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1.

Whatisthemostchallengingthingaboutyourjob

Balancing/managingtimecommitments.Mostpeoplethinkthatuniversityprofessorsare
teachers.Thisisabout1/3trueataresearchuniversitylikeNCState.Therestofourtimeis
spentwritingproposalsandpapers,preparingfor/attendingmeetings,developingnewwaysto
benefitourinstitution/profession,and,believeitornot,thinking.Newideasdon'talwaysjust
landinone'slap...theyaretheresultofdeepthinking/lengthydiscussionsthatoftenrequirelarge
uninterruptedblocksoftime.

2.Whatisthefavoritepartofyourjob

Watchingastudentcometocomprehendaconceptthatproveddifficultatfirst.

3.Whatistheaveragesalaryrangeofforapersonenteringthefield.Whatisthelongterm
range

Dependingonthediscipline,assistantprofessorsinengineeringnormallystartinthe$8090k
rangeandprogressuptothe$130170krange.

4.Whatisthebestwaytogetajobinthefield

EarnaPh.D.,pursueapostdoc,publishandpresent(toensurevisibility)one'sresearch,and
prayforanopening.Somepeoplespendalimitedamountoftimeinindustryoratanational
laboratoryforaddedexperience.Foreachopenpositionwehave,wetypicallyreceiveover200
wellqualifiedapplicants.

5.Whatistheminimaleducationrequiredtoenterthefield.Whatistherecommended
education.

Minimum:Ph.D.Recommended:seeabove.

6.Whataretherecommendcourseforhighschool.

Itreallydependsonthefieldofinterest.Certainly,oneneedsastellarundergraduaterecordtogo
ontograduateschooltoearnthePh.D.Thismeansdoingwellinallthegeneraleducation
courses,andsoIwouldrecommendtakingallthescienceandmathematicscoursesthatare
typicalinahighschoolcurriculum.Advancedplacementandinternationalbaccalaureatecourses
arethebestchoices.

7.Whataretheaveragecareerqualification

I'munsurewhatyoumeanhere.Toachievetherankofprofessor,oneneedstostartatthe
assistantlevelandthengetpromoted(withtenure)totheassociatelevel.Anotherpromotionis
neededtoachievetherankoffullprofessor.Thefirstpromotionisthemostdifficultandmany
donotpassthehurdleandleavetheuniversity.Itrequiressolidevidenceofdevelopingastrong
researchprogram,coupledwithexcellentteachingandservicetotheuniversityandone's
profession.Thesecondpromotionrequiresaninternationallyrenownscholarlyreputation.

8.Howisthefieldgrowingandbyhowmuch

Despiteissuesregardingreductionsinstatelevelappropriations,stateresearchuniversities
continuetogrow,whereassmall,teachingonlyuniversities/collegesaresufferingfromfinancial
shortcomings.Ican'tsaypreciselyhowmuch,butsuccessfulprograms(e.g.,engineering)
continuetoflourish.

9.Whatarethemostinterestingadvancementsinthefield

Inmyfield,stimuliresponsiveandfunctionalsoftmaterialsare,Ibelieve,themostinteresting
scientific/technologicaladvances.Suchmaterialsareoftenmechanicallyrobustandcanservein
awidevarietyofubiquitousapplicationswithoutaddingsignificantweight.

10.Whoarethemostimportantcompaniesinthefield

ThemajorindustrialplayersinmyfieldofresearchwouldbeExxonMobil,Dow,DowCorning,
BASF,DSM,DuPont,Eastman,Michelin,Kraton,andKuraray.

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