guxiaoxiao3's Blog

Joy in living comes from having fine emotions, trusting them, giving them the freedom of a bird in the open. Joy in living can never be assumed as a pose, or put on from the outside as a mask. People who have this joy don not need to talk about it; they radiate it. They just live out their joy and let it splash its sunlight and glow into other lives as naturally as bird sings.

We can never get it by working for it directly. It comes, like happiness, to those who are aiming at something higher. It is a byproduct of great, simple living. The joy of living comes from what we put into living, not from what we seek to get from it.

　　Set your target.While you should always keep your options open to compromise，you should also be sure to target exactly what you want in a job.A specific job hunt will be more efficient than a haphazard one.

　　Schedule ample interviews.Use every possible method to get interviews——answering ads，using search firms，contacting companies directly，surfing the Web，and networking.Even if a job is not perfect for you，every interview can be approached as a positive experience.

　　Follow up.Even if someone does not hire you，write them a thank－you note for the interview.Then，some weeks later，send another brief letter to explain that you still have not found the perfect position and that you will be available to interview again if the original position you applied for——or any other position，for that matter——is open.Do this with every position you interview for，and you may just catch a break.

　　Make it your full－time job.You can't find a job by looking sporadically。You have to make time for it.If you're unemployed and looking，devote as much time as you would to a full－time job.If you have a job while you're looking，figure out an organized schedule to maximize your searching time.

　　Network vertically。In the research phase of your job hunt，talk to people who are on a level above you in your desired industry.They'll have some insights that people at your own level won't have，and will be in a good position to hire you or recommend you to be hired.Keep your spirits up.Looking for a job is one of the toughest things you will ever have to do.Maintain your confidence，stay persistent，and think positively，and eventually you will get a job that suits you.

The California Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Caltech) is a private, coeducational university located in Pasadena, California, in the United States. Caltech maintains a strong emphasis on the natural sciences and engineering. Caltech also operates and manages the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), an autonomous-space-flight complex that oversees the design and operation of most of NASA's space-probes. Caltech is a small school, with only about 2100 students, but is ranked in the top 10 universities worldwide by metrics such as citation index, Nobel Prizes, and general university rankings.

Z: President Chameau, you have taken the post of Caltech President since Sept 2006. "A new broom sweeps clean". Are you excited about your new job?

C: Anyone who becomes President of Caltech would be excited. It is such a great place. Yes, I am very excited and glad to be here.

Z: I read from your resume that you received your education in Stanford, became a faculty in Perdue, then took administrative role in Georgia Tech. Those are all excellent universities. Compared with them, what is new about Caltech?

C: Caltech is much smaller than those three universities in size, in terms of the number of students; but it is very large in terms of the impact it has in science and in research. It is a unique university, because it has outstanding programs and a major impact on research and knowledge despite its small size.

Z: Caltech was founded in 1891. In just more than 100 years, Caltech grows from a vocational school to this world famous leading university which has claimed Nobel Prizes 32 times. This is the issue that I would like you to address. What contributes to this amazing transformation?

C: It was founded in 1891 as a polytechnic institute and became Caltech in 1921. If you look at the early days, there was a small group of individuals who established the policy that Caltech would do a small number of things and do them extremely well, and be the best in those programs. This is still the way that Caltech looks at things, it is not meant to be a comprehensive university with programs in all disciplines. It focuses on a number of scientific and technical areas and really tries to be the best in those areas and to hire the best people in those disciplines.

Z: Jet Propulsion Laboratory is managed for NASA by Caltech. I would like to say this is another huge catalyst to enhance Caltech's reputation.

C: JPL has been major part of the life and reputation of Caltech. It was created in the 1940s. From day one JPL played a very strong role in the space exploration efforts in the U.S. and it continues to play an important role. It is a very important part of Caltech which is known for its work in astronomy and planetary science in part because of JPL. Caltech manages JPL for NASA and the funding comes from NASA.

Z: One striking characteristic of Caltech is its small size. The student body only consist 900 undergraduates, 1200 graduates. While all other ivy elites like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford are all very big. What is the advantage of the small size? What is the challenge that Caltech is facing today?

