Ph.D. Career Diversity Symposium

Navigating diverse careers: A symposium for graduate students

The Graduate Career Diversity Symposium (GCDS) was established in 2022 as a part of IU’s participation in the Ph.D. Career Pathways project (2019–22) organized by the American Association of Universities. Coordinated with seven other institutions, this initiative studied ways to make diverse career pathways visible, valued, and viable for all Ph.D. students and postdocs. This annual event is an opportunity to build communities of practice, foster curriculum development responsive to students from diverse backgrounds, and provide graduate students and postdocs with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in a range of careers.

The 2024 GCDS is scheduled for Wednesday, November 6th, in the Indiana Memorial Union

2024 GCDS Theme: Working with Data

A fundamental principle of a thesis or dissertation (required by all graduate research degrees) is the identification and application of relevant sources of information to address well-defined research questions.

This can take many forms: The synthesis of large datasets to develop conclusions and reports based on findings; the design and analysis of surveys and experiments; the collection and coding of qualitative data to draw conclusions; the articulation and management of budgets, logistical plans, and events—all of these are common to the graduate student experience. By accomplishing these things through their training, graduate students gain valuable skillsets in data and analysis with broad transferability beyond the academy.

The 2024 Graduate Career Diversity Symposium will focus on this aspect of graduate education and highlight the ways in which these advanced skills can serve graduate students in diverse career pathways.

GCDS 2024 Schedule of Events
Event and Times	Sessions	Locations
9-9:30 Welcome Reception and Opening Remarks		Georgian
9:30-10:30 Opening Plenary Session	Tracking the Graduate Student Experience and Career Outcomes Organized by the University Graduate School, Bloomington Campus career centers, and various national organizations, and the Graduate School itself collect data on manyaspects of both the graduate student experience and graduate student outcomes. Presenters will share how this data is collected, why it is collected, and how faculty, students, and staff can access it to learn more about program characteristics, costs, climate, resources, and numerous other facets of graduate life. We will also use this panel to introduce data analysts from Institutional Analytics to talk about their career trajectories and how they use their skills in higher education.	Georgian
10:45-12 Concurrent Sessions I (2 concurrent sessions)	Data-Driven Storytelling, Data-Informed Dacision Making Organized by the College of Arts and Sciences Graduate alumni and employer representatives will discuss how they effectively utilize data to communicate with stakeholders, persuade audiences, and determine the best course of action for their organizations and clients. This panel will also serve as an opportunity to explore industry and entrepreneurial career paths, with possible panelist backgrounds in consulting, finance, non-profit management, and government. How much Excel do I really need to know? And how do I find out? Organized by the Luddy School Does anyone really know Excel? Surely there are better spreadsheet programs out there, right? It seems to be everywhere, but do people in industry really use it? This panel will discuss the practical (and impractical!) uses of Microsoft Excel and share resources for developing basic through expert-level facility with the program and its features.	Walnut and Maple
12-12:45 Lunch and Lightning Talks	Lunch and Lightning Talks Organized by the College of Arts and Sciences PhD candidates from the College of Arts and Sciences will give brief presentations on interesting and innovative ways they are collecting, analyzing, and utilizing data in their research. A limited number of boxed lunches will be provided. Please be sure to RSVP below so that we can estimate.	Georgian
12:45-14 Concurrent Sessions II	Using Data to Evaluate Programs and Policies Organized by the O'Neill School How do you argue for policy change and program investment using data? How can graduate students develop the skills to do this and effectively convey these skills to future employers? gain academic and professional trainingfor how to effectively use data for program and policy evaluation. As a part of their internship program, graduate students in the O’Neill School have completed valuable experiences in the field of program evaluation in the public and private sector, consulting, and environmentaladvocacy areas. These graduate studentswill share their experiences and discuss the nature of using data, both qualitative and quantitative, in the context of program and policy evaluation. Designing a Research Poster Organized by the Center of Excellence for Women & Technology This session will prep and prime participants for the effective design of a research poster. It will introduce students to Adobe software and familiarize them with common IU disciplinary templates. Participants will be invited to share and submit their subsequent designs (if they choose) to a poster competition held in the Spring.	Walnut and Maple
14:15-15:30 Concurrent Sessions III	External Funding Sources for Graduate Students: How to find it, how to get it Organized by the GradGrants Center The GradGrants Center, in the University Graduate School, Bloomington, exists to help graduate students identify and apply for funding to support graduate study. This session will provide a overview of databases and search tools to find funding sources outside of IU. GGC presenters will also discuss one element common to many applications: A budget. How does an applicant thoroughly and convincingly argue for an award through a budget? *So Much Data, So Little Time: Working with Different Types of Data* Organized by the School of Public Health This panel features faculty from the Indiana University School of Public Health discussing their diverse research areas in health behavior, human performance, and social media. The session will delve into how researchers navigate complex datasets, address challenges, and apply best practices in data stewardship as they prepare their work for publication. Moderated by School of Public Health graduate students, this session offers a behind-the-scenes look at data management in public health research with lessons that can be applied to many fields of study.	Walnut and Maple
15:45-17 Concurrent Session IV	The Future of Digital Humanities Organized by the College of Arts and Sciences A panel of IUB faculty, graduate students, and public humanities organizationswill provide insight into challenges and opportunities that will influence the field of digital humanities in coming years. Particular attention will be paid to public applications that increase the accessibility of participation in humanities education and research. Using Qualtrics: A Practical Guide Organized by the Center of Excellence for Women & Technology This session will introduce participants to the basic elements of Qualtrics, which can be used effectively both as an informal polling tool or as a robust data-collection instrument for intensive surveys.Presents will share further resources for advanced Qualtrics training as appropriate for the needs and interests of participants.	Walnut and Maple

RSVP Here

Please Note:

Details are subject to change. Please refer back to this site for the most up-to-date information, including speaker, panelist, and event location details.

