• Due 30 Aug 2021 — Homework #1 Concept Visualization
• Due 8 Sep 2021 — Homework #2 Annotated Diagram
• Due 15 Sep 2021 — Homework #3 Figure Description Document
• Due 22 Sep 2021 — Homework #4 Presentations
• Due 4 Oct 2021 — Homework #5 Literature Search
• Due 11 Oct 2021 — Homework #6 Disclose an Invention
  • Invention Disclosure Form
• Due 25 Oct 2021 — MIDTERM EXAM — Write a Letters Paper
• Due 1 Nov 2021 — Homework #7 Branding
• Due 8 Nov 2021 — Homework #8 Research Poster
• Due 8 Dec 2021 — FINAL EXAM Part 1 — Write a Research Proposal
• FINAL EXAM Part 2 — Present Your Research Proposal
  • +20% if you present on 29 November 2021
  • +10% if you present on 1 December 2021
  • +0% if you present on 8 December 2021

Course Notes

• Professional Graphics for STEM
  • (PDF) (Video) Lecture — Introduction to Generating Professional Graphics
  • (PDF) (Video) Lecture — Graphical Design Concepts
  • (Video) Guest Lecture — Poster Design
• Generating Professional Graphics with MATLAB
  • (Video) MATLAB Session — Introduction to MATLAB Graphics, the get() & set() commands
  • (Video) MATLAB Session — 1D Graphics
  • (Video) MATLAB Session — 2D Graphics
• (PDF) Lecture — 3D Graphics

External Information

• (Video) Making Fantastic Scientific Figures
• (Web) Top Ten Worst Graphics

Blender Download and Documentation

• Blender.org — Software and documentation.
• Documentation & Tutorials
  • Blender 2.93 Reference Manual
  • First Steps with Blender
  • (Web) (YouTube) Blender Guru

MATLAB Download

• UTEP Download
• MATLAB Documentation
  • (Link) (Video) Getting Started with MATLAB
  • (Link) – MATLAB Documentation

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Writing

Web Resources

• Writing Resources
  • Duke Graduate School Scientific Writing Resource
  • Publish or Perish
• Math Equation Formatting
  • How to Format Math and Equations

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Presentations
• (Video) Purple Presentation — Fractional Derivatives & Fractional Fourier Transforms
  The notes for these courses are poor examples of slides solely intended for presentation.  Instead, they are intended for students to read and follow independently.  Here is a short presentation explaining very difficult concepts with very simple slides, minimal use of text, and good visuals to make the concepts intuitive.  The purple background is for fun and to demonstrate creating slides with a matching color scheme.  Unfortunately, the recording does not convey how the presenter makes himself the focus of attention and keeps eye contact with the audience.

Web Resources

• How to Give a Great Scientific Talk (Nature)
• Nine Simple and Effective Public Speaking Tips for Scientists (Scientifica)
• Speaking Science: Five Tips for Talking About Your Work
• Why You Need to Use Plane Language When Presenting

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Teaching

Web Resources

• 10 Tips for First-Time Teaching Assistants
• Top Ten Tips for Being an Effective Teaching Assistant
• Drexel’s Manual “The Effective Teaching Assistant”
• How Should a Professor Be?
• Six Things That Make College Teachers Successful
• Effective Strategies for Improving College Teaching and Learning
• 10 Teaching Tips for the New College Instructor

Open-Source Software

• Octave — Scientific programming language
• Blender — 3D modeling, animations, and rendering
• GIMP — Image manipulation program
• Inkscape — Vector graphics
• Scribus — Desktop publishing
• Libre Office — Word processing, spreadsheet, presentations, diagrams, formula editor and more.

Graphics Resources

• dafont.com — Free fonts
• Unsplash — Freely usable images
• OpenClipart — Open source clipart
• Poly Haven — Public 3D asset library, including HDRI images
• coolors — fast color scheme generator

Web Resources

• LaTex Equation Editor — Write and experiment with LaTex equations
• latex2png — Convert a LaTex equation to a PNG graphics file
• EZGIF.COM — Convert other formats to GIF

• Checklist For Graphics And Diagrams
• Checklist For Technical Writing
• Checklist For Presentations

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Choosing a Research  Topic
• (PDF) Lecture — Choosing a Research Mentor/Advisor

Choosing a Research Topic

• How to Choose a Dissertation Topic for your Doctoral Degree
• Fool Proof Tips for Finding PhD Research Topics
• How to  Choose a PhD Research Topic

Choosing a Research Advisor

• Seven steps to finding the right advisor
• What matters in a Ph.D. advisor?  Here’s what the research says
• The PhD journey: how to choose a good supervisor

Other Resources

• The Academic Family Tree

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Literature Searching & Reading

How to Perform a Literature Review

• How to do an effective literature search in 5 steps
• How to search effectively
• Literature Review: Conducting & Writing
• Conducting a successful literature search: A researcher’s guided to tools, terms and techniques
• Literature Review: Outline, Strategies, and Examples

