Special Sessions with Dr. David Giltner

On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, the TLPDC is partnering with the Graduate School for professional workshops featuring Dr. David Giltner. For questions, please contact Cari Carter, Ph.D.  

Registration is now open!

Faculty/Post Doc Workshop:

How to Get Research Funding from Industry

Tuesday, October 14th | 11:00 AM-1:00 PM |TLPDC Room 151

Your research needs funding. Federal grants are becoming scarcer and more competitive every year. Meanwhile, industry holds billions in R&D budgets—money that could potentially fund your research while creating real-world impact—but industry partners speak a language your academic training never taught you. In this workshop, I share the frameworks I've learned over 25 years in industry—to help you secure industry partnerships, increase funding, and grow your lab. The last 30 minutes of this session include an optional Q&A.

 What you'll walk away with:

1.Identifying which companies would actually value your research
2.The exact approach to navigate complex IP negotiations without compromising academic integrity
3.How to articulate your lab's value in ROI terms industry leaders instantly understand—so they actually listen to what you have to offer
4.A customized industry collab plan tailored to your specific research strengths

Lunch will be provided for those who register!

Student Workshop:

How to Land Your Dream Job Right Out of Grad School

Tuesday, October 14th | 2:00-3:30 PM |TLPDC Room 150

You spent years mastering your research field. But you were never told how to use it in industry. "If you want to work in industry, I can’t help you," they say—leaving you stranded and confused with how to get a job outside academia. In this workshop, I'll share the framework I've developed over 25 years in industr —the same system that I’ve taught thousands of PhDs to design careers that leverage their unique strengths—while standing out to industry hiring managers!

What you'll walk away with:

 1.A 5-step process for designing a career path aligned with your specific strengths (not generic “job search” advice)
 2.The method to identify which of your transferable skills have the highest value in industry
 3.Why the online application lottery fails 90%+ of the time for PhDs (and what actually works instead)

 

Dr. Giltner bridges the academic-industry divide from both sides. Having spent 25 years developing cutting-edge technologies into commercial products, he understands exactly what companies seek in research partnerships—and what makes them invest. Through his workshops, he's taught thousands of researchers to translate their scientific value into industry & business terms. Dr. Giltner holds 7 patents and is a published author of 3 books on academia-industry collaboration.

After 25 years in industry, David brings both sides of the hiring table to each session. As a hiring manager, he's interviewed hundreds of PhDs for industry positions, seeing firsthand what separates successful candidates from the rest. He's taught thousands of scientists about successful transitions, drawing from real hiring decisions.