What's the PhDeal?
On May 02, after the last day of the spring semester, we hosted an event called ‘What’s the PhDeal?’ The event aimed to provide information to undergraduate and master’s students on pursuing a PhD program. The goal was to provide a platform for students to ask questions and seek clarifications, share insights and experiences from current graduate students, and inform students about the opportunities and resources available for graduate students at CMU. Another goal was to introduce them to our team and talk about some of the events that the CMU INFORMS student chapter does. The event consisted of a panel of graduate students and a faculty speaker who answered questions about pursuing a PhD. The agenda for the event was as follows:
- Introduction by Satyam Verma, which included welcome and introductions, an overview of INFORMS, and an overview of the meeting agenda.
- Faculty Presentation by Fatma Kilinc-Karzan, which included an overview of doctoral programs in OR/OM/ACO, requirements and expectations of PhD students, tips on how to start exploring research, and an overview of funding options and support services available for graduate students at CMU.
- Graduate Student Presentations by Savannah Tang and Rudy Zhou, which included specific details on OR, OM and ACO, and their experiences pursuing a graduate degree. They also discussed career opportunities in their field.
- Overview of the application process by Vrishabh Patil, which included finding the right program, how to prepare for the application process, and the general timeline of applying to PhD programs.
All in all, the event was very successful and we hope our audience found it to be helpful. Thanks everyone for presenting!
