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Academic Careers in Transportation

Joseph L. Schofer

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

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The University• University mission: produce,

disseminate knowledge through– Research– Teaching– Service

• Research is paramount– It’s learning, Exploring, Problem

solving• Examples

– Models to predict trip making – Durable bridge materials– Optimal intersection control– Strategies for rapid incident

clearance• In universities…

– All teachers are researchers– Most researchers are teachers

Why does it happen? What to Do? Why do it?

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Career Options• Student (best job)

– Self investing– BS, MS, PhD– But it’s temporary!

• Professor (next best)– Independence– Multi-tasking

• Teaching, research, management

• Full-time researcher (close 3rd)– Some institutions have these

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What Do Students Do?

• Classes

• Hands-on learning: research – Graduate school is different

– MS: professional work

– PhD: research, teaching

– Arms and legs for research

– High expectations

• Fun stuff, too…

Students: build knowledge & skills for next career phase

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Professors’ Work• Teaching

– Classroom, mentoring, coaching

• Research– Discover new ideas– Solve important problems

• Grantsmanship– Find money to do the job

• Disseminate the results– Write, publish– Travel, speak

• Manage research teams• Manage universities • Time flexibility

– “It’s vacation time… now I can work!”

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Research/Academic Career Requires...

1. Interest in the field – commitmenta) Technology-society interface

b) Solving real problems

2. Problem solving skillsa) Quantitative and qualitative

analytics

3. Communications skills

4. Interest in human developmenta) Helping other people grow

1, 2 & 3 important for the field; 4 is essential for academic career

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Path to Becoming a Professor

• Ph.D.– B.S. + 4-6 years– Independent research

• Practice, skill building

• What does it take?– Commitment (interest!)

• Work hard, dig deeply

– Domain knowledge– Analytic skills (tools)– Communication skills

• Writing, speaking

– Independence of thought

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Rewards?

• Learning new stuff– Discovery

• Teaching & mentoring– Coaching

• Variety & flexibility

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Payoff• New ideas• Solutions

– Useful ideas– Tools– Technologies– Materials

• Trained professionals• The legacy

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Questions?