Faculty Profile

Mark Swihart.

Mark Swihart

Distinguished Professor
Chemical and Biological Engineering
swihart@buffalo.edu

Education:

  • PhD, Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1997
  • BS, Chemical Engineering, Rice University, 1992

Professional experience:

  • Post-Doc, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota
  • Assistant/Associate/Full/Distinguished Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo

What mentoring means to me:

Basically, I just see it as an obligation (in a positive sense) to help students and junior colleagues understand how the system works. I have gotten some good mentoring over the course of my career, but also had periods where a little more advice and more diverse perspectives would have been extremely helpful.

Topics I am willing to discuss with students:

Academic Culture

  • Considering a non-academic path after grad school.
  • Dealing with politics and conflict with faculty or peers.
  • Decoding and demystifying academic culture and norms.
  • Taking a non-traditional path to grad school.
  • Uncertainty about staying in grad school.

Personal Experiences

  • Caregiving for children.
  • Experiences related to class and/or socioeconomic status.
  • Experiences related to mental health and/or abilities.