Each academic year after the candidacy exam (via a staggered schedule to be created by the graduate office), students will be required to prepare a 1 page executive summary of research progress to date since the last examination.  Beyond research, this document should also include an “individual development plan” discussing future plans and strategies for personal and career development (approximately ¼ of the page).  In addition, students will be required to complete the PhD update form, documenting research papers, presentations, awards, conference proceedings, etc. earned to date in the program.  Both of these documents will be provided to committee members.  Students will meet with all committee members (either as a group or individually) to discuss annual progress and sign-off on PhD update form (typically <45 minutes).  GSC Committee members will assess the performance of the student based on the PhD update form in the form of “making excellent progress”, “making satisfactory progress” and “needs improvement”.  We expect that most students will be assessed as “making satisfactory progress”.  The PI and committee will communicate concerns and suggestions to the student.  These signed documents will be provided to the graduate office.

Forms and additional information will be forthcoming.

Resources for creating an effective Executive Summary

Abstracts and Executive Summaries, Engineering Communication Program, University of Toronto, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Writing the Executive Summary, Effective Writing Center, University of Maryland-University College

Executive Summaries, CSU Writing Guide, Colorado State University

Guidelines for Writing an Executive Summary, Plant Science Center

• in addition to be a good resource for writing the executive summary, this document cites a great style guide The Elements of Style, co-written by none other than E.B. White, the author of Charlotte's Web. 

Resources for creating an Individualized Development Plan

Organized in the order of how I would recommend you learn about creating an IDP

Individual Development Plan Resources, Graduate School, UW-Madison

• A good overview of the goals and benefits of creating an IDP. Watch the video and read the tips.

My IDP, Science Careers, American Association for the Advancement of Science

• Probably the most applicable IDP self-assessment tool for Texas ChE grad students (and it's free!).

Mentoring Resources, Graduate Mentoring Guidebook, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Although these are actually worksheets to draw the most out of a mentoring relationship, they will help you think through your strategy for thriving during and after graduate school

Individual Development Plan, Department of Science, Purdue College of Science

• A worksheet designed to help you create your IDP.

Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend: On Being a Mentor to Students in Science and Engineering, National Academy Press (1997)

• I recommend chapters 3 & 4. While quite outdated and geared towards faculty, this resource is a fast read and can help you better understand some of the broader skills you need to develop during a graduate program.

S.G. Brainard and L. Ailes-Sengers, "Mentoring Female Engineering Students: A Model Program at the University of Washington," Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 1 (1994): 123-135

• Also geared towards faculty, this article, though old, can help to articulate some of the specific needs of women in the program.

Barbara E. Lovitts, Making the Implicit Explicit: Creating Performance Expectations for the Dissertation (Sterling, VA: Stylus), 2007.

• This is a great resource for understanding a generalized faculty expectations. Available in the Grad Office Library!