Award announcement: Nine Professional Development Grants Fund Discipline-Specific Opportunities
Career Readiness for Budding Plant Biologists: A Half-Day Professional Development Symposium
Over the past year we hosted multiple career exploration lunches for plant biology trainees which were well attended and well received. Although there are many professional development opportunities for biomedical trainees at Duke, the success of the past year’s events indicates that there is a strong demonstrated desire for more plant biology-specific professional development opportunities. Building on the success of the past year, while also recognizing the need to change the format to effectively achieve one of our aims of helping trainees build a robust professional network, we propose to host a half-day symposium on professional development relevant to plant biology trainees. To appeal to the diverse interests of the plant biology community at Duke, the symposium will build on our previous career exploration and networking aims, while also providing trainees with opportunities to learn more about effective plant biology communication and practice good communication strategies. This symposium will include a career panel, a keynote talk on lessons in plant biology communication, trainee flash talks, and a happy hour with current and past Duke plant biology trainees. The symposium will prepare attendees to find meaningful careers in plant biology, strengthen their communication skills, and strengthen the Duke plant biology network.
BME 790: Inclusive Engineering Leadership
Mentorship is an essential component of professional engineering roles—whether teaching and leading research groups in academia, managing teams in industry, or promoting STEM outreach. Yet, graduate students receive little or no formal mentorship and leadership training. Through our experience with the Duke Research in Engineering Program (DukeREP)—a summer research program for high school students—we identified a desire among Ph.D. mentors for structured guidance and skill development in this area. To address this, we developed BME790: Inclusive Engineering Leadership, a formal course designed to train DukeREP mentors and graduate/post-doctoral students seeking to become more effective mentors. We have successfully run two iterations of this course, Summer 2023 and 2025. Support from the Professional Development Grant will help with course implementation in 2026 by enabling us to host guest lecturers/panelists, strengthen experiential technical workshops and community-building activities, and provide resources that participants can harness throughout their mentoring careers.
Building Bonds: Coffee with a Chemist
Career planning and networking are vital at all stages of graduate school. In the Chemistry Department, “coffee with a chemist” is a popular event series offering an informal networking hour with chemists from all career paths. Traditionally, these events are limited to one or two non-academic guests per year and restricted to guests already working at or visiting the university. The Professional Development Committee proposes to expand the “coffee with a chemist” series to occur with increased frequency and feature a wider range of alternative career paths. We will increase networking opportunities and deepen the impact on graduate student career outcomes in the Chemistry Department.
Creative Ecologies: Professional Practices Colloquium for Duke MFA Artists
Drawing from their mutual and extensive histories of working in the arts in wide-ranging capacities as performers, creators, advocates, arts administrators, panelists, teachers, and mentors, Kate Watson-Wallace (Artists’ U and Creative Capital) and David Thomson (Dancer’s Forum, New York Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, the Dancer’s Compact), will travel to Durham to facilitate a two-day retreat for all current MFA students enrolled in Duke’s two terminal arts practice graduate programs: Dance and Experimental Documentary Arts. Through interactive work sessions and shared meals, they will impart a curriculum, Strategies for Sustainability, which proposes a more comprehensive approach to living an artistic life while creating an artistic career.
Strengthening Alumni Networks and Cultivating Professional Connections in Global Health
At DGHI, we recognize that early career exploration and intentional planning are critical to ensuring students’ long-term professional success. At this complicated moment in the field of global health, support and guidance in navigating the career landscape is critical. While we consistently provide strong student services and diverse resources, there is an opportunity to strengthen our alumni engagement, enhance industry-specific programming, and expand professional development support. To achieve these goals, DGHI will increase opportunities for students to engage with alumni and global health professionals.
The Professional Commons: Cultivating Community Connection & Growing Professional Networks Among New Teachers and School Leaders
This project builds a sustainable bridge between Duke’s MAT program and Durham Public Schools (DPS) to strengthen early-career teacher development, professional identity, and retention. Addressing the continued need for community-rooted, practice-based mentorship, the series connects MAT candidates with principals, program alumni, and district mentors through monthly events focused on professional preparation and engagement. Planned activities invite our DPS Partners onto our campus to implement leadership panels, mock interviews, mentoring sessions, and a financial literacy workshop, all designed to enhance confidence, resilience, and professional belonging.
International Professional Development for the Humanities
Duke’s Ph.D. program in Romance Studies is uniquely international in both its focus and the composition of its student body. In order to support students in their post-graduation job search, our International Professional Development series seeks to connect current students with alumni who have found careers both within and beyond academia outside of the United States, as well as offer an opportunity to better understand the differences between the United States and international job markets. Across four workshops, Romance Studies students, as well as students in other departments interested in the programming, will hear from current faculty and researchers at international universities, employees at non-academic cultural institutions abroad, and recently-hired Romance Studies faculty to understand the opportunities for employment both within the United States and beyond its borders.
Understanding Industry Roles for Ph.D. Statisticians: Skills, Expectations, and Career Paths
This proposal seeks funding to organize a two-part professional development series… The events will feature two invited industry professionals who are actively involved in hiring or managing Ph.D.-level statisticians. They will discuss the types of roles commonly open to Ph.D. graduates in their area, how these positions differ from those for master’s-level candidates, and the skills, experiences, and application strategies that make candidates competitive. These sessions aim to equip Duke Ph.D. students with realistic insights into industry expectations and career pathways, fostering informed preparation for diverse professional trajectories.
Career Development and Alumni Engagement Opportunities for Genetics & Genomics Students
This proposal aims to enhance professional development for students by creating structured opportunities to engage with professionals and alumni across biotechnology and related life science fields. Through the Networking Lunch Series, RTP Biotech and Life Sciences Company Site Visits, and an Alumni Mixer, students will gain firsthand exposure to diverse career paths, workplace environments, and mentorship opportunities. The proposed activities will bridge the gap between academic research and its real-world applications, helping students translate their skills to a broad range of professional contexts.