2023 Sigma Xience

Join us for an immersive, four-day, virtual workshop featuring award-winning scientists, communicators, and Sigma Xi leaders.  Acquire the tools and resources you need to become a successful scientist!

Sigma Xience is a virtual workshop series designed for undergraduate students, graduate students, and young professionals. The inaugural Sigma Xience will take place March 21–24, 2023. The immersive program will feature scientists and field leaders providing participants with research career skills, coaching, and valuable resources that are not typically acquired through their standard academic programs. 

Meet the Hosts:

• Tamara Poles (Host)
  Director of Programs
  Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
• Dr. Susanna Harris (Moderator and Co-host)
CEO and Chair
PhD Balance

Tuesday, March 21

12–2 p.m. ET

• Dr. Susanna Harris (Moderator)
CEO and Chair
PhD Balance
• Dr. Greeshma Gadikota 
Assistant Professor and Croll Sesquicentennial Fellow
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University

• Dr. Lola Eniola-Adefeso 
University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering; Associate Dean for Graduate and Professional Education
University of Michigan, College of Engineering 
• Dr. Robert T. Pennock 
University Distinguished Professor
Michigan State University     
• Dr.Marija Strojnik
Distinguished Full Professor, Optical Research Center
President-elect, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society

• How to choose advisors
• How to manage stress
• How to keep going when you feel like quitting and know that it is normal to feel that way
• How science is funded
  • Foundation vs. Federal grants
  • Tips to apply
  • Examples
  • Grants in Aid of Research (GIAR)

Wednesday, March 22

12–2 p.m. ET

• Dr. Jeffrey Toney;
Visiting Professor/Professor Emeritus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Kean University 

Thursday, March 23

12–2 p.m. ET

• Dr. Eman Ghanem
Team Science Pilot Program Officer 
Duke University School of Medicine

• Stacey Lutkoski
Managing Editor
American Scientist magazine

Friday, March 24

12–2 p.m. ET

Panel discussion: What can I do with a PhD in science? 

This session will explore career paths for people with advanced science degrees, featuring expert insight from representatives of private industry, academia, non-profit, and engagement.

Meet the Panelists:

• Dr. Susanna Harris (Moderator)
CEO and Chair
PhD Balance
• Dr. Julie Horvath 
Lab Head/Research Associate Professor
NC Museum of Natural Sciences/NCCU 

• Dr. Antonio Baines
Associate Professor
NC Central University
UNC-Chapel Hill 
• Dr. Richard Boudreault
Adjunct Professor
École Polytechnique in Montreal (ÉPM)    
• Dr. Jamie Vernon
Executive Director and CEO
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society