Fellow Development Program

FELLOW DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

The Fellow Development Program is a distinguishing feature of the Self Graduate Fellowship. It provides general education and training in communication, management, innovation, and leadership to assist Self Graduate Fellows in their preparation for future leadership roles, complementing the specialized education and training provided in Ph.D. programs.

Commitment

Each Self Graduate Fellow, by accepting the fellowship award, recognizes the benefits of the Fellow Development Program and makes a commitment to participate. The program time commitment is approximately 80 hours per year plus preparation and travel. To continue to hold the Self Graduate Fellowship, a Fellow must make satisfactory progress toward the doctoral degree and be an active and full participant in Fellow Development Program events each year for four consecutive years.

Development Program Events

Currently, annual events include skill sessions, communication coaching workshops, luncheons, a poster session, and a symposium. Since its inception, the form and content of the program have continued to change and be improved in order to meet the goals of the program.

Skill Sessions

Skill sessions serve as the professional development weeks for Self Graduate Fellows. The focus is on building knowledge and skills in communication, management, innovation, and leadership. Two sessions are scheduled each year. The Fall Skill Session is held in August and the Spring Skill Session is held in January. The curriculum for the skill session is designed as a progressive sequence over the four years with rotating management, leadership, and innovation topics, as well as communication coaching workshops.

Luncheons

The development program includes discussions of public policy topics designed to increase the fellows’ abilities as opinion leaders who possess broad knowledge of the major issues of their time. The public policy topics are introduced during the Fall Skill Session and further addressed during luncheons. Approximately ten luncheons are scheduled each year, five each semester. Luncheons are held during the fall and spring semesters, typically on Tuesdays. A buffet luncheon is held from 12:15-12:45 p.m., followed by a public policy presentation from 12:45-2:00 p.m.

Public policy topics are identified in discussion with current fellows and one topic is selected for the annual focus. Internal (KU) and external experts are invited to present to the fellows on various facets of the selected policy topic.

Poster Session

A poster session on the KU Lawrence campus affords current fellows the opportunity to present their research and learn about the research of other fellows. Faculty mentors and campus partners are invited to attend this annual event typically held in November or December.

Communication Coaching

Communication coaching workshops with KU faculty and outside experts build skills and confidence in communication through group and individual practice. Fellows work with other members of their cohort and individually with communication instructors in the fall and spring semesters each year. The communication coaching workshops are held in a progressive sequence over the four years.

Government and Science Policy Seminar

Self Graduate Fellows travel together to Washington, D.C. for a customized government and science policy seminar. This seminar is held every other year; fellows participate in their second or third year in the fellowship. The seminar typically takes place in October, overlapping with the KU fall break. The seminar features sessions with experts on topics including political parties and leadership, Congress, public policymaking and processes, the federal budget, science policy advocacy, and policy fellowships. The seminar also includes tours of the city and monuments and a networking dinner with the local Society of Self Fellows (Self Graduate Fellowship alumni).

International Seminar

Self Graduate Fellows travel together abroad for a customized international seminar. This seminar is held every other year; fellows participate in their second or third year in the fellowship, alternating from the Government and Science Policy Seminar in D.C. The seminar typically takes place in May, immediately following commencement. Both outbound training and the seminar provide a cross-cultural context for the fellows, providing skills in traveling, presenting, and networking abroad. Through tours and speakers, fellows learn about the unique structures of the host country’s academia, industries, and government, as well as regional history. Through a poster presentation, the fellows gain an opportunity to practice communicating their research to an international audience. The 2024 International Seminar visited Paris, France; Brussels, Belgium; and Darmstadt, Germany. Future international site locations may vary. The next Self Graduate Fellowship International seminar will be in May 2026.

Symposium

The annual Symposium brings together Self Graduate Fellows, members of the Society of Self Fellows, and friends of the fellowship for meetings, networking, and celebration. The Symposium includes the Board of Governors annual meeting, a Society of Self Fellows luncheon, a public lecture featuring a special guest, a reception and dinner celebrating the outgoing fourth-year fellows, and an alumni panel. The Symposium is held over the course of two days in mid-April.

Symposium Lectures:

2024:“Growth, Globalization, and Geopolitics: How Effective Can National Economic Policy Be?” Elliott Harris Economist and policymaker
2023: “The Next Decade: Tech Trends and Innovations Shaping our Future” R. David Edelman, American policymaker and academic
2022: “Climate Change and Thinking Ahead.” Bina Venkataraman, journalist, science policy expert, author, and futurist
2021 (rescheduled to October 7, 2021, from the 2020 canceled date due to COVID-19): "How to be an Antiracist," Ibram X. Kendi, Ph.D., one of America's foremost historians and leading antiracist voices
2021: "Strategy in Times of Crisis," Safi Bahcall, Ph.D., a bestselling author, biotech entrepreneur, and business consultant
2019: "The Neuroscience of Innovation," Helen Fisher, a Ph.D ., a pioneer in the biology of human personalities and neurochemistry of leadership
2018: "Big Science and the Future of Discovery," Brian Greene, Ph.D., one of the world's leading theoretical physicists and a brilliant, entertaining communicator of cutting-edge scientific concepts
2017: "Making a difference- What's love got to do with it?" Charles Svoboda, Ph.D., Aerospace Engineer, The Boeing Company; Self Graduate Fellow, Aerospace Engineering, 1998-2002
2016: “Wireless Technologies: From Entertaining to Essential,” Cory Beard, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Missouri-Kansas City; Self Graduate Fellow, Electrical Engineering, 1995–1999
2015: “Understanding the Evolution of Healthcare,” Matt H. Ackermann, Ph.D., Consultant Medical Liaison, Rheumatology/Bone, Lilly USA; Self Graduate Fellow, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1997–2001
2014: “Energizing Change: The Self Graduate Fellowship’s Action Imperative,” Karl B. Brooks, Ph.D., Region 7 Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency; Self Graduate Fellow, History, 1996–2000
2013: “A Character Study: The Role of Makeup in the Psychology of Beauty and Perception,” Sarah A. Vickery, Ph.D., Principal Scientist — Communication, Research, and Development, Color Cosmetics, P&G Beauty, Procter & Gamble; Self Graduate Fellow, Chemistry, 1997–2001
2012: “How Economists Forgot Entrepreneurship and Mislaid the Creativity Economy,” Nathan C. Berg, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics, School of Economical, Political, and Policy Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas; Self Graduate Fellow, Chemistry, 1998–2001
2011: “Medicinal Chemistry: The First Steps in the Life of a Drug,” Kristine E. Frank, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Global Pharmaceutical Discovery, Abbott Bioresearch Center, Worcester, Massachusetts; Self Graduate Fellow, Chemistry, 1994–1998
2010: “Engineering Wind Turbines — Should People Take These Things Seriously?” Kyle K. Wetzel, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Wetzel Engineering, Lawrence, Kansas; Self Graduate Fellow, Aerospace Engineering, 1994–2005
2009: “Leading is a Marathon, Not a Sprint,” Karyl B. Leggio, Ph.D., Dean, Sellinger School of Business and Management, Loyola College in Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland; Self Graduate Fellow, Business, 1995–1998