Working With Non-traditional and New Professors

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Researching with a younger, less traditional professor is not inherently a waste of time, as long as the work is original and peer-reviewed. Graduate schools do not necessarily favor research with older, more established professors, but the choice should align with personal interests and specialization. Fields like engineering applications of quantum mechanics (QM) have a long history, and the relevance of a professor's age or reputation may vary by discipline. Ultimately, pursuing a PhD with a professor who specializes in an area of genuine interest is more important than their traditional credentials.
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Is it a waste of time to do research with a professor who is young, less traditional, and doesn't have as much respect in the field as the oldies? Do graduate schools favor research with more elderly and well-known professors? Should you do your PhD with the more elderly and traditional type?
 
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Non-traditional? Engineering applications of QM has been going on almost since the establishment of QM in physics. I haven't even heard of the distinction you talked about. As long as they are original peer reviewed work, there shouldn't be problems with respect (assuming these academic staff are mature adults...).

A lot of these things are simply different fields. If you specialize in fluid mechanics you don't see so much QM related stuff, but if you do things like semiconductor devices, you run into it sooner or later.

So do you PhD with the professor that specialize in something that interests you in the most.
 
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