Pathways for PhDs

The Pathways for PhDs Speaker Series invites PhDs back to share what they’ve learned as they made their way to their current positions.

In 2020-2021 we hosted a series of panel discussions between McGill PhD alumni and current graduate students.



EVENTS


Faculty of Law

May 20th, 2021, 2-3 pm

What careers do PhD graduates from the Faculty of Law pursue after graduation? Come to this round table to hear stories and ask questions about the paths PhDs forged after graduation, what they learned along the way, and what their day-to-day work is like.

Our distinguished guests are Prof. Dia Dabby, Professor of Law at Université du Québec à Montréal and Dr. Kent Nnadozie, Secretary of the International Treaty at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This panel will be moderated by Atagün M. Kejanlioglu and Miroslaw Sadowski, President and VP Academic of the Graduate Law Students Association (GLSA).


TRaCE-PGSS

Speed Mentoring Session

April 27th, 2021, 12-1 pm

Want to meet McGill graduate alumni and maybe be matched with a mentor? Come to the PGSS and TRaCE speed mentoring event! Walk between zoom rooms every five minutes to talk to and learn about the experiences of former McGill graduate students, learn more about transitioning to the job market and how to make the most of your PhD. Hope to see you there!

This event is co-sponsored by PGSS and takes place via Zoom.


Faculty of Engineering

April 22, 2021, 2:30-3:30 pm

What careers do PhD graduates from the Faculty of Engineering pursue after graduation? Come to this round table to hear stories and ask questions about the paths PhDs forged after graduation, what they learned along the way, and what their day-to-day work is like.

Panelists include: Dr. Mehrnoosh Azodi, Environmental Policy Specialist at Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Susane Havelka, Postdoctoral Researcher at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and Dr. Adya Karthikeyan, Senior Research Engineer at Saint-Gobain Research in Chennai, India, and Postdoctoral fellow at Polytechnique in Montreal.


Celebrating McGill PhDs with

Three of our Best: A TRaCE

McGill Bicentennial Event

March 26th, 2021, 2-3 pm

McGill University’s PhD alumni include a host of trailblazers who use their passion and their education to make a difference in the world. As part of the McGill’s Bicentennial, we are pleased to welcome back three of the most remarkable PhD alumni, grads who have distinguished themselves in the fields of artificial intelligence, music and academic leadership. In this panel discussion, moderated by in-program PhD students, we will have the opportunity to hear our distinguished grads on topics such as: Why did they pursue a PhD? What experiences during their studies had the greatest impact of the work they do now? What advice do they have for PhD students in the 21st century? This panel will also show how the skills doctoral students acquire – such as problem-solving, critical thinking, project management, independence and creativity – have lifelong value and help PhD grads launch careers where they can have a positive impact on the world.  

Our distinguished guests: Dr. Martha Crago (PhD in Communication sciences and disorders, 1988), Professor, Vice-Principal (Research and Innovation), Dr. Yoshua Bengio (PhD in Computer Science, 1991), Professor, co-recipient of the A.M. Turing Award, Dr. Juan Sebastián Delgado (PhD in Music Performance, 2017), Prize-winning Cellist and founding co-member of Stick&Bow 


International PhDs

March 9th, 2021, 4-5 pm

How was the experience of getting a PhD at McGill as an international student? What careers do international PhDs pursue after graduation? Come to this TRaCE McGill round table to hear stories and ask questions about the paths International PhDs forged before and after graduation, what they learned along the way, and what career paths they are pursuing.

Panelists include Lilia Eskildsen-Torres, Fellowships Officer at McGill, Marco Piana, Visiting Assistant Professor, and Samuel Rodrigues, Associate Professor.

This event is co-sponsored by PGSS and takes place via Zoom.


Faculty of Medicine

February 26th, 2021, 4-5 pm

What careers do PhD graduates from the Faculty of Medicine pursue after graduation? Come to this round table to hear stories and ask questions about the paths PhDs forged after graduation, what they learned along the way, and what their day-to-day work is like.

Panelists include: Dr. Mark Bazett, Director of Preclinical Development at Bold Therapeutics, Dr. Laura Jones, Lead Clinical Specialist, Dr. Catie Lichten, Scientific Writer at Oxford University, and Dr. Michel Ntemgwa, Senior Clinical Reviewer at Health Canada.


Faculty of Music

February 19th, 2021, 4-5 pm

What careers do PhD graduates from the Faculty of Music pursue after graduation? Come to this round table to hear stories and ask questions about the paths PhDs forged after graduation, what they learned along the way, and what their day-to-day work is like.

Panelists include: Dr. Juan Sebastian Delgado (Professional Cellist), Dr. Erin Parkes (Founder and Executive Director of Lotus Centre for Special Music Education) and Dr. Nina Penner (Assistant Professor at Brock University).


Faculty of Education

February 11th, 2021, 1-2 pm

What careers do PhD graduates from Faculty of Education pursue after graduation? Come to this round table to hear stories and ask questions about the paths PhDs forged after graduation, what they learned along the way, and what their day-to-day work is like.

Panelists include: Morgan Phillips (Research Coordinator), Carolyn Samuel (Senior Academic Associate).


Desautels Faculty of Management

December 3rd, 2020, 3-4 pm

What careers do PhD graduates from the Desautels Faculty of Management pursue after graduation? Come to this round table to hear stories and ask questions about the paths PhDs forged after graduation, what they learned along the way, and what their day-to-day work is like.

Panelists include: Diego Mastroianni (Senior Services Strategist), Malvina Klag (Independent Consultant), and Russell Seidle (Associate Professor).


Faculty of Science

November 17th, 2020, 4-5 pm

Where do PhD graduates from the Faculty of Science? While some start careers in academia, others work in a range of careers within and beyond the university. Come to this round table to hear stories from PhD grads and ask questions about how they made the transition, what they learned along the way, and what their day-to-day work is like.

Panelists include: Madhu Kaushik (Vice President of Vera Inkjet), Eric Yen (Software Developer and Research Scientist at Object Research Systems), Tim Haltigin (Senior Mission Scientist for the Canadian Space Agency), and Jocelyn Moore (Senior Scientific Evaluator for Health Canada).


Faculty of Agricultural and

Environmental Studies

October 20th, 2020, 4-5pm

Where do PhD graduates from the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences go after graduation? While some start careers in academia, others work in a range of careers within and beyond the university. Come to this round table to hear stories from PhD grads and ask questions about how they made the transition, what they learned along the way, and what their day-to-day work is like. This session is hosted by the MCGSS and panelists include: Frieda Beauregard (Herbarium Curator and Instructor), Sooyoun Seo (R&D Manager), and Derek Wray (R&D Manager)


Faculty of Arts

October 9th, 2020, 4-5pm

Where do Arts PhD graduates go after graduation? While some start careers in academia, the TRaCE project reveals that many Arts PhD grads find fulfilling careers in higher education outside the academic track. Come to this round table to hear stories from McGill Arts PhD grads Danielle Barkley (Career Educator) and Matthew Wyman-McCarthy (Research Facilitator) about how they made the transition, what they learned along the way, and what their day-to-day work is like.


How can PhDs prepare for their professional future?

PhDs students are innovators who spend years developing original contributions to their chosen fields. Yet when it comes to career paths, it’s common to hear PhD grads’ options reduced to “Academia” or “Non-academia”.

The interviews we’ve gathered highlight that PhD grads find success and personal satisfaction in their work outside of academia, but many report having to make their own path, without much in the way of guidance or advice. Our Pathways for PhDs speaker series brings McGill PhD graduates back to share their expertise about the career paths that exist for PhDs, and how to travel forward on those and other possible career pathways.