Finding Balance Kristin Yvonne Rozier NASA Langley Research Center & Rice Univ. Chandra Krintz Associate Professor, Univ. of California Santa Barbara CRA-W.

Finding Balance

Kristin Yvonne RozierNASA Langley Research Center & Rice Univ.

Chandra KrintzAssociate Professor, Univ. of California Santa

Barbara

CRA-W Cohort Workshop March 13-14, 2008

Thanks to Kathleen Fisher for helping to improve these slides

Having a Career and a Life

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A bit about Chandra…1990 Moved to LA, California from Indiana (mid-BS)

1995 Worked; Received BS; met Rich

1996 Started MS at UCSD (where Rich was)

1998MS at UCSD, transferred to PhD program AI->crypto->mobile agents->compilers for mobile code

2000 Moved to Knoxville, TN (Rich’s job)

2001

Finished PhD (remotely), married RichBoth got jobs on UCSB facultyFocus: Java optimization (compiler/runtime)Started the RACELab

2006Graduated my first PhD student

Went up for tenure

2007

2008

Got Tenure!

Increase breadth/focus: Full system adaptive

optimization / outreach

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Some of the things I do

• Advise a group of 5-10 BS, MS, and PhD students Research: Full system performance adaptation

• Teach 1 course per quarter (3 courses per year)• Write many, many grant proposals• Committees in department

Lead on CS undergraduate curriculum revamp

• Committees in community (conferences) SIGPLAN Executive Committee Vice Chair!

• Outreach, mentoring (CRA-W Cohort!)

High-EndSystems

Low-EndSystems

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressorare needed to see this picture.QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

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Some of the things I do

• Outreach to Girls Inc. (thanks to tenure!!) Teaching 6-10 year olds how to program using a game

controllerMicrosoft Research Boku (XBox game that runs on a PC)

And helping non-profits in my community w/ computers Getting students involved -- feel good about themselves

and gain perspective on what their degree (in CS or CE) means

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Stress Similarities: Grad Students

• Different each year Y1: getting comfortable, class/tests, TAing

Topic search, advisor search

Y2-4: In the thick of it

Y5+: last milePaper deadlinesIdentifying letter writersWriting the thesisApplying for jobs

Going to conferencesInternshipsFinding a thesis topicFiguring out what comes next

Finding an advisorComprehensive examsPaper deadlinesEncountering rejection

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Stress Similarities - Post-PhD, Academic

• Different each year Y1: getting comfortable, teaching real classes Y2-3: attracting students, seeking funding Every year

Paper/proposal deadlines + acceptances/rejectionsDepartmental and research community serviceIdentifying viable research projectsAttracting / working with studentsTravelImproving teaching qualityMulti-tasking / effective context switching

Y5: last mile before tenureIdentifying letter writers, giving talks

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Stress Similarities - Post-PhD, Research Lab

• Different each year Y1: getting comfortable, finding a research project Y2-3: figuring out how to do good research and

positively impact the sponsoring company Every year

Paper deadlines + acceptances/rejectionsOrganizational and research community serviceIdentifying viable new research projectsAttracting / working with students and colleaguesTravel

Y3+: advancing in company/lab• Coping with company downturns: layoffs,

equipment shortages, lack of travel funds, etc.

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Observations

• Demands come in waves Too many at once cause stress Size and number matters

• Many of us are very goal-oriented• We all have insecurities• We humans cannot maintain an insane

pace continuously (time management) Not sustainable Leads to burnout / poor productivity Will wear you out

• There is always more to do• Family obligations and relationships

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Managing Waves of Demands

• A continuous, incremental process You must work at it; there is no free lunch! Make changes incrementally

• Riding the waves Prioritize demands Work hard during high-demand periods Take a break, re-energize during low-demand Recognize/work on the transition between the

two

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Managing Goals and Expectations

• Set by yourself or others Note when they are self-inflicted!

• Understand completely what is required given a goal Know why you want to achieve it Evaluate your progress Talk about it with your mentor(s) and others

• Learn how to enjoy the process Focus on the present Appreciate your achievements before moving on

• Work to ensure that goals are achievable

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Managing Insecurities

• Being insecure contributes to being out of balance• Seek out a good mentor (may/may not be your

advisor)• Don't set yourself up to fail• Be proud of and celebrate your accomplishments

Don’t belittle achievements -- just because it was you who achieved them

Keep a “good file” of positive feedback• Realize that we all (you, me, him, her, us, them)

have insecurities Think them through, talk them over with those you

trust

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Chandra’s Insecurities

• I am an imposter! How did I get here? I know nothing. I’ll never

have another research idea. Manifestation: OK, just work more/harder...

• I care deeply about what others think of me I have panic attacks before entering areas where

lots of people are (for fear I’m going to mess up in some way)

I take things very personallyRejection, not being included, the success of others

Manifestation: OK, just work more/harder...

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Time ManagementDid you see Janie's session yesterday?

• There's always more to do Learn how to estimate accurately the time required

Don't take on too much or feel pressured to say yes Worse to take on something and only contribute minimally or

do an average/poor/late job at it than to say no

Renegotiate unmanageable commitmentsBe honest with those you are working with Identify a solution that works for all

Taking on a new task can be an opportunity to let go of an old one.

Work with people who are good at getting things done.

Identify your guiding principles

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Chandra’s Guiding Principles

• Time for Rich and Zoe, larger family (sister, brother)

• Do great research and share it with others Through publication and communication Through service in my community For the support ($$), success, and options for my students

• Work on interesting and high impact research problems Programming language implementations

• Make a difference in students’ lives At any level, age Let them know that what they are doing (working on their

education) is exceptional Teaching/Curriculum

• Have time to be healthy

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Be Organized

• Keep a calendar that you always have with you Electronic (back it up) or paper Keep it up to date

Meetings as well as work things (email, paper reading, writing, coding, seminars, etc)

Schedule in both work and play Block out time for only research Know when you work efficiently:

Don’t squander that time!• Avoid churn: pick a task and do it.• When “on a roll”, keep the momentum.

Conversely, if something is a grind, don’t push too hard.

• Handle email efficiently.• Keep a research/idea book or wiki.

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Finding Balance

• Most importantly -- take care of you! Figure out what makes you happy/unhappy Look up every once in a while to take stock

• Apply money to the problem if possible• Exercise!• Eat well• Sleep enough

Identify your optimal number of hours• Help and receive help from others• Don't isolate yourself

Seek out family, friends, others

• Have a life as well as work

• Set realistic goals to achieving balance

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Finding Balance (non-work): Chandra

• Sleep (8+hrs, yes, 8)• Exercise • Seeking out colleagues and making time to be social

Just going for coffee or lunch

• Outreach to the community Girls Inc., local high schools, DAWG, soup kitchens Help with technology (simple things), sharing how fun

computer science can be!, walking dogs

• Listening to music (from my past)• Driving my car / going on roadtrips• Golf• Zoe

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Something I found recently…

• How to find balance: Work Like A DOG!

from Martha Beck's article inOprah Magazine Mar08

Cookie

Cole

BjornBjorn

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Something I found recently…

• How to find balance: Work Like A DOG!

from Martha Beck's article inOprah Magazine Mar08

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Ideas for Questions

• Balance as a graduate student• Balance and the tenure process or high-tech

industry• Dual-career couple

Working at it Finding jobs that are equally satisfying

• Managing relationships• Having children• Deciding on your future and considering

balance• Other time management questions