Dr. Treviene Harris is Project Manager with Doctoral Futures, an initiative of the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) that aims to identify and promote ways doctoral programs can evolve to meet current challenges and better serve students. Treviene shares her own PhD journey, her current work on the project, and strategies the ACLS and its partner organizations can use to encourage widespread adoption of their recommendations and transform doctoral education and outcomes at the national level. 

In this episode, Ava Breitbeck sits down with Alexia Chatzitheordorou, PhD Candidate in Physics, to discuss her leadership as a graduate student. In her role as representative to the SU Board of Trustees, she has championed numerous initiatives to support graduate students' professional development. We discuss strategies to succeed as a student and scholar. 

Meg Healy, a PhD candidate in English at Syracuse, joins GradCast to discuss videographic criticism, in which audiovisual media are used to interpret texts and make scholarly arguments in ways very different from traditional print-based academic essays. Find out how Meg uses videographic tools to enhance her research into sci-fi films.

Elvi Caperonis, Technical Program Manager at Amazon and Life & Agile Career Coach, talks about how to stay adaptable in your job search and career using some of the techniques of Agile Methodology (used in software development). She also encourages you to increase your emotional intelligence and to discover and use your own super powers.

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Rebecca Schewe, Assistant Professor of Sociology and O'Hanley Faculty Scholar. Dr. Schewe takes us through the first-round or "screening interview" that colleges and universities use to determine whom they should invite for on-campus interviews. These meetings are short, to the point, and most often happen over Zoom or the phone. What are they looking for, and how do you make the cut--and get the invitation for the campus interview? Find out here. 

Shaundel Sanchez completed her Ph.D. in spring 2020 in Cultural Anthropology just as the pandemic hit, causing her postdoc in Germany to be cancelled and her to reevaluate her post-Ph.D. life and career goals. Throughout our interview she describes how she evaluated herself through self-reflection and refined her job search with networking successes along the way. Shaundel begins a Visiting Assistant Professorship this fall at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA.

In this episode, Dr. Romita Ray, Associate Professor of Art and Music Histories, discusses the thorny issue of the reference letter, and encourages us to get started asking for them now! But before you ask, there's plenty to know: whom to ask, what information your referees need, how to "pop the question," and more. 

As many professionals work from home, we interviewed several alumni on their top tips for working well in your personal space. On today’s episode we’ll hear tips from:

Tanya Achhra, G’18, Information Management, is a Program Manager at Amazon Web Services, and began her job working from home this past spring.

Janak Khilnani, G’15, Information Management and Managing Consultant at IBM and has been working from home for five years.

Jessica Garay Redmond, Ph.D., G’18, Assistant Professor at Syracuse University. Jessica is also a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS),  Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (FAND) and 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher. You can connect with Jessica on Twitter, @CuseSportsRD.

Zhicheng (Mike) Zhao, G'14, Computer Science graduate from the College of Engineering and Computer Science is currently a Tech Lead at Alibaba in China. Mike formerly worked as a Senior Software Engineer at eBay and lived in San Francisco where he created a large orange alumni community. Mike will provide tips for conducting your job search.

Join Syracuse University alum Laura Spenceley, PhD, who is assistant professor of School Psychology and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at SUNY OSWEGO to explore the ins and outs of effective teaching statements. A good teaching statement, Dr. Spenceley says, are "teasers for what faculty and students can expect from you when you're on campus." Yet so many statements let the reader down, so how do you write one that makes faculty want to see what you're like as a teacher?

Christa Kelleher, an assistant professor of (this is a mouthful!) Comparative Hydrology, Urban Hydrology, & Hydrologic Modeling in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, joins us this week to give us her take on the research statement. Given her preference for "shiny things," as she calls them, what makes a research statement shine? Listen to find out. 

In this podcast we welcome alumnus Meriton (Tony) Gollopeni, a December 2019 grad from the College of Engineering and Computer Science with a Master of Science in Structural Engineering. He now works as a Bridge Engineer at STV Incorporated in Baltimore, Maryland.

