Lu Shi is a fifth year PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry at the University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding the barriers to adopting learner-centered instructional practice in STEM fields. Her dissertation examines how to develop a survey instrument to measure departmental climate around teaching and explores how it relates to instructors' use of learner-centered instructional practices.
Lu Shi completed the Foundations Series and Data Literacy PhD Plus Modules. She was a data analyst intern at Gazelle International, an organization that works with higher education leaders to create new models and initiatives that produce globally capable graduates, providing students with pathways to true international expertise.
Q. What are your post-PhD career aspirations?
I would like to be a disciplinary-based education researcher in either a tenure-track position at a university or a director of a teaching learning center.
Q. Please summarize your PhD Plus internship
I am interested in education research and processing educational data to support educational improvement. In my work as a data analyst intern, I helped the team collect data from instructors and students who attend the "CLICK" (Collaborative Learning for International Capabilities and Knowledge) class and analyzed the data to generate a report with the help of Dr. Nancy Ruther.
Q. What professional skills did you develop during your internship?
I was able to improve my communication skills by generating the annual reports for clients. Creating the report also allowed me to practice analyzing data and interpreting it for broader audiences to understand. This internship also allowed me to practice working in a virtual environment which is different from typical experience as a graduate student. It’s really important to learn how to work remotely.
Q. How did the internship support your career development?
I was interested in exploring my career options beyond tenure track positions. This internship provided me an opportunity to see what I could do with my expertise in doing disciplinary educational research.
Q. What advice would you give peers on utilizing PhD Plus internships for career development?
I would recommend this opportunity to my peers. It is a good opportunity to see what you can do with your academic training in a diverse career path. As an international student, there are rules, like applying for Curricular Practical Training (CPT), that can make applying for experiences difficult. PhD+ provided an opportunity for doing an internship without worrying about these restrictions.