From Research Assistant to Mentor: Outreach Opportunities in Graduate School

Here I present the experiences I've gained by participating in the outreach programs at Texas A{\&}M over the past 5 years. I will review the opportunities available to incoming graduate students and emphasize how faculty mentors can encourage student participation. Different types of outreach and public education will be included from the annual Physics Festival, to the Career Path Group, the DEEP Mentor Program, and the endless possibilities of social media. Unfortunately the stress of graduate school prevents many incoming students from taking advantage of these activities. I will discuss various levels of participation available to students in each arena and emphasize the many positive aspects of interacting with the public.