C: If an institution is small but very high quality, it can do very well. We enroll students who are fascinated by science and technology and who clearly want to understand issues deeply. These are highly motivated self-starters who like to learn on their own. Our small size means that even as undergraduate students can be involved in research. We seek creative people in science, engineering, and research. As in the past, we want to be the best in a few very critical and important areas. The challenge is always to try to amplify the key areas in which you want to be the best and that is done on the faculty level. The faculty members are the ones who have to amplify those areas. By design, Caltech moves into research areas before they become fashionable, before ten or fifteen schools in the world are doing this. The kinds of faculty members we like to have at Caltech are those who are always looking for the next big thing. What happens very often is that we discover it at Caltech and then all the programs appear in other parts of the country and the world. It is a challenge because you are placing your bet on only a few areas.

Z: Caltech has a legendary physics department. From Nobel laureate Millikan to Murray Gell-Mann, and Richard Feynman, probably the most famous American physicist; why is Caltech's physics department so unique?

C: I think it is outstanding because from day one, physics decided to get involved in fundamental and critical issues as well as very large projects. It started with the early days of rocket science and continues today with the study of gravitational waves or the development of a 30 meters telescope. Caltech physicists look at big questions, like how is the universe made and how do we fit in it? They are also consistently hiring the best. In addition, you should appreciate that physics program here is more then physics. It works closely with astronomy, mathematics, biology, and engineering. The advantage of Caltech's size is that it encourages interdisciplinary research. The impact of Caltech has been larger in part because there are few barriers between disciplines, allowing our faculty and researchers to be nimble and creative.

Z: Talk about undergraduate education in Caltech. Each year, Caltech only admits around 220 students, so it is highly selective. What are the admission criteria for those students?

C: Students are admitted on a need-blind basis, i.e. looking only at their abilities and aptitude to succeed. Standardized tests, grades are important but their essays, references, and in many cases interaction with our admissions staff are critical too. We look for students with outstanding capabilities and interest in science and technology, but also students who are self-started and can succeed within our very demanding educational program.

Z: In order to better prepare students for the challenge of 21st century, a liberal arts education is crucial. As we know, Caltech puts heavy emphasis on science and technology. Do you think this potentially will be a problem?

C: Caltech is very strong in physics, biology, science, chemistry, chemical engineering, geology, planetary science, and engineering, but we also have a Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, which is excellent. The education is well balanced not only because of our programs in the humanities but because, at Caltech, students learn a lot of things outside of the classroom. The number of extra-curricular activities here is quite phenomenal. Students tell me that they can participate in many more activities than at other institutions. We have students who are accomplished musicians, students who are actors, who are involved in all kinds of sports and social programs, they are very active. The American university experience goes beyond the classroom; it includes activities that the students do within the community.

Z: In China, many universities have their own companies; these companies facilitate the translation from lab research to application and provide job opportunities for graduates as well. However, they also cause some problems. People are worried that the profit-oriented companies will spoil the study and research environment. For example, the professors operating these companies divert much effort from research to business and are eager for quick success and instant benefits. As the President, what do you think the relationship between the universities and their own companies? How does Caltech reconcile the two?

C: I think that the relationship can be balanced if you have good policies in place to handle it. There is clearly a desire from faculty members, especially those who are in the applied sciences and in engineering, to be involved in the creation of a company. The public, the federal government, and the state also are expecting universities to contribute more and more to the economic development of the country; so it is a trend. You need to ensure quality and structure to make it easy for faculty to do that and at the same time make sure that they remain involved in their main activities which are research and teaching. Faculty members are allowed to do consulting one day a week for a company. Caltech shows the faculty members how they can be scientific advisors to a company but not run it day to day. The institute assists them in finding people who can be managers, chief financial officers, and chief business officers. Facilitating the process is a way of making sure that they are happy. We have policies to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest; that the work they are doing at the university is not in conflict with what they do at the company and vice versa, and that there is no conflict in terms of students' involvement. Facilitating the process and having strong policies in place is key to the answer.

Z: The Chinese education focuses on solid knowledge and personal endeavor, while American education focuses on creativity and teamwork. You originally come from France, which is another education system. Could you please evaluate the influence of Asian, American, European education systems?

