On the third Thursday of the month of February, Pamela Carmines, Ph.D., is discussing time management with Laura Bilek, Ph.D., before a large audience.
Drs. Carmines and Bilek are the speakers at UNMC Graduate Studies lecture series, the Professional Development Lunch and Learn.
“She’s a big picture person and I’m a detail person — our approaches are very different,” Dr. Carmines said of Dr. Bilek.
Now in its second year, the popularity of the series exploded when organizers shifted the presentations — held on the third Thursday of each month during the fall and spring semesters — from an evening to a noon starting time. The events are designed to promote development of “soft skills” that are critical for success in virtually every career track.
“Attendance was poor in the evening, but since we starting holding them at noon, attendance has tripled,” Dr. Carmines said.
Like all topics in the series, Dr. Carmines chose time management as a topic because of its universal importance to the graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are the main focus of the events, although they are open to all interested members of the university community.
“It’s a huge topic for our trainees, and the sooner they can get a handle on a time management strategy that works for them, the better all aspects of their lives will work, not only now but when they enter the workforce.”
The events are scheduled through April, with upcoming topics including “Personality Types in the Workplace” in March and “Negotiating Essentials” in April.
Dr. Carmines is pleased to see the series gaining a following.
“There has been growing interest from the students, and we’re getting not only positive comments from the students, but suggestions for other topics to discuss,” she said.