ASTR 8500 (O'Connell) Spring 2026
POSSIBLE OPTIONAL TOPIC LIST
a) How to give a bad talk
b) Social media: good, bad, and ugly
c) Social networking in science: value, tips
d) What good is tenure? (tenure vs term contracts, pros & cons)
e) Navigating group science
f) Responsibilities of scientists to society
g) Elements of persuasion
h) Common mistakes in graduate research projects
i) Teaching skills to cultivate
j) Top-10 job-getting skills in astronomy
k) Help! How do I manage my time?
l) Paper writing tips
m) Employment opportunities for PhD's outside astronomy
n) Professional meetings: strategies and etiquette
o) Mental health in academia
p) Data visualization in publications and presentations
q) How to read a scientific paper
r) Managing your personal literature library
s) Public outreach: goals, varieties, effectiveness
t) P-hacking and other statistical malfeasance
u) Common mistakes in job interviews
v) Does the ``reproducibility crisis'' affect astronomy?
w) How will artificial intelligence affect astronomical discovery
and careers?
x) Your own idea here
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Last modified
January 2026 by rwo
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