Oak Ridge Science Semester

An important component of your experience at ORNL is attendance and participation in the weekly seminar series (held Wednesday afternoons from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM, room TBA). Many of you may have already been exposed to seminars at your home institutions. Seminar attendance is a necessary part of professional life, whether you become a research scientist, physician, college professor or CEO of a company. Professionals use seminars to disseminate information and as a forum for free exchange of ideas. It is important to cultivate the habit of attending seminars early in your academic career. It is also necessary to learn the proper etiquette for conducting yourself in a professional manner.

The objectives of the weekly seminar series are to:

Since you come from a broad range of interests, disciplines and backgrounds, seminars necessarily cover a broad spectrum of science. While you many not follow all details of a seminar not directly in your field, you should be able to extract some valuable information of interest from each talk. The seminar speakers are scientists from ORNL who are nationally, and even internationally, recognized in their field. They are generously donating their time to us. They do so out of a sense of professional pride and their commitment to educate younger scientists. As professionals, they recognize the importance of seminars to your development. Please respect the speakers and conduct yourself in courteous and professional manner. This means that you must arrive on time (generally a few minutes before the scheduled time, since pre-seminar time is a good time to chat with your peers and the Resident Director). If you run into problems and are going to be late, please enter the room as quietly and unobtrusively as possible. Also, during the seminar, please direct your attention to the speaker. Avoid your urge (or need) to nap by taking notes or by bringing something to drink or eat with you. Refrain from talking to your friends. You would be surprised by how much the speaker can hear when your whisper in the back of the room. Such behavior is distracting to the speaker and audience, and demonstrates a lack of respect for a fellow scientist.

Attendance at seminar is mandatory, and there will be a 10-15 minute discussion with the speaker after each seminar. Remember that you are receiving graded college credit for seminar. You will be graded on attendance, participation, and short written assignments. More details on the academic requirements for the seminar will be given in the course syllabus from the Resident Director, but you can count on each unexcused absence reducing your grade by one letter. If you are unable to attend a seminar (for any reason), contact the Resident Director before the seminar. The Resident Director will collect a short assignment and an evaluation of the previous seminar at the start of each week's seminar. Failure to submit the assignment will count as an absence for that seminar with the same impact on the seminar grade.

If you are unable to attend a seminar (for any reason), contact the Resident Director before the seminar.

The Resident Director will collect a short summary (approximately one page) and an evaluation of the previous seminar at the start of that day's seminar. Failure to submit the summary will count as an absence for that seminar with the same impact on the seminar grade.

Brown bag discussions: We have scheduled several lunch hour "Brown-Bag" Discussions to help you with various aspects of your stay during the fall semester. Feel free to bring a lunch to these sessions which will run from 11:30-12:30 at a place TBA.