How to Read a Scientific/Engineering Paper

• How to READ a Scientific Paper
• How to read and understand a scientific paper
• Art of reading a journal article

Web Resources

• UTEP Library Search
• Google Scholar
• IEEE Xplore
• Optical Society of America
• SPIE The International Society for Optics & Photonics
• APS Physics

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Proposing Your Research
• (PDF) Lecture — Defending Your Research

Templates

• (PDF) Committee Member Invitation Message
• (MS Word) Research Proposal Document Template
• (MS PowerPoint) Research Proposal Presentation Template
• (MS PowerPoint) Defense Presentation Template
• (PDF) (Zipped MS Publisher) Defense Flyer

Web Resources

• 10 Ways to Successfully Defend Your PhD
• How to defend a PhD remotely
• How To: Defend Your Dissertation (Like a Superstar) in 10 Easy Steps

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Science & Research
• (PDF) Lecture — Time Management & Planning

The Scientific Method

• Scientific Method (Wikipedia)
• The Scientific Method (Khan Academy)
• What is Science?

Design of Experiments

• Design of Experiments (Wikipedia)
• MoreSteam DOE
• Khan Academy

Time Management

• Time Management Tips for PhD Students
• 10 Tried and tested time management tips for researchers
• Taking Control of Your PhD: Time Management

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Dissemination of Research

Publications & Peer Review Process

• The Peer Review Process (Elsevier)
• IEEE Resources & Tools for Authors

Scientific Posters

• How to Make an Effective Poster (UC Davis)

Web Resources

• Ten Simple Rules for Innovative Dissemination of Research (NIH)
• Publish or Perish

Templates

• (MS Word) Peer-Review Response Letter Template
  Note the lack of formatting in this letter.  For some journals you can upload a formatted document, but in others you must copy/paste unformatted text.  This template is convenient because it works for both cases.

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Psychological Aspects of Graduate School

Web Resources

• (Web) UTEP Counseling & Psychological Services
• (YouTube) How to cope with anxiety
• (Part 1) (Part 2) Depression, anxiety, and stress in graduate school
• (YouTube) How to cope with PhD impostor syndrome
• Resources for your significant other
  • Survival Tips for the Spouses of Grad Students
  • Five Ways to Help Your Marriage Thrive During Grad School
  • Dating a PhD Student: A Survival Guide

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Learning Strategies

Web Resources

• Study Tips for Graduate School
• How to Study in Graduate School Vs. College

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Data Management

Web Resources

• Managing Your Data: Project Start & End Checklists
• ezDMP — online tool to help you build the Data Management Plans for your NSF grant applications
• Guidelines for Effective Data Management Plans
• Data Management Plan Resources & Examples
• Wikipedia Data Management Plans

Course Notes

• (Video) Guest Lecture — Ethics & Responsible Conduct (Part 1)
• (Video) Guest Lecture — Ethics & Responsible Conduct (Part 2)

Authorship

• Let’s Clarify Authorship on Scientific Papers

Misconduct Examples

• UT Austin Student Fakes Data
• Paper Retractions

Course Notes

• (Video) Guest Lecture — Ethics & Responsible Conduct (Part 1)
• (Video) Guest Lecture — Ethics & Responsible Conduct (Part 2)

Authorship

• Let’s Clarify Authorship on Scientific Papers

Misconduct Examples

• UT Austin Student Fakes Data
• Paper Retractions

Course Notes

• (PDF) (Video) Lecture — Schedule for the Last Semester of Your PhD

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — General Advice for Graduate School

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Intellectual Property and Commercialization

Web Resources

• Searching for Patents (USPTO)
• Google Patent Search
• Free Patent Search Tool
• www.pat2pdf.org — A free patent search tool

Branding a Business

• Six Reasons Branding is More Important Than Ever
• The importance of branding: why branding matters
• How to Build Your Own Brand in 8 Simple Steps

Branding Yourself

• Personal Branding (Wikipedia)
• Personal Branding: What It is & How to Achieve Your Goals
• Personal branding secrets: 7 steps to building an outstanding personal brand

Professional Networking

• Why professional networking is so important
• Top 12 benefits of professional networking and how to get started
• How to Build and Maintain a Professional Network

Online Networking Resources

• LinkedIn
• ResearchGate
• edaboard.com
• Quora

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Business Proposals
• (PDF) Heilmeier Catechism
• (DOCX) Project Skeleton

Web Resources

• Steps in Writing a Business Research Proposal
• How to Write a Business Proposal

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Project Budgets
• (XLSX) Research Budget Template

Web Resources

• Government Per Diem Rates

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Business Strategy

Web Resources

• Mike Loya Center for Innovation and Commerce
• (YouTube) What they don’t tell you about entrepreneurship
• (YouTube) How to be an Entrepreneur

Course Notes

• (PDF) Lecture — Applying for a Tenure-Track Faculty Position

Course Notes

• (PDF) (Video) How to Start & Maintain an Awesome Career

Web Resources

• (Web) EMPossible Page on Career Development