GIVE EXPERTISE
Thank you for wanting to give back to the Graduate College!
As you know, it takes more than just money to survive graduate school. It also takes mentoring and plain old advice from individuals with different viewpoints.
Give back some intellectual capital to the Graduate College.
Career and Professional Development Outreach Opportunities
What do you wish someone had told you when you were in graduate school? We would love for Graduate College alumni to come back and share their knowledge and experience with our current graduate students. There are a variety of opportunities for sharing expertise and guidance. We are seeking guest speakers and discussion leaders to lead brown bag talks and conversations, as well as individuals to take part in career panels whereby alumni share information about what it is like to work in their particular fields. Lastly, we are seeking workshop presenters. Are you excellent at networking or great at public speaking? Do you manage time well, multi-task and organize information, or possess other strong professional skills? Workshop presentations provide alumni with the opportunity to share their knowledge in a class format with students as part of single or multiple sessions. Any additional ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated. We look forward to hearing from you!
For more information, please contact Theresa Christenson-Caballero, Assistant Director of Graduate Student Outreach and Career Development, via email or telephone (312) 355-2137.
Fellows Mentoring and Support Initiative
The purpose of the Graduate College’s Fellows Mentoring and Support Initiative is to expand outreach efforts to Diversifying Faculty in Higher Education in Illinois and Abraham Lincoln Fellowship recipients. The goal is to provide fellows with career and personal mentoring, advice, and referral support in order to promote successful completion of their graduate degree and to pursue their career objectives. Alumni working in academic, non-profit, industrial, and corporate settings are invited to engage in mentorship relationships. We seek alumni with PhDs in all disciplines who can provide additional feedback to doctoral candidates with respect to dissertation research, degree progress, training, and employment opportunities. A matched pair design will be used whereby an alumna/us is matched with a mentee in a related academic discipline or field. We ask for a one-year commitment. Mentorship can be virtual via video conference, telephone, email, etc. The Graduate College will offer initial training and will monitor progress towards academic and professional goals twice each year. Alumni are also invited to present on topics germane to their careers and mentoring. We hope you’ll join us in this effort.
For more information, please contact Lunaire D. Ford, PhD, Assistant Dean, via email or telephone (312) 413-2556.
The Graduate College is currently investigating how it can better serve as an intermediary for current graduate students wanting or needing internship experience. Alumni could help us to facilitate these connections through networking and alerting us to internship opportunities hosted by their employer.
For more information, please contact Benn Williams, Assistant Director of Interdisciplinary Programs and Development, via email or telephone (312) 413-2389.