Graduate Career Pathways Conference

The first annual Graduate Career Pathways Conference
Friday, April 20, 2018, from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Stamp Student Union

****EVENT IS FULL*****
This day-long conference is specifically for graduate students and postdocs from all disciplines and is designed to to educate attendees about the wide variety of career paths that exist for them. In addition to learning about career paths from the experiences of alumni, attendees will have multiple opportunities throughout the day to connect and get advice from UMD graduate alumni working in the MD/DC/VA area.  

Conference Schedule: 

8:30-9:00 am           Check-in and Breakfast
9:00-9:20 am           Opening Remarks  
9:30-10:45 am          Session 1

Arts & Humanities Work: Professional Pathways in Non-profit, Government Agencies and Contracting
     Eileen Sellman, Goethe Institute
     Claudia Kinkela, National Endowment for the Humanities
     Sean Luechtefeld, American Network of Community Options and Resources
     Ceylon Mitchell II, Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County

Putting your Teaching Skills to Good Use Outside of Academia
     Jeremy Metz, The Potomac School
     Scott Roberts, Teaching & Learning Transformation Center, UMD
     Pallavi Guha, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, UMD
     Kim Pinkney-Lewis, United States Department of Defense
     Christine V. Jurasinski, LabLearner

Communication, Writing, & Editing Careers
     Meg Eden Kuyatt, Association of Writers & Writing Programs
     Martha Heil, Maryland Nano Center
     Matthew Wright, College of Computer, Mathematical, & Natural Sciences, UMD
     Deborah Bailin, General Dynamics Information Technology

Ask Us Anything: Advice & Networking Session with Alumni
     Samuel Gordon, Medstar Health
     Sarah Guille, Optimal Solutions Group LLC
     Matthew Guidry, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (Retired)
     Christopher King, School of Medicine, Georgetown University
     Kent Hasperts, Institute for Defense Analyses

11:00 am -12:15 pm   Session 2

Research Outside Academia: STEM
     Stefanie Brodie, District Department of Transportation
     Jonathan Jacobs, Qiagen Bioinformatics
     Ralph Schneider, National Nuclear Security Administration (Retired)
     Tom Dang, Mid-Atlantic Kaiser Permanente

Doing Applied Research That Matters
     Eva Sharma, Westat
     Christopher King, School of Medicine, Georgetown University
     Sarah Guile, Optimal Solutions Group LLC
     Bob Gold, School of Public Health, UMD
          
Big Challenges, Big Ideas, and Serving the Public Good With a Graduate Degree
     Brigid Cafferty, DC Public Schools
     Richard Clinch, The Jacob France Institute, University of Baltimore
     Laurelyn Foderaro, Citizenship and Immigration Services, Homeland Security
     Jillien Meier, No Kid Hungry, Share Our Strength
    Dylan Roby, School of Public Health, UMD

Ask Us Anything: Advice & Networking Session with Panelists and Alumni

Deborah Bailin, Bruk Berhane, Felipe Casarim, John Daves, Elizabeth Driver, Samuel Gordon, Matthew Guidry, Kent Hasperts,  Claudia Kinkela, Sean Luechtefeld, Ceylon Mitchell II, Eileen Sellman,  Judy Touchton, Matthew Wright

 

 12:15-1:30 pm          Lunch and Keynote Speaker Rita Leahy
                                   (PhD '89, Civil Engineering)

 1:30-2:45 pm             Session 3

 

Scientific & Technical Career Pathways: So Many Possibilities

   Brittany Amadi, WilmerHale Law Firm
   Alyssa Brooks, National Institute of Health
   Minze Chien, QSSI Inc. 
   Sunkist Mehta, Digital Infuzion
   David Nahmias, US Food and Drug Administration, Health and Human Services

 

Protect the World: Environmental Policy, NGOs, and Conservation

   Matt Gallagher, Anacostia Watershed Society
   Astrid Caldas, Union of Concerned Scientists
   Felipe Casarim, Winrock International
   Ann Gallagher, National Park Service
   Maira Bezerra, Conservation International
   
Administrative Jobs in Higher Ed: Using Leadership and Communication Skills
   Bruk Berhane, A. James Clark School of Engineering, UMD
   William Cohen, Office of the Provost, UMD
   Elizabeth Driver, Maryland English Institute
   Gaelle Kolb, Office of the Vice President for Research, UMD
   Judy Touchton, American Council on Education (Retired)

Conversations about Workplace Diversity with Rita Leahy & Others
   Rita Leahy, California Asphalt Pavement Association
   Allyn Powell, University Career Center & The President's Promise
   Pamela Allen, University Career Center & The President's Promise

3:00-4:00 pm           Networking Social with Panelists 

SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

Session 1:

Arts and Humanities Work: Professional Pathways in Non-profits, Government Agencies and Contractors:  A conversation with former PhD and a Master’s students in the Arts and Humanities who are locally based in the Washington DC area and employed in interesting positions in non-profits, government agencies, or contractors.

