The cohorts of English doctorates sampled for this study have been called “the lost generation of humanists.” But were they really lost? This article traces the often difficult transition from receiving the PhD to stable employment, examines the level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction English PhDs have with their current employment, and discusses the value they place on their doctoral education.

Nerad, M. & Cerny, J., (1999). Communicator, Vol XXXII (7). Reprinted in ADE Bulletin no 124, winter 2000. Association of Departments of English, New York: the Modern Language Association.

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The Broadening Scope of Graduate Education

This paper examines the relationship between family status and career patterns among women with PhDs in English and biochemistry, who were employed in academia ten to 13 years after completing their doctorates.

Nerad, M.,  Armstrong, E., & Gupta, D.  (1998). Graduate Women’s Expectations in Doctoral Programs and Beyond: Marriage, Family, and Career. Proceedings of the 54th Annual Meeting MAGS,  pp 109-125. Chicago

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