Program Overview
The purpose of the Molecular Biophysics Training Program is to provide a truly transformative training experience in molecular biophysics for graduate students from all three relevant programs, one which will draw students from disparate background into more formal biophysics training within a coherent community.
Goals & Values
- Excellence
- Collaboration and interdisciplinarity
- Building one molecular biophysics community
- Diversity and inclusion
- Career development
Appointments
Curriculum
Workshops and Symposium
The goal of MBTP workshops will be to have talks that emphasize problems, methods, and capabilities rather than just being another research-in-progress vehicle. Presentations with didactic material, demonstrations, or audience participation will be encouraged. Trainees are expected to attend the monthly workshops and annual symposium even after their period of support ends.
Lab Meeting Exchanges
Each trainee must present in the group meeting of another trainer once each year. The exchanges will be assigned by the Executive Committee iwth input from the trainer and trainee. The purpose of the lab meeting exchanges is for the trainees to get a fresh perspective and additional expertise in addition to building collaborations.
Career Development
MBTP trainees must complete and IDP on the myIDP site after advancing to candidacy. The IDP should be updated and discussed annually at committee meetings.
The program will also pay for each trainee to complete an assessment and interpretation session with a counselor at the Career Counseling and Support Services office after completing a Myers Briggs Type Indicator and/or Career Report.
It is a requirement of the program that the trainers agree to accommodating reasonable career development activities such as teaching experience, a graduate interdisciplinary specialization, or a summer internship.
Evaluation
Each trainee is required to submit an annual report in the form of a CV with appendix and 1 page IDP (half page each from trainer and trainee). Trainees must also give a 20 minute research-in-progress talk during the spring semester of their third year of graduate school. Upon graduation, trainees will complete a program exit interview and will then be tracked for 5 years via LinkedIn and CV updates provided upon request.
Student Organization
The Molecular Biophysics Student Organization was founded in 2017 by the inaugural MBTP trainees. The purpose of the student organization is both to provide opportunities for informal social interactions with each other and the larger molecular biophysics community and to select and invite the annual MBTP symposium speaker.
2017 Officers: Ally Langley, President; Collin Nisler, Vice President; Jonathan Kitzrow, Treasurer
2018 Officers: Kevin Walsh, President; Claire Chandler, Vice President; Daniel Cantu, Treasurer
Trainees
2017-18: Brian Caldwell, Daniel Cantu, Claire Chandler, Jonathan Kitzrow, Allyson Langley, and Collin Nisler
2018-19: Brian Caldwell, Daniel Cantu, Claire Chandler, Marissa Boyer, Antonia Duran, and Kevin Walsh