March 22, 2023

Stanford Career Education hosts PhD Pathways event

The event provided doctoral students and postdocs with a full day of opportunities to explore careers beyond academia and connect with grad alumni.

More than 270 Stanford PhD students and postdoctoral scholars gathered on March 16 for Stanford Career Education’s annual PhD Pathways program, held in person for the first time in three years.

The event, at The Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center, provided PhDs and postdocs with a full day of opportunities to explore careers beyond academia, connect with PhD alumni, discover how the skills they’ve gained in graduate school translate to non-faculty careers, and devise next steps to advance their journey at Stanford and beyond.

Attendees seated and talking. — The event was an opportunity for PhD students and postdocs to meet each other.
Image credit: Nikolas Liepins/Ethography

Image shows crowded meeting room and focuses on one conference participant looking up deep in thought while listening to a speaker. — More than 270 Stanford PhD students and postdoctoral scholars attended the event.
Image credit: Nikolas Liepins/Ethography

Two attendees talking outdoors. — Image credit: Nikolas Liepins/Ethography

A speaker on stage. — Lindsay Oishi, PhD ’22 Education and senior product manager at Indeed leading “Interactive Case Study 1: Applying Your Skills to Product Management.”
Image credit: Nikolas Liepins/Ethography

Attendees entering the event. — Image credit: Nikolas Liepins/Ethography

Panelists speaking. — Angela DeBarger, PhD ‘02 Educational Psychology and education program officer with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation speaking at the “Government, Policy, and Nonprofit Panel.”
Image credit: Nikolas Liepins/Ethography

Panelist speaking. — Uchechukwuka Monu, PhD ’17 Electrical Engineering and principal with Boston Consulting Group speaking at the “Business and Consulting Alumni Panel.”

Image credit: Nikolas Liepins/Ethography

Attendees in conversation. — Image credit: Nikolas Liepins/Ethography

Attendees speaking. — Image credit: Nikolas Liepins/Ethography

Attendees listening to panel. — Image credit: Nikolas Liepins/Ethography

The event brochure.
Image credit: Nikolas Liepins/Ethography

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“Attendees valued the opportunity to hear the stories of the alumni panelists and were excited to participate in ‘hands-on’ interactive case study sessions,” said Salvatore Cipriano, associate director of career coaching and education. “They appreciated speakers’ candidness and honesty as they shared the stories of how they transitioned to their careers beyond academia. Another key takeaway is that attendees could see that there are hundreds of other PhD students and postdocs at Stanford who are exploring diverse career paths and asking similar questions.”

This year’s event opened with an interactive, plenary session led by Stanford’s Life Design Lab to get participants engaging with each other and thinking about how they could make the most of the day. It was followed by a series of panel discussions and interactive case studies, where current students and postdocs heard from over 40 alumni who returned to campus to share their experiences in a variety of fields including business, the arts, engineering, product management, data science, and government. Afternoon panels, featuring both alumni and staff, covered topics such as mental health and well-being on the job search, internships, and guidance for international students.

The program ended with the opportunity for participants to reflect on the day and chart next steps for their career journey. The event was organized by Stanford Career Education (CareerEd), with assistance from BioSci Careers, EdCareers, the Integrative Learning Portfolio Lab, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, and Vaden Health Services.