postdoctoral fellow

research assistant

graduate assistant

graduate researcher

assistant professor

Rutgers-University

Workload unreasonable and organization of the processes is lacking. Efforts as an employee to help systems and organization is viewed as trouble/difficult.  Incivility is tolerated for some and assignments are not equal among employees. There is no true break between semesters as you use that break to prepare courses and have meetings.  You work summers. Winter break is truly off however you will be preparing your Spring semester. You can do that from wherever you would like so that is a benefit.  Vacation time isn’t able to be used as teaching expectations remain continuously.  You would have to ask a favor of a colleague to teach your class which may be hard to find.  Students also do not respond well you teacher evaluations if you have coverage or take off vacation time.  Leadership will say to take off, however this is not really possible as you teach classes and have class responsibility continuously.  You lose your vacation if it is unused.  As a corporation, there is poor IT support so if you need help you may not get it. They shut the hours in the evenings down for support so you cannot get much help anymore as a permanent change.  Unresponsive IT dept for faculty. They do not reimburse any costs-books, license, any props you need, computer  etc. It’s all self pay. Best part of the job is teaching the students, but as a workplace it is very challenging. Unions also are not effective and did not have a contract etc.  They do a poor job helping when you need help despite paying dues.  Unions are in continuous negotiations. No raises for coat of living even.  Publish or Perish. It will not matter how well or how much professors teach, unless publications are generated. Location is poor. Unsafe area and security is inside the building not outside where you need them when your class ends at night time.  No where to get a coffee or meal-Newark is not safe, and there are no amenities other than faculty kitchen/lounge in the building.  Most faculty stay to themselves to avoid having any trouble. Unfortunate. Though schedule is flexible, you will have little time to yourself as you will always be preparing or grading and working on committees.  No credit given back for that work.  No reimbursement in credit relief or in money for chairing DNP students.  

A typical work week is about 20-26 hours while taking 18 credits. It is rare to have a typical day because you never know how many students will attend the tutoring sessions each day. The job can be difficult when you have to tutor three students in three different subject areas in one session. The most beneficial aspect of tutoring for me is the ripple effect. When imparting knowledge, I find that the subject matter reinforces itself in my mind, and I, in turn become increasingly more comfortable with the subject. When I tutor someone, I imagine I am explaining it to a younger version of myself, and provide helpful hints, which I wish I would've known earlier. I've found that some of my students actually form study groups and pass on their new ways of thinking about a particular topic, and the other students also weigh in, and this just continues. The novel ways of thinking about tried subjects never ceases to surprise me. My supervisor and administrators are incredible examples of selfless, empathetic and hardworking people.They set the tone of the learning center making it a valuable asset to any student trying to better themselves. My co-workers are friendly and energetic which strengthens the learning environment. The most difficult part of the job is making sure you don't develop a codependent relationship with a struggling student. We want them to succeed by becoming a better student which involves working through their weak points. This requires a student to make an honest effort on their own before coming in for an appointment. Words can not explain the feelings of watching a student work through an obstacle they thought was  impossible. Once they become confident in their abilities, the stars are the limit. Their attitude and outlook in school changes. The impossible becomes possible. I've been told many times by students that I helped them get through a class. The truth is that they already had the tools, I just showed them a different way of using those tools.

Pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science at Rutgers University can be a rewarding and challenging experience. As a student in this program, you'll have the opportunity to work with renowned faculty members, collaborate with talented peers, and contribute to cutting-edge research in various areas of computer science.

Pros:

Research opportunities: Rutgers has a strong research program in computer science, with faculty members working on a wide range of topics, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, and software engineering. You'll have the chance to work on meaningful projects that can have real-world impact.
Collaboration and networking: Rutgers fosters a collaborative environment where you can work with faculty, fellow graduate students, and industry partners. This provides opportunities to build your professional network and gain valuable experience working in teams.
Resources and facilities: As a student, you'll have access to state-of-the-art computing facilities, labs, and resources to support your research and coursework.
Location: Rutgers is located in New Jersey, close to major tech hubs like New York City and Philadelphia. This proximity can open up opportunities for internships, collaborations, and future career prospects.
Cons:

Workload: Pursuing a Ph.D. is a significant commitment and requires dedication to coursework, research, and teaching responsibilities (if applicable). Balancing these demands can be challenging at times.
Competition: Rutgers has a selective admissions process, and once in the program, you may face competition for research positions, funding, and resources.
Funding: While many Ph.D. students receive funding through research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or fellowships, securing consistent funding throughout your program can sometimes be a concern.
Specialization: Depending on your specific research interests, you may find that Rutgers has limited faculty or resources in certain niche areas of computer science.

