24 4 JANUARY 2019 • VOL 363 ISSUE 6422 sciencemag.org SCIENCE
ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT NEUBECKERLETTERS
NEXTGEN VOICES
Challenging transitions
We asked young scientists these questions: Have you ever encountered
a particularly stark dif erence between an old and new position
in your education or career? What was the dif erence between the
positions, and what advice would you give to someone making
a similar transition? Here, respondents share the challenges they faced
when they took on new responsibilities and roles, changed fi elds,
or moved to new places. To others in similar situations, they advise:
Be confi dent, prepared, and patient; communicate; and always ask
for help when needed. —Jennifer Sills
Be prepared
The greatest challenge during my
transition from a teaching assistant to
an assistant professor in a large public
university was the teaching responsibil-
ity. Whereas teaching assistants focus
only on the subject matter and a small
group of students, a professor must select
textbooks, prepare syllabi, coordinate lab-
oratory experiments, teach large classes,
handle teaching assistants, manage the
course website, and accommodate athletes’
schedules and students with disabilities.
By taking courses on teaching, I devel-
oped skills in communication, evaluation
and assessment, education psychology,
academic advising, and student accommo-
dations. For me, preparation was the key
to a smooth transition.
Niluka D. Wasalathanthri
Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut,
Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
Email: [email protected]Postdocs are expected to perform as expe-
rienced researchers. This can be challenging
given the dependence of Ph.D. students
on their supervisors for scientific ideas
and experimental designs. To excel as a
postdoc, I advise thoroughly reviewing the
literature. Read the relevant papers com-
pletely, especially the methods sections.
This will greatly enhance your ability to
design your own experiment.
Syed Shan-e-Ali Zaidi
Plant Genetics Lab, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech,
University of Liège, Gembloux, 5030 Namur, Belgium.
Email: [email protected]After juggling my experiments and man-
aging a small lab of 10 members as a
graduate student, I now focus solely on
meeting the needs of a 75-person lab.
Although I work far fewer hours now, I
must work much faster in a shorter time
frame. My excellent mentors and my
management experience eased my transi-
tion. To succeed as a lab manager, I advise
others to get as much regulatory, person-
nel management, and ordering experience
as possible.
Elena Mahrt
Center for the Genetics of Host Defense,
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center,
Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
Email: [email protected]As a scientist, I could focus on research,
but my transition to a professor role
came with new responsibilities. Instead
of simply reading a publication to plan
new experiments, I now read with an eye
toward how to explain the concepts to a
student. A scientist might manage a group
of 5 to 10 researchers, whereas a teacherINSIGHTS
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