C: In Europe the education in high school is a more in-depth than it is in the U.S., especially in science and mathematics. Hence, students tend to be better prepared to study science and technology at the university. On the other hand, the U.S universities encourage students to be creative and to be more entrepreneurial than do European universities. In Europe, universities are more focused on problem analyzing and solving. Ultimately, at the end of their studies, the graduates are very similar in terms of their technical expertise, however I think those graduating from US universities have a slight edge because of the entrepreneurial and creative spirit, as well as learning how to work in teams

I don't know the system in Asia well enough. I have been involved with a few universities, like Beida, Tsinghua, and Shanghai Jiao Tong, and clearly those universities are very good. As they are in a significant evolution phase, maybe they have the opportunity to take advantage of the positive aspects of both the American and European systems. My impression is that the Chinese students coming to Caltech and before at Georgia Tech are very good. They are usually extremely well prepared in mathematics, science, physics and chemistry. They are very good at graduate studies because they have a strong base. I think what they learn here, in addition to becoming a great scientist or engineer, is the entrepreneurial way and the team approach that is very strong here.

Z: Thomas Friedman wrote a famous book "the world is flat". So in this flat world, what international outreach does Caltech have?

C: If you look at universities, the international outreach has been driven by the faculty. The administration can offer encouragement and support, but it is driven by faculty and that is the way it works at Caltech. Faculty will start up joint research activities with colleagues, which can lead to a faculty or student exchange, and students studying abroad and so on. Caltech has been doing very well with that in Europe, but in the years to come we are going to see more connections to China, Korea, Japan, Singapore and other Eastern countries. I think it is important in terms of the education and experience. Our graduates will work in that global world and we want to give them an exposure to it before they work in it.

Z: Caltech enjoys very high reputation in China because of several famous alumni.: Chung-Yao Chao, Jiaqiao Lin, especially Dr. Qian Xue seng, father of China's nuclear missiles. How do you foresee the future collaborations between China and Caltech?

C: As I indicated earlier, Caltech wants to extend its international outreach to countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including China. We have faculty members who interact with colleagues in China and we will leverage these relationships to enhance opportunities for exchanges of researchers and creation of joint activities, in particular we will seek opportunities for doctoral and post-doctoral fellows.

Z: Last few questions. You were born in Europe and then came to the United States, now you have a stellar academic career. What is your definition of the "American Dream"?

C: Whether you are born here or move here from a different country, if you work hard and seek the opportunities, you can succeed. The opportunities are here for you to grab. They are not handed to you, you have to study and work hard. Before I came here I started out in a small village in France and had no idea what could be accomplished in this country. Now, years later, I find myself president of Caltech. I don't know if it is a dream but if you work hard, apply yourself, study, and have some capabilities you can succeed very well here. By the way, succeeding does not mean becoming president of Caltech, it also means being a great faculty member of Caltech or any other school, or doing great work in a non-profit organization, in government or in a corporation. There is no limit here if you apply yourself

Z: Many international students have the brain; they're clever and are working very hard. However many of them, after graduation, are not as successful as you are, how do you account for your success?

C: Oh, I think you are being too kind to me! If you go around the campus at Caltech you will find many people who came from different countries. There is a large number of people who are extremely successful. Success is not defined as being the president of a university or a corporation, it means achieving in life. A very good example is Dr. Ahmed Zewail at Caltech. Dr. Zewail was born in Egypt, came to Caltech as a very young faculty member, received the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1999 and is a great success. You have people from all kinds of backgrounds who are doing very well in this country.

About Dr. Chameau:

Jean-Lou Chameau (born 1953) is a civil engineer and is the president of California Institute of Technology. Previously he served as a provost of Georgia Institute of Technology.

Dr. Chameau received his secondary and undergraduate education in France where he attended the ENSAM. He then obtained his Ph.D in civil engineering from Stanford University. In 1980 he joined the Purdue University, where he subsequently became full professor in civil engineering and head of the geotechnical engineering program. In 1991, he was nominated director of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech.

He is married to Dr. Carol Carmichael, the director of the Institute for Sustainable Technology and Development at Georgia Tech.

Chameau became president of Caltech on September 1, 2006. "As a person who loves science and technology, I cannot imagine a better and more exciting opportunity than to serve Caltech at this point of my career," said Dr. Chameau. "Caltech's commitment to and history of excellence are unequaled. It is a privilege to be asked to lead this institution. It is also very humbling. I look forward to working with such an exceptional group of faculty, staff, students, and trustees." Dr. Chameau succeeds Dr. David Baltimore, who is stepping down from the presidency after nearly nine years in the post.