A Look Back, GCDS 2023: Opportunities in Government and Non-Profit

Last year's Graduate Career Diversity Symposium focused on opportunities in government and non-profit organizations. The symposium included a keynote speaker and panelists with expertise in government labs and research institutions; local and national non-profit organizations; grant writing; and internship programs in mission-driven fields. The symposium provided opportunity to explore career pathways to all graduate students regardless of degree plan.

Wednesday, November 8, 2023, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Indiana Memorial Union

Event program
Time	Program	Location
9–9:30 a.m.	Coffee and Welcome Please join us in the morning outside the Whittenberger Auditorium in the IMU for an opportunity to meet panelists and symposium participants over coffee.	Whittenberger Auditorium, Indiana Memorial Union
9:30–10 a.m.	Opening Remarks	Whittenberger Auditorium, Indiana Memorial Union
10–11 a.m.	Keynote Sydney L. Morton, MPA (O’Neill/SPEA ‘16), Associate Director Of Global Partnership Communications, Corporate Social Impact Partnerships, International Rescue Committee Sydney Morton is a nonprofit leader with experience excelling across continents, managing teams in complex global organizations, and delivering impact in high-stakes environments. She has dedicated her career to social impact through the humanitarian sector. Currently, Sydney leads a team at the International Rescue Committee focused on external communication and the profile of cross-sector partnerships with some of the world’s leading corporate brands and foundations. Sydney’s keynote will focus on how individuals with advanced training contribute to projects that make the world a better place.	Whittenberger Auditorium, Indiana Memorial Union
11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Panel Session I (three concurrent panels) Careers in Mission-Driven Work Through training across diverse disciplines, panelists have gained tremendous expertise translating skills learned in graduate school into careers that make the world a better place. How can one reconcile academic interests with real-world needs and issues? How does a graduate student remain aware of the challenges and skillsets necessary to succeed in a non-academic environment? What are the best ways to lay the foundation for a career in public service or civic leadership while in graduate school? Panelists will share their insights and advice for graduate students, regardless of program or discipline. Internships and Fellowships in Science Policy This panel will address career pathways in science policy at both the state and federal levels. Panelists from the Indiana DNR and the INSPECT Fellowship program (an internship program for Ph.D. trainees in the Indiana state government) will share their experiences: How to discover opportunities, take advantage of them, and use them to chart a career arc. Similarly, with a background in data science and public health, a panelist from the US Army will talk about analogous opportunities in the federal government. Opportunities for International Students in Government and Non-Profit International students are often (but not always!) excluded from opportunities in government and non-profit organizations due to citizenship requirements or salary thresholds necessary for visa applications. This panel will explore ways that international students can build experience and gain valuable skillsets in government and government-adjacent fields. Additionally, panelists will share resources and strategies that international students can use to discover opportunities.	Tree Suites, Indiana Memorial Union
12:30–1:45 p.m.	Lunch (limited capacity)	Frangipani Room, Indiana Memorial Union
2–3:15 p.m.	Panel Session II (four concurrent panels) Internships and Fellowships in Government Research This panel will address opportunities for graduate students to conduct research in government and government-affiliated laboratories and research centers. Panelists will offer perspectives and examples from across disciplines of how skills acquired in graduate school can find continued application in government research. Panelists will also share how they identified opportunities in this area, navigated the application process, and how different it is to conduct research outside a university setting. Careers in Non-Profit for the Humanities and Social Sciences Graduate students are often drawn to career pathways in non-profit and advocacy organizations and cultural institutions. Represented on this panel are individuals with experience in both finding opportunities and taking advantage of them to advance their careers. This panel will de-mystify what it is like to work in a non-profit setting and offer guidance for both learning more and preparing for non-profit work through graduate training. Developing Skills in Grant Writing and Proposal Development Clearly articulating ideas or initiatives, discovering sources of support, developing proposal materials, and tracking measures of success are all crucial skills to be gained by graduate students. Such skills serve graduate students well both in the pursuit and completion of training and in the future implementation of research. These panelists all have a track record of success in grant writing, community engagement, and organizational development. Through their stories and advice, participants will learn strategies for acquiring< these crucial skills. Life as a Postdoc The life of a postdoc is demanding due to the competitive environment and pressure. Short-term contracts and uncertainty can also make postdoc research even more challenging. However, postdocs are integral to advancing and driving research. They also benefit from the research-focused nature of their positions and have the ability to gain additional skillsets to complement their work and advance their professional goals. This panel will discuss mentorship and career development opportunities for postdocs, define what it means to be a postdoc, and discuss navigating and thriving in postdoc life.	Tree Suites, Indiana Memorial Union
3:15–5:00 p.m.	Closing Reception After the last panel session, symposium participants are invited to continue the conversation in the Federal Room of the IMU over light refreshments.	Federal Room, Indiana Memorial Union

Learn More

For questions about the event, contact Trevor Verrot at tmverrot@iu.edu.

Ph.D. Career Diversity Symposium

Navigating diverse careers: A symposium for graduate students

Please Note:

A Look Back, GCDS 2023: Opportunities in Government and Non-Profit

Learn More

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