Project I Overview: A new rapid, quantitative and contactless method for the electrical characterization of 1D nanomaterials has been developed. 
•	Designed and built the microfluidic experimental setup and electrodes were fabricated via photolithography.
•	Different fabrication techniques have been utilized to synthesize various types of nanowires/nanotubes including chemical vapor deposition and metal-assisted chemical-etching.
•	Electric field manipulation and alignment of various 1D nanomaterials (Si, Ag, TiO2, Al2O3 nanowires, single/multi-walled carbon nanotubes, etc.) was achieved and observed via optical microscopy.
•	Various material characterization techniques were utilized to validate the developed method including SEM, TEM, 4-point-probe STM 
Project II Overview: Developed a new, scalable post-growth method to fabricate vertically aligned carbon-nanotube/polymer composite membranes to be used as highly-breathable chemical threat responsive military fabric. 
•	For the first time, combination of alternating and direct current electric fields have been successfully demonstrated to align and concentrate carbon-nanotubes (CNTs) in polymer solution.
•	VACNT/polymer composite membranes have been fabricated with the densities approaching to the CVD fabrication method. 
•	A new approach to cure thin polymer membranes (5-8 µm) via laser have been developed and combined with designed microfluidic device to even further increase vertically aligned CNTs in polymer composites. 
Project III Overview: Automatic electrical characterization and sorting of 1D nanomaterials has been achieved by implementing the developed electrical characterization method into a microfluidic device. 
•	I have eliminated the slow and laborious microfabrication steps by using a simple craft-cutter.
•	Automation of the sorting process and image recognition of nanowires has been achieved by the developed LabVIEW program.

All depends on the department in which you work.  I've worked in several departments and met fine, extremely intelligent, dedicated, thoughtful, and caring individuals over my 20+ years at Rutgers.  I've also met some of the most lazy, uncaring, angry, and egocentric people.

Initially (15+ years) it was a great place to work.  Excellent benefits, work-life balance was awesome, people were helpful, and excited to work there.  I met some of the most incredible people doing some really great work.

Over the last 7 or 8 years Rutgers became top-heavy, too many VPs with little contact with the working professionals.  Many times over the years you'd receive several weekly emails, one email that read, "Although we're under a hiring freeze with no salary increases this year, keep up the Rutgers quality of work!", and the very next email from the President would read, "Lets welcome the New Dean of...", or, "...the New VP of...".  Management seemed clueless about what resources employees needed and required in order to do their jobs efficiently and effectively.  Many tasks simply became automated with new tech and applications and were quickly and often passed down the ladder too the working professionals with little to no warning.

Flash forward to present day under Rutgers' new "agenda" where acquired skills, knowledge, and dedication do not matter and you're no longer valued if you don't have the correct title or fit the right mold of person for this day & age.  The average employee is expected to do more and more with little to no support as people begin leaving the departments or are let go.  Management is either to afraid or lacks the skills to fight for vested, dedicated, intelligent, "valued" employees who do not fit the mold of the new agenda.

A Typical Day at Work:
As an Office Assistant, a typical day involves performing various clerical duties such as filing, data entry, answering phones, photocopying, and assisting with mailings. I also support staff with any special projects and help maintain organized records. The role requires multitasking and staying on top of small details to keep the office running smoothly.

What I Believe I Learned:
I’ve learned how to manage time effectively in a professional setting, improved my skills in Microsoft Word and Excel, and gained experience with general office procedures. I’ve also learned how to communicate more confidently with team members and respond efficiently to administrative needs.

Management:
Management has been approachable, clear, and supportive. They set expectations early on and are always open to questions or feedback. Their guidance makes it easier to settle into the role and perform tasks more efficiently.

Workplace Culture:
The culture is friendly, respectful, and professional. Everyone is willing to lend a hand when needed, and teamwork is valued. There’s a strong emphasis on reliability and staying organized, which helps create a positive and productive environment.

The Hardest Part of the Job:
The hardest part is keeping up during peak times when there are multiple tasks that need to be completed quickly. Balancing several responsibilities at once can be challenging, but it’s also helped me become more efficient and organized.

The Most Enjoyable Part of the Job:
The most enjoyable part is the variety in daily tasks and knowing that my work directly supports the team. I enjoy learning new things and contributing to a well-functioning office.

