Objectives of Graduate Education

in the Castleman Group

It has been said “Teach me and I will forget;  show me and I will remember;  involve me and I will understand.”  To me, these truisms are what graduate education is all about.  My objective is to work closely together with graduate students and postdoctoral research associates as an integrated team on problems at the cutting edge of science, and to do everything within my power to provide a collegial, intellectual atmosphere, and the advanced instrumentation to accomplish the goals which we set forth together.   This is a high-tech world and it is getting more so every day.  Graduate school is perhaps the only opportunity to lay the foundation needed in developing the skills which emerging Ph.D.s will find necessary in order to eventually set out on their pathways toward developing their own career goals.  It is widely recognized that the fields of cluster science and nanoscale technology are rapidly expanding and will be major thrusts of scientific inquiry and technological development as we emerge into the 21st century.  It is crucial that we tackle problems whose solution will make a real difference in science, and will receive recognition and acknowledgment by the community at large. 

Molecular cluster research provides opportunities to tackle significant problems at the forefront of science in fields including materials science, environmental chemistry, catalysis and biochemistry.  The insights and training gained during graduate school provide the experience and background necessary to undertake rewarding careers in these areas in industrial settings, at national laboratories, in major academic institutions, or in a teaching environment of a small college.

A large research group that works closely together is a powerful intellectual team, and my enthusiastic and dedicated students provide an exciting environment in which to work.  Indeed, their accomplishments have made our group world renowned in an exciting and technologically important area of research.  We interact continually through weekly group meetings and daily afternoon meetings on a rotating basis with individuals working in common areas, and we all learn from each other.  I believe that it is of utmost importance to expose my group members to leaders in their scientific field, and I encourage them to attend national and even international scientific conferences abroad in our field, as financial resources make this possible.  Finally, I accept it as my responsibility to help every team member attain his or her goals and work together with them in finding a position commensurate with their aspirations