Tony answers questions on how he secured a summer internship and full-time job. He gives advice for students conducting jobs/internship searches and mentions what he wishes he knew as a student.

This edition of the Academic Job Market Series tackles the crucial and sometimes under-appreciated role of the cover letter in an effective academic job search. We answer so many questions: How long should your cover letter be? What is its purpose among so many other documents? How do you organize it,  and most of all, how do you save time when you have lots of applications to complete?

Listen in on a conversation with Dr. Ramon Goings, a faculty member and doctoral program director in Language, Literacy, and Culture at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and founder of The Done Dissertation, a consultancy helping doctoral candidates and dissertation advisors develop habits that promote productive writing and efficient degree completion. Learn about the "80% Rule" and other tips from Dr. Goings' book, 14 Secrets to a Done Dissertation!

This episode features an interview with Shasta Savage, MSW. Shasta is also a Registered Yoga Teacher-200 (RYT). She is a Finger Lakes native with a background in the trauma-informed lens, human rights perspective, mindfulness and resilience. She strives to instruct wellness practices in the most accessible way.

Questions we addressed: How is mental health, in general, being affected by the pandemic? What are some effective ways to cope? With spending so much time at home, what suggestions do you have for separating work/student life from recreational/relaxing life?  What are some easy, inexpensive, beginner-friendly ways that students can start to engage in more self-care? How can I support friends or family members who are struggling? For more accessible wellness tips and resources from Shasta Savage, MSW, visit www.cascadillawellness.org and follow @cascadillawellness on Facebook and Instagram!

Additional Information and Resources:
Insight Timer
Mindful Magazine
Yoga With Adriene
Dianne Bondy Yoga
The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, Kristen Neff

Syracuse University resources:

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency or you are in immediate danger, call 911.

Syracuse University students experiencing a mental health crisis, seeking support for sexual assault or relationship violence, or needing medical consultation can receive free confidential services 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 315.443.8000. Please note, routine consultations should hold until the next business day. You can find more information at the following links for Counseling at Barnes Center at the Arch and Recreation at Barnes Center at the Arch.

Glenn Wright, Ph.D., and Dan Olson-Bang, Ph.D., discuss creating a great CV for academic jobs, maybe the most important part of your application packet. This discussion includes: what are the key differences between a resume and a CV? What information goes on the CV and how should you organize the information? For research jobs, is there a way to organize your categories and information? What publications should be listed on the CV and are they important? For teaching-intensive institutions, how should you communicate your teaching experience and how do you include related teaching information? How important is university service and how can you build a record of university service as a graduate student? How many different versions of your CV do you need to have?

Join Tracy Bauer, G'15, and Dan Olson-Bang, Ph.D., as we answer your frequently asked questions on LinkedIn, such as: What is LinkedIn and why do I need an account? What should I include on my profile? How do I write a headline? How do I write a good “About” section? How do I find people to connect with? How do I network on LinkedIn? What should I post about in the news feed? What other features are helpful?

Glenn Wright, Ph.D., and Dan Olson-Bang, Ph.D., discuss the fundamental steps to get started (and when!) with the daunting process of applying for academic jobs. When do you get started? What kinds of materials are needed to apply to most jobs? And, of course, what is the process of interviewing for these jobs like? 

Join Tracy Bauer, G'15, and Dan Olson-Bang, Ph.D., as we answer your frequently asked questions on interviewing.
- How do I prepare for the interview?
- How do I start the interview? What’s small talk? (not asked but sometimes implied: Can’t we just get to the point?)
- How do I know what the interviewer will ask me?
- What questions do I ask in the interview?
- What tips do you have for digital, video chat, and phone interviews?
- How do I follow up after an interview?

Join Tracy Bauer, G'15, and Dan Olson-Bang, Ph.D., as we answer your frequently asked questions on cover letters.
- I found some jobs that ask for cover letters. What are they and how do I write one?
- Do I use the same cover letter for every job?
- How is a cover letter different from a resume?
- How do I speed up the process of writing cover letters?

