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Giving physics students options

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  Giving physics students options Sam Wormley <swormley1@gmail.com> - 2015-11-12 11:31 -0600
    Re: Giving physics students options benj <none@gmail.com> - 2015-11-12 14:01 -0500
    Re: Giving physics students options jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2015-11-12 19:15 +0000

#532343 — Giving physics students options

Giving physics students options
> http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/giving-physics-students-options


> Many physics degree programs excel at preparing students for an
> academic career, but more than half of those who complete the
> programs head to industry instead

> “I was drawn to physics because I thought it was amazing,” says
> Crystal Bailey, recalling the beginnings of her graduate work in the
> early 2000s. “There’s a sense of wonder that we’re really
> understanding something fundamental and elegant about the universe.”
>
> But when she decided that an academic career path wasn’t right for
> her, she left her degree program. Bailey assumed, like many physics
> students, that the purpose of earning a physics degree is to remain
> in academia. In fact, statistics describe a different reality.
>
> The American Institute of Physics states that roughly half of those
> who enter the workforce with a degree in physics—either a bachelor’s,
> master’s or doctorate—work in the private sector.
>
> In an AIP survey of PhD recipients who had earned their degrees the
> previous year, 64 percent of respondents who identified their jobs as
> potentially permanent positions were working in industry.
>
> Institutions in the United States currently grant around 1700 physics
> PhDs each year, though only about 350 academic faculty positions
> become available in that time, according to the AIP.
>
> Most university physics programs are rooted in academic tradition,
> and some members of the physics community have expressed concern that
> not enough emphasis is placed on preparing students for potential
> jobs in industry. Among these members are the professors and students
> in three physics programs that are bucking this trend, taking a
> decidedly different approach to prepare aspiring physicists for what
> awaits beyond graduation.


-- 

sci.physics is an unmoderated newsgroup dedicated
to the discussion of physics, news from the physics
community, and physics-related social issues.

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#532395

On 11/12/2015 12:31 PM, Sam Wormley wrote:
> Giving physics students options
>> http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/giving-physics-students-options
>
>
>> Many physics degree programs excel at preparing students for an
>> academic career, but more than half of those who complete the
>> programs head to industry instead
>
>> “I was drawn to physics because I thought it was amazing,” says
>> Crystal Bailey, recalling the beginnings of her graduate work in the
>> early 2000s. “There’s a sense of wonder that we’re really
>> understanding something fundamental and elegant about the universe.”
>>
>> But when she decided that an academic career path wasn’t right for
>> her, she left her degree program. Bailey assumed, like many physics
>> students, that the purpose of earning a physics degree is to remain
>> in academia. In fact, statistics describe a different reality.
>>
>> The American Institute of Physics states that roughly half of those
>> who enter the workforce with a degree in physics—either a bachelor’s,
>> master’s or doctorate—work in the private sector.
>>
>> In an AIP survey of PhD recipients who had earned their degrees the
>> previous year, 64 percent of respondents who identified their jobs as
>> potentially permanent positions were working in industry.
>>
>> Institutions in the United States currently grant around 1700 physics
>> PhDs each year, though only about 350 academic faculty positions
>> become available in that time, according to the AIP.
>>
>> Most university physics programs are rooted in academic tradition,
>> and some members of the physics community have expressed concern that
>> not enough emphasis is placed on preparing students for potential
>> jobs in industry. Among these members are the professors and students
>> in three physics programs that are bucking this trend, taking a
>> decidedly different approach to prepare aspiring physicists for what
>> awaits beyond graduation.

Actually this is an interesting article for a change.

I presume they are including all government positions (Like Fermilab) in 
the term "industry". In fact, one also must include government funded 
jobs in "industry" as well.

So the division is between academia or "teaching" and other work.

In the old days science was largely the domain of academia. A Ph.D. 
became a professor, and was paid to teach students but also would have 
his/her own interests that would be pursued. Tenure protected the 
freedom to pursue whatever subjects interested the professor and funding 
tended to be minimal.

The atomic bomb changed all that. Today, government funds science. 
Government even funds research in academia. And since government is 
paying the piper, they call the tune. Tenure is no longer any protection 
against censorship of subject. (As the cold fusion story demonstrated) 
Virtually all research is controlled by tugging at the money strings and 
certainly all MAJOR project requiring large funding (like accelerators 
etc) are strictly under government control. The days of James Clerk 
Maxwell sitting at his desk with a pen and pad of paper and 
revolutionizing the world seem mostly long gone.

Real industrial jobs tend to be applied since the company must in the 
end sell stuff to survive. Quasi-industry jobs are those projects in 
private industry but funded by government. Clearly none provide the 
freedom to choose research topics that the old tenure system provided. 
All are controlled by the money spigot.

But while all this is depressing, the good news is that such control 
does not put an end to human research. And that is because all great 
research starts between the ears! No funding beyond the grocery store is 
needed for that! Control of that must come from different directions. In 
such case it would be through ridicule, threats to your employment and 
censorship of any attempted publications in significant journals. Ask 
HVAC for more details.

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  /:/\:\ \:|__| /:/\:\ \:\__\ /:/ |:| /\__\ \:\/:/  /
  \:\~\:\/:/  / \:\~\:\ \/__/ \/__|:|/:/  /  \::/  /
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     \::/__/       \:\__\         /:/  /
      ~~            \/__/         \/__/

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#532410

Sam Wormley <swormley1@gmail.com> wrote:
> Giving physics students options
>> http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/giving-physics-students-options
> 
> 
>> Many physics degree programs excel at preparing students for an
>> academic career, but more than half of those who complete the
>> programs head to industry instead
> 
>> ?I was drawn to physics because I thought it was amazing,? says
>> Crystal Bailey, recalling the beginnings of her graduate work in the
>> early 2000s. ?There?s a sense of wonder that we?re really
>> understanding something fundamental and elegant about the universe.?
>>
>> But when she decided that an academic career path wasn?t right for
>> her, she left her degree program. Bailey assumed, like many physics
>> students, that the purpose of earning a physics degree is to remain
>> in academia. In fact, statistics describe a different reality.
>>
>> The American Institute of Physics states that roughly half of those
>> who enter the workforce with a degree in physics?either a bachelor?s,
>> master?s or doctorate?work in the private sector.
>>
>> In an AIP survey of PhD recipients who had earned their degrees the
>> previous year, 64 percent of respondents who identified their jobs as
>> potentially permanent positions were working in industry.
>>
>> Institutions in the United States currently grant around 1700 physics
>> PhDs each year, though only about 350 academic faculty positions
>> become available in that time, according to the AIP.
>>
>> Most university physics programs are rooted in academic tradition,
>> and some members of the physics community have expressed concern that
>> not enough emphasis is placed on preparing students for potential
>> jobs in industry. Among these members are the professors and students
>> in three physics programs that are bucking this trend, taking a
>> decidedly different approach to prepare aspiring physicists for what
>> awaits beyond graduation.
 
Physics has never been a hot job path. 

-- 
Jim Pennino

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