Putting Your TA Work to Good Use: Alternative Ways to Use Higher Education Teaching Experiences: Do you enjoy teaching at the university-level but aren't interested in traditional academic jobs? Learn more about possible directions including EdTech, curriculum design, learning experience design, and non-university teaching experiences.

Careers for Wordsmiths and Social Media Moguls: Graduate education provides research and analytical skills, as well as subject matter expertise, that can be vital preparation for a wide range of careers in communications, journalism and writing/editing. Learn from a panel of working professionals about how you can leverage these skills to get into this industry.

Networking Session #1: Ask us Anything: This is the first of two interactive and informal sessions that will provide a comfortable atmosphere for graduate students to talk one-on-one and in small groups with alumni and some of today's panelists about career related issues. This is a great opportunity those who feel socially uncomfortable at professional networking events to practice and build confidence.

Session 2: 

Research Outside Academia: STEM: Persons with STEM related research skills work in a variety of roles that capitalize on the skills learned during graduate study. Learn more about careers you may not typically think of when you think of STEM research.

Big Challenges, Big Ideas, and Serving the Public Good With a Graduate Degree: Are you interested in using your knowledge and expertise on issues of national and international importance such as education, the environment or immigration? Learn more about career paths in federal and state agencies as well as DC area think-tanks. 

Persuasive Numbers and Powerful Narratives: Doing Applied Research That Matters: Graduate students in Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, and Public Health will expand their thinking about possible career paths and organizations that utilize those quantitative and qualitative research data collection and analysis skills you used in thesis and dissertation research.

Networking Session #2: Ask Us Anything: This is the second of of two interactive and informal sessions that will provide a comfortable atmosphere for graduate students to talk one-on-one and in small groups with alumni and some of today's panelists about career related issues. This is a great opportunity those who feel socially uncomfortable at professional networking events to practice and build confidence.

Session 3:

Protect the World: Environmental Policy, NGOs, and Conservation: We depend on the environment for health, business, and pleasure. From clean water to endangered species, learn how you can safeguard the natural world for generations to come. All backgrounds, skills, and interests are welcome.

Administrative Jobs in Higher Ed: Using Leadership and Communication Skills: This panel will include various university administrators, who will discuss their career paths from gaining the PhD to entering into their current positions.

Scientific & Technical Career Pathways: So Many Possibilities: This panel will include scientific and technical professionals from academia and industry. They will discuss their career paths from gaining the Masters degree or Ph.D. to entering into their current positions.  

The Road Less Traveled: A Conversation about Workplace Diversity with Rita Leahy and Other Trailblazers: Employers are committed to creating a highly skilled and diverse workplace. Engage in a conversation and Q&A with keynote speaker Rita Leahy and other trailblazers about how to navigate the opportunities and challenges of being one of the few [you fill in the blank] in your academic discipline and field.

2018 Conference Planning Committee Members:

College of Arts and Humanities: Ralph Bauer
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences: Beth Floyd
A.J. Clark School of Engineering Career Services: Veronica Perrigan
Graduate Student Government: Adria Schwarber
International Students & Scholar Services: Brad Calvin
Office of Postdoctoral Affairs: Blessing Enekwe (Conference Co-Chair)
College of Computer, Mathematical, & Natural Sciences: Phillip Staniczenko, Postdoctoral Associate
School of Public Health: Nancy Gray Smith and Sylvette LaTouche-Howard
School of Public Policy: Bryan Kempton
Teaching & Learning Transformation Center: Marissa Stewart
The Graduate School: Amanda Strausser, Anna DeCheke Qualls, Mary Carroll-Mason
University Career Center & The President's Promise: Alicia Montague, Allynn Powell, Linda Lenoir, Michelle  Watson, and Susan Martin (Conference Co-Chair)
University Relations: Dan Christopher