Seminars

Abstract: Getting a graduate degree in engineering is full of challenges: obtaining funding, taking graduate courses, passing one or more make-or-break qualifying exams, presenting at conferences, writing multiple (accepted!) peer-reviewed journal articles, and finally writing and defending your dissertation, just to name a few! Feel those wonderful stress hormones flowing?

So how do you navigate all these obstacles? Listen to your elders! Well, at least collect some actionable advice from someone that managed to successfully slog through the entirety of a challenging engineering PhD program. I like to think I'm not too elderly yet.

Some other topics we'll cover: establishing good work habits, how to find good research topics, research tools and implementation tips, and how to "manage up" your advisor. And yes, your advisor will love being managed.

Bio: Corwin Olson is a Research Associate at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of several journal articles in the fields of astrodynamics and spacecraft navigation. He received his Bachelor's, Master’s, and PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and was a NASA Space Technology Research Fellow during his PhD program. He performed navigation and mission design analysis for the NASA Magnetospheric Multi-Scale mission, and trained numerous NASA astronauts while working in the Training Division of NASA's Johnson Space Center. He can be reached at CorwinOlson.com.