“Time management for graduate students”
Selma Mededovic Thagard
Abstract
Effective time management is essential for graduate students to excel academically and professionally, yet it is a soft skill that is rarely taught explicitly. Many programs assume that students will develop these abilities on their own; however, few succeed in doing so, despite the abundance of online tips. Although I do not claim to be a time management expert, my experience as a faculty member has pushed me to explore a variety of strategies through extensive reading and personal experimentation. In this talk, I share the approaches that have worked for me and offer practical examples to help graduate students improve their productivity and maintain a sustainable balance in their studies. My approach may not work for everyone, but I hope it serves as an inspirational starting point for developing personalized time management skills. This talk is intended for anyone interested in time management, including undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs and early career faculty.
Monday, 2/24/2025 at 2:30 pm
CAMP 194
Selma Mededovic Thagard is the Richard and Helen March professor of chemical engineering at Clarkson University. Her expertise is in electrical discharge plasma processes and plasma reactor design with a focus on environmental remediation. Thagard has co-authored over 70 peer reviewed journal articles and has successfully supervised research projects from industrial sources and State and Federal Agencies. Thagard serves on the Editorial Boards of Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing and Plasma Sources Science and Technology. She is an Associate Editor of Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy. Thagard is a co-founder of DMAX Plasma, Inc., a company specializing in the development of cutting-edge electrical discharge plasma reactors designed to destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water. She is also a mother of two children, aged 5 and 12, who shape her daily schedule.