Rutgers University was established in 1766 making it the sole university in the United States that is a colonial-era college, a Land Grant institution, a public research university, and a member of NCAA Division I athletics program. This low cost, tier-two, public university has a total enrollment exceeding 41,500 students.  Rutgers’ main campus, sitting astride the Raritan River in New Brunswick, hosts over 30,000 undergraduate/graduate students and is comprised of five sub-campuses. The university has 14 distinct schools and colleges, and over 175 centers and institutes, and offers more than 120 undergraduate majors and 160 plus graduate degree programs.  The college is ranked among the top public universities by U.S. News and World Report. The university accepts students from all 50 states and 115 plus countries. 87% of the student population is New Jersey residents. Gender breakdown equates to 49.5% male and 51.5% are female. Entrance into this school is moderately difficult with the overall acceptance rate being 56% (transfer students were accepted at a rate of 42%). More than 40 % of the entering freshman class ranked in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class, and possessed an average high school GPA of 3.6, with an average SAT score of 1837 - more than 300 points above the New Jersey (1511) and national (1498) mean scores. At the May 2014 commencement, over 9700 students graduated from Rutgers’ flagship campus in New Brunswick.  In 2016, Rutgers University will celebrate its 250th anniversary with US Army ROTC marking its centennial on campus.

S&L has made a lot of improvements embracing new ideas from all levels and fostering improved company culture. The work can be highly demanding at times, and for extended periods depending on your project assignment/team and your value as a performer. There is a large knowledge base of senior engineers and managers to lean on, and SMEs in various disciplines for technical support. Management is supportive (in my experience) and wants to retain talent; they do their best to keep employees interested in the work and still get projects done. Experience with particular clients, systems, or projects can pigeon hole individuals in one place at times. Some new hires on large projects do not enjoy the work initially as there is a large amount of administrative type work vs "real engineering", and large, complex projects can take many years to complete, so the satisfaction level can be low. At the middle management level/ senior engineer level the job can be extremely demanding juggling multiple projects, shifting resources, client interface and technical oversight simultaneously. The individuals that can do this well succeed, however, outside of a few select specialty groups, there are no real positions that are purely technical. One of the larger challenges is the lack of skilled senior designers that can work relatively autonomously, despite the company business process being structured such that engineers do very little to no true design (CAD work). Overall, the company is a great place for the average engineer interested in moving into management after 6-10+ years.

- transferring calls, scheduling appointments in Axium, processing patient information in the system including insurance, receiving patient referrals. 

- I've learned how to be a better multitasker, handle sometimes challenging situations and assist all kinds of patients and their dilemma.

-  Management does a good job with recognizing the issue in a situation and finding the solution for it. Their organization and communication skills are very helpful for employees. However, they should have more control over the workplace culture with rules and regulations that should be applied for every employee. 

- The workplace culture can absolutely use improvement. Although management and most employees do their best to assist patients to the best of their ability, keeping a healthy work environment for employees with each other seems to be a challenge.

- The hardest part of my job is telling a patient that their assigned department is not able to assist them at the moment and that our to get back to them at a later time. Patients often get impatient and sometimes belligerent due to the fact that the clinic at times takes to long to solve their dental issue. Handling these kinds of situations sometimes become tough. 

- The most enjoyable part of my job is knowing I have fully helped a patient and that their dental process wishes have been fulfilled. Knowing I have done my job well makes me very content.

In much the same way Cuba is likened to the US minus 50 years, everything I worked with- buildings, equipment, management philosophies, and employees- was state of the art in 1990 and hasn't improved since. Mission is not followed. You will not be given any say in how to do your job, or any (true) information about management's plans for the future. Do not assume that you can just get a lateral transfer if it doesn't work out, management is always quick to use underhanded "employee retention strategies".

About half of those who left during my 5 years did so with a lawyer on retainer, rather than leaving by retirement or having gotten a better job. These were high-quality, well-adjusted, and competent people to begin with, and were recruited at the peak of their careers.

Disclaimer- My experience was as a support staff member off-campus. Rutgers is good at many things, and employs many good leaders and happy employees on-campus. I approve of the CEO. Just be aware that it's a large and diverse organization, and you can't assume that everything Rutgers puts its brand on is of the same quality. In addition, do not assume that the institution's 250-year history means everyone thinks about the long-term best interest of the organization. It's largely tax-funded and, as a result, there is virtually zero accountability.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Postdoctoral fellow 17 salaries reported	$58,941 per year
Research assistant 12 salaries reported	$18.58 per hour
Graduate assistant 13 salaries reported	$37,472 per year
Graduate researcher 4 salaries reported	$39,250 per year
Assistant professor 4 salaries reported	$95,250 per year

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