Project Management Essentials for STEM PhDs
In this two-session workshop, STEM PhD students and postdocs will be introduced to the fundamentals of project management and how these concepts can be applied directly to their research. The session will provide a toolkit of practical approaches, terminology, and processes drawn from established project management standards. Participants will learn how to use these tools to plan and organize their own projects more effectively and to collaborate productively as part of larger research teams.
You are encouraged to bring your laptop or tablet to each session. This workshop is designed to be participatory and conversational, and attendance at all sessions is strongly encouraged.
Series Details
- Dates: Nov 18 and 20, 4:00-6:00 PM
- Course Capacity: Limited to 20 participants
- Who: STEM PhD students and postdocs.
Schedule
- November 18: Project Management Fundamentals
- November 20: Research Project Management
Instructors
Rachel Harris, PhD
Technical Project Management, Argonne National Laboratory
Dr. Rachel Harris joined Argonne National Laboratory in 2023 as the Technical Project Manager (TPM) for Chain Reaction Innovations, an entrepreneurial fellowship program. Prior to Argonne, Rachel held various industry R&D roles in formulation and materials science capability development. Her research expertise spans a uniquely wide variety of projects and business sectors – from improving fuel economy in the transportation industry through corrosion protection to enabling a suite of digital products for color styling. In addition to her certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP), Rachel holds a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh, and she earned her Ph.D. in chemistry from Northwestern University as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. In 2021, Rachel was named a STEP Ahead Emerging Leader by the Manufacturing Institute.
Elahe Ganji, PhD,
Associate Director, myCHOICE at UChicagoGRAD
Dr. Elahe Ganji earned her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware and completed postdoctoral training at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, where she conducted interdisciplinary research bridging engineering and biomedicine. A certified project manager through the University of Chicago’s Professional Education program, Dr. Ganji applies project management principles to the design and delivery of career development programs for STEM PhD students and postdoctoral scholars.