Join Tracy Bauer, G'15, and Dan Olson-Bang, Ph.D., in answering your frequently asked questions on resumes.
- What are some basics to know about resume writing?
- Do you use a different resume for all positions?
- As a joke: “Is this good? How about this? How about this?
- I get a lot of conflicting advice about my resume. Who’s right?
- How much information is enough for my resume? I want to include every course or project I’ve ever taken, can I?
- I updated my resume and have had it reviewed 10x so what is wrong with it, why am I not getting interview calls?

Join Tracy Bauer and Dan Olson-Bang as we answer your frequently asked questions on networking.
- What are the benefits of networking? What is the point?
- How do I network as an introvert?
- Who should I reach out to?
- I asked someone for a referral but they refused.  
- If I network won’t it really be like someone else got me the job?  
- Networking isn’t working. No one is getting back to me. What do I do? 

Join Tracy Bauer and Dan Olson-Bang as we answer your frequently asked questions on the job search:
- When do companies hire?
- I heard from a senior/my friend/roommate that….
- I reached out to recruiters but they aren’t getting back to me (or under networking)
- I’ve applied to 200 jobs but no response. What’s wrong with my resume?
- I’m panicked, or know I’ve been lazy, and have trouble staying focused with my job search. What can I do?
- Do I have to customize all of my applications?

Learn more about Syracuse University Graduate School's podcast, GradCast. Our episodes will offer a wide range of information for graduate students from career and professional development to speakers and event information. Subscribe today!

Now here's an unexpected way to do career exploration: ask a subject area librarian! And that's exactly what I did. I reached out to Steph McReynolds, Librarian for Business, Management and Entrepreneurship, a curator of an excellent research guide on careers, who walked me through her research's fascinating resources. What followed were some ways of learning about companies and opportunities that I didn't know about!

Stacy Hartman, Program Officer for Higher Education Initiatives with the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), discusses how professional organizations have addressed the need to prepare doctoral students for a range of careers.

We have talked about how to get the coveted tenure-track job on Gradcast, but we've never really discussed what it's actually like to get tenure! I was so glad that Candace Receno, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Graduate Program Chair, Exercise Science and Athletic Training at Ithaca College, newly-tenured, could join me in a great conversation about the process and what it looks like to be on the other side of the tenure track!

"In a world of robots, be a human," says Maren Wood, Ph.D., CEO and director of the Center for Graduate Career Success, home of Beyond the Professoriate, an invaluable career exploration platform brought to you by the Graduate School.

But what does that mean in the context of job searching? How and in what ways should we use AI in our job search, how much is too much, and how do we stand out when we know that AI has permeated the career landscape regardless of whether you are a hiring manager or a job seeker?

I've known Allison Alberts, Ph.D. (English Literature, Fordham University) since our days in grad school together--I owe her a ton for all the reviewing and constructive conversation about my work to this day! I was delighted, then, to have her on the podcast talking about her career as a private high school English teacher, since many people are interested in finding ways of teaching that are not necessarily at the college level. Allie shares about her transition from grad school to teaching and offers some tips about how to thrive in this kind of role.

Emily Roberts (Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Duke University) made a big pivot from her research to her current role as founder of Personal Finance for Ph.D.s https://pfforphds.com/, helping fellow Ph.D. students and degree holders navigate the world of budgeting while getting a Ph.D.

I'm happy to announce that Dr. Roberts will be joining us on Friday Sept. 5th via Zoom to share her insights. I was able to learn a little more about her and her passion for finance in advance of her visit, and I hope you'll give it a listen!

In this episode, Ashley Watson, Assistant Professor of Communication at SUNY Geneseo, discusses the research behind her recently completed dissertation, “Born Unveiled: The Process, Protest, and Product of Racialization among International Black African Collegians in U.S. Graduate Education” (University of Minnesota, 2024).

