Workshop: IMA Career Workshop: Connecting Women in Mathematical Sciences to Industry Dates: September 8-10, 2000 Organizers: Rosemary E. Chang Coastcom Suzanne Lenhart University of Tennessee, Knoxville Margaret H. Wright Bell Laboratories, Lucent Total number of comments: 20 Statistics on comment on content Very good xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxx Fair x Poor Other/Nocomment: Statistics on comment on logistics Very good xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxx Fair Poor Other/Nocomment: x Overview of comments:The vast majority of comments were very positive both about logistics and content. Some in fact were exceptionally laudatory, speaking for example of "life changing" experiences at the workshop. The only faint criticism was of some of the breakout groups. Participants uniformly felt the workshop was valuable, many exceptionally so. Selected comments Content:The workshop was excellent. The technical presentations were interesting and well done. The personal insights were enormously helpful. Workshop Content: I greatly appreciated this Workshop! While I had considered working in Industry prior to coming, it was fantastic to talk with such successful women who had made the transition from academia, and learn concrete steps one could take to begin the shift. In particular, I was struck by how the applications of the mathematics was so varied. This workshop may well have changed my life: I now know where I am going professionally, and how to get there from here. I made some wonderful contacts, and got vital career advice from them. I learned that it isn't too late to switch tracks, that opportunities exist and most importantly how to find them. The one part of the workshop that didn't help me was the break-out group discussions. Perhaps in future workshops you could give all the participants a list of the questions, and divide the senior participants more equitably among the groups (out of the 12 speakers and/or panelists, my group had only 1). I thought that the research and career content of the workshop was great. I learned about some possible career opportunities and got a chance to meet some people that gave me some research and career pointers. This was an great workshop! I made several contacts and have a new perspective on my own career. I have a much more global sense of the places mathematicians work and ways they contribute to our society -- too often in the academic environment we think Universities are it! There is some really exciting mathematics being done in industry. The workshop offered new and very useful information. I really have a clear picture of how industrial mathematics works and what it takes to partake such a career. I am very excited about the information I received. The most useful pieces of information involved how to market myself better. I am interested in attending modeling workshops and more seminars. I now know that as I am working on my degree, I am being trained in scientific thinking. It is important that I remain flexible to new ideas and also be resourceful. Another useful part of the seminar involved tactics on how to balance family and career. I was relieved to hear that I can be exactly who I am and not worry about fitting in with the male majority. I have made a number of contacts and am very greatful for the opportunity to attend the seminar. It truly changed my life! Logistics: Yes, it was satisfactory. Also, staff were helpful too. The logisitic support was ideal from my point of view. I was quite impressed with the ease of making arrangements for travel and lodging, despite the fact that I was a last minute addition. Each member of the staff whom I met was exceedingly helpful. I particularly liked having internet access while I was in Minneapolis. The logistics worked out well. It was nice to be staying at the hotel right next to the U of M campus and near the IMA. I thought the IMA staff was very helpful and friendly. I appreciated being able to use e-mail and the computers while I was at the IMA. I hope this will continue for future workshops. I don't have any suggestions as to how things could be improved for the future, because they were done so well this time! EXCELLENT -- The IMA is a class act! IMA planning of the workshop was fabulous... everything went so smoothly, I was almost never confused as to where to go or what I was supposed to be doing (except when I couldn't tell where we were supposed to enter the alumni center). The food was good, and the temporary computer accounts were an unexpected bonus. You can bet if I get a chance to come to the IMA for another workshop, I will!