CPCB MetaSchool

Students in the joint CMU–Pitt PhD Program in Computational Biology (CPCB) participate in a multi-year professional development series that is called the MetaSchool.  The MetaSchool aligns with the needs of the students along their graduate training.  At the beginning of year one, CPCB students participate in an orientation workshop that provides general advice on “How to Win Graduate School”.  This includes strategies for maximizing their graduate experience and getting them to begin thinking about their careers and career options.  Ending year one is a mini-course that addresses writing and grantsmanship to provide foundational training in these essential skills and equipping students to apply for fellowship such as the NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship.  In year two, students practice their oral presentation skills to give talks to both technical and non-technical audiences to enhance their communication skills and the dissemination of their work.  Lastly, in either year three or four, CPCB students take a jobs preparation workshop series that prepares them for careers in academic non-academic areas.  Since many CPCB students are interested in careers in industry, this series has a heavy focus on providing them with both insights into this area and the necessary skills and information to secure a job outside of academia. 

Current Events

CPCB MetaSchool – Jobs Edition Spring 2023 

Day and Time: Wednesdays, 1:00–2:20 PM 

Location: 8th Floor Murdoch Classroom

Course Description and Objectives   

There are many so-called “soft”, or rather, professional skills that are required for facilitating the successful pursuit and attainment of gainful employment after completing any academic degree. These more aptly-named professional skills include being able to communicate via writing, visual presentations, online platforms, and interpersonal interactions, as well as having the knowledge on where and how to effectively look for a job. The CPCB MetaSchool Professional Development Module on Jobs touches on many of these subjects to help jump-start the career success of our students. 

By the end of this course, the students should be able to do the following:

• Position yourself to be competitive in pursuing job opportunities 
• Construct a tailored resume for job applications
• Assemble and maintain an effective online profile
• Prepare for and perform well in interviews

Meta School Archive

Feb 2014

Programming your future:  Big-picture trends in computational biology, Part I.

Special Panel: Chakra Chennubhotla, Jim Faeder, Carl Kingsford, Russell Schwartz, and Dan Zuckerman

March 2014

Programming your future:  Big-picture trends in computational biology, Part II.

Special Panel:  Ziv Bar-Joseph, Carlos Camacho, Chris Langmead, Joel McManus, Bob Murphy, and Gustavo Rohde,

Sept 2014

How to prepare yourself for success in graduate school and beyond –or– How to avoid saying, “I wish I had done that during graduate school…”

Oct 2014

Careers outside of the ivory tower.  Guest Speakers: CPCB Alumni, Dr. Keith Callenberg and Dr. Jacob Joseph

Dec 2014

Starting your own company.  Guest Speaker: CPCB Alumnus, Dr. Joshua Kangas

Feb 2015

Resume and CV Workshop

(Flyer)

March 2015

Teacher Extraordinaire, Dr. Matthew Fagerburg

(Flyer)

September, 18 2015

“Careers in Data Science”

Come join us from 3:30 – 4:40 pm in GHC 4405 to see a AAAS Webinar on careers in data science. (Flyer)

October 30, 2015

“YOUR CPCB Student Website
(and your LinkedIn page too)”

(Flyer)

(Slides)

January 29, 2016

The CPCB Meta School Welcomes CPCB Alumnus, Dr. Arvind Ramanathan.

The CPCB MetaSchool warmly welcomes back CPCB alumni, Dr. Arvind Ramanathan, who will share his experience with establishing a research career at a government lab (Oak Ridge National Laboratory).

(Flyer)

April 8, 2016

Building an Abstract from Scratch

In this two-part, hands-on, super-duper MetaSchool, we will explore what it takes to create and edit a scientific abstract from semi-familiar materials. Sharpen your pencils and join us on this 2-day literary adventure.

March 18, 2016

Building an Abstract from Scratch

In this two-part, hands-on, super-duper MetaSchool, we will explore what it takes to create and edit a scientific abstract from semi-familiar materials. Sharpen your pencils and join us on this 2-day literary adventure.

October 2016

The CPCB MetaSchool warmly welcomes back Dr. Keith Callenberg for an encore performance of the critically-acclaimed retelling of his life story. Join Keith as he recounts his journey through graduate school, his stint in industry, and his current gainful employment at UPMC.

(Flyer)

April 2017

Bino John – DowDuPont

(Flyer)

February 2017

Ross E. Curtis | Research Scientist, Ancestry.com

“From CPCB to Ancestry and the DTC Genomic Industry”

(Flyer)

MetaSchool Session for Third year students -Monday, March 25 & Monday, April 8, 2018

• Monday, March 25, 2:30-4:00 in BST-3 6014 (Seminar Room)
• Monday, April 8, 1:30-3:00 in BST-3 3073 (Classroom)

*Please note the two different starting times

MetaSchool Sessions for Second year students – November 19 & December 3, 2018

Monday, November 19, 3:30-5:00 in GHC 7501 & Monday, December 3, 3:30-5:00 in GHC 4405.

• First assignment due Friday, November 16 at 5pm.

November 30, 2018

Aaron Wise |Senior Bioinformatics Scientist, Encodia

11 AM, BST 3, Room 6014

Lunch with students immediately following.

March 2019

MetaSchool Session for Fourth year students – Monday, April 1 , 2019

• We will be discussing interviewing.
• In preparation for this session, please identify a job posting you find interesting.  Bring a paper copy of the listing to class and also submit it via email to Joe and Josh by 5pm on Sunday, March 31.

 Spring 2022