Syracuse is now home to a fantastic resource for international students!Interstride is an interactive portal supporting international students in their job search, immigration journey, and community building. If you've ever been unsure of where to look for jobs with employers who are willing to sponsor, this is the place. If you've had questions about how to present your value to employers as an international student, again, Interstride is your friend. Our guest is Dan Pack, Career Exploration Specialist at SU, who will tell us all about this new, fantastic resource.

Ruohan Xu, an Energy Systems Engineer in the Carrier Engineering Leadership Program (ELP) in Syracuse and a master's degree holder from ECS, has a lot of insight to offer. As an alum of the university as well as someone working locally in Syracuse, I was grateful for the opportunity to hear about how he was able to leverage his experience at SU in his current work--and I think anyone looking for industry opportunities will be better for hearing his story. As somone who has stayed involved at Syracuse after his graduation, talking about his journey is essential listening for those looking to follow a similar path.

Mallory Fix-Lopez discusses her consultancy Language ConnectED, which provides research communication and professional development trainings for academics. Fix-Lopez will visit Syracuse on February 28, 2025, to deliver a 4-hour workshop for international grad students on “Telling Your Research Story.”

Ten years after the Report of the MLA Task Force on the Future of Doctoral Education in Modern Language and Literature, task force chair Russell Berman (German and Comparative Literature, Stanford) reflects on which of the report’s recommendations have had traction over the past decade, which goals have been elusive, and where we stand now with efforts to help PhD students pursue diverse career options.

As president of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), Suzanne Ortega, Ph.D. advocates for graduate issues, leads research projects, and fosters best practices in graduate education. In this episode, Ortega discusses CGS’s mission, her role with the organization, and what institutions can do to improve graduate experiences and outcomes. If you've ever wanted to hear a high-level discussion of the state of graduate students and the future of graduate education, this is a great podcast to listen to.

Carrie Murawski, PhD has a fascinating career trajectory. Starting out as a visit assistant professor at a small liberal arts college, she transitioned to being a full time, tenure-track faculty member--before deciding to take a different path. Recently arrived at Syracuse University, she is the Director of DEIA Learning and Development at Syracuse University. Carrie and I talked about her roles in academia, how and why she decided to take another route, and her hopes for advocating for DEIA here at SU.

The Charlotte Newcombe Dissertation Fellowship is an excellent opportunity for graduate students who have written dissertations which respond to and participate in deep and meaningful conversations within religion, values, and ethics. Fellows receive a $31,000 stipend to complete the writing stage of their dissertation, and it is available regardless of citizenship status.

I was privileged to sit down with Nimisha Thakur, doctoral candidated in Anthropology at SU and current Newcombe Fellow, to talk about her experience applying for and receiving this award. Her story is an inspiration, and I hope it encourages you to consider applying to this prestigious award, due November 1!

Many folks looking for academic jobs struggle to figure out the "two-body problem," in which both members of a couple are seeking academic jobs at more or less the same time. What do you do? How do you prioritize? How do you talk about this issue as a couple? I'm joined this week by Laura Coutts, Associate Director of Career Services in Biostatistics at Duke University to discuss this thorny issue--and, we hope, to offer some ideas as you pursue your academic career(s).

Leonard Cassuto, Professor of English at Fordham and author of Academic Writing As If Readers Matter. He is a leader in innovative graduate education, and his book is essential reading for all writers, whether for academic audiences or otherwise.

He is visiting Syracuse On Sept. 30th and Oct. 1st, giving two talks:

How to Go Public: Writing for People Outside Your Specialty

September 30, 2024 at 2:15pm – 3:30pm EDT

Bird Library, 114

Academic Writing: How to Do It Well and Why We Must

October 1, 2024 at 12:00pm – 1:45pm EDT

Schine Student Center, 304ABC

The Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O. International) is the most important funding agency for women that you've never heard of. P.E.O. supports women in all fields with two awards, one for U.S. citizens, and another, the International Peace Scholarship, for international students. This podcast, with P.E.O. representative Lisa Blystone, focuses on IPS and gives a sense of the organization generally.

Melissa Welshans, Ph.D., Assistant Director, Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA), walks us through the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Award, a generous and unusual award for early-stage doctoral students.

