IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - June 2022 - 102

the United States and many are from
outside the US, I ask if working in the
US is important to them. Are they
open to working in Europe or Asia?
For the student considering the Ph.D.
there is excellent power electronics
research going on in companies and
research centers all over the world.
To pursue the best opportunities
could mean being open to international
locations to pursue advancement
in one's career.
A couple of final questions are
more about their outlook and desires
in general. I ask them to think about
their thoughts and plans for a family.
Pursing a Ph.D. while starting a family
is more than doubly hard. Simultaneously,
managing the demands of
the Ph.D. program and the demands
of a young child can be overwhelming.
So to purse a Ph.D. may mean
putting off starting a family for several
years. Does that match with
what the student envisions for his/
her life?
And my last question-how important
is it to you to make a lot of
money? Engineering can provide a
good career with steady employment
and a chance to build financial security
now and for retirement. But, not
many engineers become real ly
wealthy. If pursing wealth is important
then a career on the management
side, pursing a CEO position or
leveraging one's engineering training
in the investment world would offer
a better chance to become wealthy.
In this case a business degree would
be more beneficial than an engineering
Ph.D.
These questions generally leave
the student reeling a bit. None of the
students that have sought my advice
about going on for a Ph.D. had considered
even half of these questions
-and none had considered the
implications of giving up several
years' salary to earn the Ph.D. I
think in the end it comes down to
one's goals and one's personal
desires. For some, the prestige of
introducing themselves as " Doctor "
or as having a Ph.D. is important for
their own sense of self and perhaps
even as a matter of family pride.
Others may be more concerned
about being able to consistently find
work that is interesting and challenging.
Others may be more worried
about financial security. In the
end, each person has to weigh their
own goals and desires to answer for
themselves the question " To Ph.D.
or not to Ph.D.? "
About the Author
Robert V. White (bob.white@ieee.
org) has more than 40 years of industry
experience as a power electronics
engineer. He has worked in product
design, systems and applications
engineering, technical marketing, and
technology development. He has
been an active volunteer with the
IEEE Power Electronics Society, serving
several years on the Administrative
Committee, two terms as technical
vice president, and as a Chapter
chair. He earned a B.S.E.E. degree
from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology and an M.S.E.E. degree
from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
He is currently pursuing a Ph.D.
degree in power electronics at the
University of Colorado, Boulder.
Presently, he is the chief engineer of
Embedded Power Labs, a power electronics
consulting company in Highlands
Ranch, CO 80130, USA. He is a
Life Fellow of the IEEE.
102 IEEE POWER ELECTRONICS MAGAZINE z June 2022
http://www.itg-electronics.com
IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - June 2022

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