A ‘T-shaped’ individual is one who possesses not only deep content/disciplinary knowledge (the so-called ‘hard’ skills) but also the ‘softer’ skills of communication, collaboration, and leadership, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skills that cut <i>across</i> disciplinary boundaries. The job of academia has long been perceived to be the development of content/disciplinary skills (the stem of the ‘T’), but often less explicit effort is devoted to developing the softer skills (the horizontal bar of the ‘T’). Given that the majority of chemistry graduates will go into industry, where the perceived need for T-shaped skills is high, it is necessary for chemical educators to acknowledge and address this need. This symposium will draw on the perspectives of educators from across the high school/undergraduate/graduate landscape, with each addressing how their curricular innovations do or might lead to the development of such individuals. A series of brief presentations will be followed by a panel discussion; the audience will be the primary driver responsible for identifying the themes for further discussion. The symposium will end with ‘office hours’, where the speakers will be available for one-on-one discussions.

Depth and breadth. Content and skills. Experts and generalists. The emerging need for T-shaped individuals: Opening overview

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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