This award is meant to support early-stage doctoral students pursuing innovative approaches to dissertation research in the humanities and interpretive social sciences, and I asked Melissa to join me to talk about the award and what the funders are looking for.

Among other reasons for applying: the award is $42,000 base stipend for the fellowship year, plus up to $8,000 for project-related research, training, development, and travel costs! The award also provides a separate $2,000 stipend for external mentorship.

If you’re writing a dissertation, it’s likely you’re incorporating at least some material that is under copyright and thus requires permission to reproduce. In this episode, Dr. Dylan Mohr, Syracuse University’s Open Scholarship Librarian, discusses copyright issues that dissertation-writers are likely to encounter, including identifying, approaching, and perhaps negotiating with copyright holders; how the concepts of fair use and the public domain come into play; and reproducing your own previously published work in your dissertation. Dylan also considers the questions of whether to formally register copyright on your dissertation, whether to make your dissertation available on your institutional repository, and what resources exist to help you. Don’t let ignorance of your dissertation’s copyright context trip you up at the finish line!

Mary-Jo (MJ) Robinson is an experienced nonprofit leader and consultant and is a proud graduate of the Maxwell School, having earned her MPA there. Listen in to learn how she applied her skills as a graduate student to work in a variety of nonprofit settings, including spending two years conducting rewarding work in Kenya! Now a project manager with the Engaged Humanities Network at SU, MJ is a leader in facilitating experiential opportunities for graduate students. 

I'm joined today by Maren Wood, PhD, CEO and Director of the Center for Graduate Career Success. A longtime friend of Syracuse University, Dr. Wood has created a platform, Beyond Graduate School dedicated to preparing Master's students for their careers after graduation, from career exploration, to networking, to resume prep, to closing the deal in an interview. Maren joins me today and tells us all about the platform. I hope you enjoy it and, more important, give Beyond Graduate School a try!

I recently sat down with my new collegue, Claire Perrott, PhD, Professional Development Postdoctoral Fellow in Syracuse's Office of Research, to learn about her transition from her doctoral program and from tenure track roles she held to higher education administration. Claire offered an honest, unsparing picture of her transition, and I think you'll learn a great deal from that perspective. If you are a postdoc (or will be one at Syracuse soon), you'll also be pleased to know that she is here to support you and to grow our efforts in the postdoctoral area. Listen in!

The founder and owner of the consultancy Data Dozen, Erin Waldron leverages her expertise in data analytics to help grad students, postdocs and faculty communicate their research with compelling visualizations. Erin discusses her career path, reviews the state of play with data visualization, and gives a preview of her two upcoming workshops, “Data Visualization 101: Visualizing Data with Tableau” (February 16, 2024) and “How to Communicate Effectively with Data” (February 23, 2024).

https://calendar.syracuse.edu/events/2024-feb-16/visualizing-data-with-tableau-109707/

https://calendar.syracuse.edu/events/2024-feb-23/how-to-communicate-effectively-with-data/

Ariel Ash-Shakoor, Ph.D., Biomedical Engineer at FDA in their Cardiovascular Devices division, sits down with me to talk transitions from her PhD program in Bioengineering to her role in the federal government. Along the way, Ariel shares about her experience in building community at Syracuse University, making hard decisions in choosing the right job for her, and succeeding in her demanding role.

Nneka Eke, PhD, a graduate of Syracuse's Political Science department and a current Research Associate at SEIU Local 721, joins us to discuss her career exploration journey. From a graduate to doing great work outside of academic, Nneka's experience is instructive for us all.

As Dean’s Professor of Community Engagement in the SU College of Arts & Sciences, Brice Nordquist created and directs the Engaged Humanities Network, which “seeds, supports, and fosters exchanges across publicly engaged research, teaching, and creative projects” connecting the University with communities in Syracuse and across Central New York. In this episode, Dr. Nordquist discusses the work of the EHN and the many opportunities for grad students to get involved – including academic-year RAships, summer intern- and assistantships, and the Feeding Collaboration lunch series.