Professional Development Opportunities & Resources

Purdue OGSPS Resources

 The OGSPS’S Office of Professional Development has many resources to support students preparing for the job market, including workshops, online resources, academic competitions, and innovative community engagement programs. For example, the OGSPS hosts several events that provide opportunities to develop public speaking skills, such as the annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, Say it In Six (6) Competition, and InnovatED Research Magazine. Information on this and related events is regularly communicated by the OGSPS over email – but also check out the Find Workshops page to sign up for events each semester (see OGSPS Calendar of Events).

Participation in Professional Conferences/Workshops

Most students choose to attend the Ohio Valley Entomological Association (OVEA) meeting in October and/or the ESA (Entomological Society of America) national meeting in November and/or ESA North Central Branch meeting in March each year to give either a talk or poster presentation. Attendance is highly encouraged but should be discussed with your advisor. You are also encouraged to participate in some of the disciplinary conferences (e.g., ecology, molecular biology, pest management) that are specific to your graduate research topic or study organism, as well as local events such as the annual meeting of the Indiana Academy of Sciences. This provides opportunities to connect with non-entomology scientists who may be highly interested in your findings. The department offers travel support to enable students to attend professional conferences each year, including Entomology Travel Awards (typically $500 per student) and the Elanco Animal Health Graduate Research Award (typically $1000 per student).

Awards

There are a number of internal (Purdue) and external (society) awards that students can apply or be nominated for. We strongly encourage students to pursue these opportunities as appropriate. Internally, Purdue Entomology gives out three awards each year for Outstanding MS student, Outstanding PhD student, and Outstanding Service. In addition, the department has the Virginia Ferris Memorial Endowment graduate student research award which is intended to support graduate research and leadership development and recognizes a female graduate student considered an emerging leader in their field of academic study.  The Gary Bennett Award given annually to a Purdue University Graduate Student in Urban and Industrial Pest Management to support the strategic initiatives of the program.

Similarly, the College of Agriculture gives out awards in several areas, including teaching and mentoring excellence. Nomination procedures and due dates on Purdue-specific award opportunities will be communicated over email throughout the year.

The Entomological Society of America gives out several student awards annually at both the national and branch levels. These include travel awards, activity awards, and the John Henry Comstock award given to an outstanding graduate student in each branch (based on scientific quality of research, publications and presentations, and involvement in professional activities). These are typically solicited between April and June; however, please consult ESA websites for specific due dates and nomination requirements.

Fellowships

Students can receive fellowships, which are competitive and awarded to the individual based on their accomplishments. Purdue offers several recruiting fellowships (e.g., Ross, Andrews, Knox, Carver) that are allocated to students during the application process (i.e., prior to their arrival on campus). In this case, the student’s future advisor is the one who submits the application. Some international students also arrive at Purdue with fellowships from their home country or through organizations promoting international relations such as the Fulbright Program. However, students can apply for fellowships themselves during their degree program. These include:

Bilsland Fellowship: These are provided by the OGSPS at Purdue to fund the final 4-12 months of a PhD student’s degree (MS students are ineligible). The grad chair sends out a call in the spring semester with information on how to apply. PhD students must have advanced to candidacy (i.e., passed their prelim exam) to be eligible.

Outside Fellowships: There are dozens of potential fellowships funded by companies, private foundations, and government agencies to support graduate studies. The grad school maintains a database of opportunities here. However, the two most relevant ones for entomology students are:

Both of these fellowships are offered to students early in their degree programs (first year or two) so we encourage you to not wait, if interested.

Student Grants

There are a limited number of small grants that students can apply for to either support their research or travel to present at scientific conferences. These opportunities, including those offered via the Purdue OGSPS and some choice external funding options (e.g., Sigma Xi) are nicely summarized here. Many students fail to take advantage of these opportunities. This is a mistake. Our students are highly competitive for these grants, but only if they choose to apply. In addition to providing the necessary funding to conduct your research project, they are also viewed highly by future employers on student CVs.