It’s no secret that VTTI has been leading efforts in the realm of connected-automation, especially since we’ve been receiving major media hits focusing on the topic. And for good reason: since 2005, we have conducted more than $30 million in…
May 2014
Why the cap? Why the gown? And which way does the tassel go again?
It is that time of year when graduating seniors start to wonder what they’re going to wear to those upcoming job interviews, or for those ahead of the game, what they’re going to wear to work. But at least our dear graduates won’t have to worry about finding that perfect outfit for commencement. Tomorrow our VT students will be a sea of black robes, with only the color of a dangling tassel to set them apart.
The origin of the goofy garments
The cap and gown custom started during the 12th century when early universities were still forming in Europe. At that time, no sufficient heating system was provided and students were forced to improvise to keep warm. The scholars, who were usually aspiring clerics or already clerics, started the practice of wearing a long robe with a hood for heat. Later that century, gowns were made the official dress of academics to prevent people from piling on layers and looking “frumpy” on their big day. It is quite ironic how nowadays, most of us are burning up in these robes!
Now for the hat. Commonly called a “mortarboard” due to its funny shape and similarity to what masons used to hold mortar, the graduation cap was based on the birettas worn by scholarly clergies to signify their superiority and intelligence. These hats became popular in the 14th and 15th centuries and were worn only by artists, humanists, students, and all those learned. They usually came in the color red signifying blood and life, hence, power more than life and death. We know them now as the hats worn primarily by religious cardinals.
Cap and Gown etiquette
Okay, so maybe our grads do have to worry a little…
Men: It is recommended that men wear dark trousers or khakis, dark socks, shoes, and a neatly-pressed, light-colored dress shirt with dark tie underneath an academic gown. Jeans and shorts, sandals and tennis shoes should be avoided. The cap is worn flat on the head. Men should remove their caps during the school song and the National Anthem.
Women: Graduates should wear dark slacks, dress, or skirt, and a light-colored dress blouse with dark shoes. High heels are not recommended for reasons of safety and comfort, flats or pumps are suggested. Sandals and tennis shoes should not be worn. Women are allowed to keep their caps on during the National Anthem.
Left to right? Right to left?
You’ve made it through college and are ready to graduate into the real world, but there is one more question you need answered. Where does the tassel go? Tassels are usually worn on the right side and shifted to the left when graduates receive their diplomas. Now whether or not you want to toss your cap into the air at the end is entirely up to you.
Finding jobs in the 21st Century
With all of the technological breakthroughs we’ve made in this Information Age, it is safe to say that there is still no magic bullet for finding a job. Hard work, good communication skills, and yes, etiquette are still just as important today they were decades ago. Of course using the web to do research on a company, find an internship, or see when the next career fair is being held doesn’t hurt either. Good luck out there, graduates!
Written by Emily Kale
Would Thomas Edison get tenure?
It started with a question, “If Thomas Edison were a faculty member at a modern university, would he get tenure?”
Just by asking, it suggests that something may be out of balance in the way a university’s views its research enterprise.
It was the prime topic of conversation at a discussion at the University of South Florida more than a year ago — with incoming Virginia Tech President Timothy D. Sands among the invited panelists.
The result was a perspective column last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
So, should universities change their faculty tenure and promotion calculus based on research and publication to one that also includes faculty research activities that translate into patents, licensing and commercialization of products?
The answer was a resounding, “Yes.”
The authors — from USF, the California Institute of Technology, the University of Delaware, the University of Minnesota, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Purdue University (Sands, then in his position as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost), and the University of Missouri St. Louis — say research activities that translate to product commercialization should not replace traditional scholarly pursuits such as teaching, mentoring students and publishing research, patent and commercialization activities should be considered equally in decisions related to faculty tenure and academic advancement.
With that fundamental change, universities will address a disconnect between technology transfer activities and incentives for faculty members in terms of merit raises, tenure and career advancement.
The authors cited a 2012 report from the National Research Council of the National Academies that suggests that since business and industry have “largely dismantled large corporate research laboratories that drove American industrial leadership,” research universities must “fill the gap.”
The American Association of University Professors similarly said industry and the academic collaboration presents “tremendous opportunities for advancing knowledge and applying it to real-world problems.”
Read the PNAS Paper for more.
Got innovation? Tell ‘The Scientist Magazine’
Submit your innovation for 2014!
The Scientist Magazine is accepting entries for any product that researchers use in a lab (machines, instruments, tools, cell lines, software, etc.)
Products must have entered the market between Oct. 1, 2013, and Sept. 16, 2014.
Submissions will be accepted starting until 12 a.m. EDT on Sept. 16, 2014. Check it out!
Happy Anniversary!
I started the lab eight years ago today and I got a little gem in my inbox that I wanted to share with you.
Dear Dr. Peccoud, I am reading your article, “If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Manage It“. I just realized after reading it, today, May 1 is the anniversary of your group!. I wanted to ask “Did you take your lab to lunch” It is a great article and thanks for putting your time/effort to write it. It will certainly help me and others on time management etc. Best regards,Viswanadham.
Viswanadham Sridhara
Research Scientist (Bioinformatics)
Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
The University of Texas at Austin.
Thank you Viswanadham, you made my day! Yes, we took the time to celebrate. We had donuts at 9 am and used the morning to think strategically about our next 10 years. And yes, we went to lunch together. And we put the final touch and submitted a paper that was long overdue.