Careers Beyond Academia

How to Apply | Duke Engineering Master's Programs

The Careers Beyond Academia Series is sponsored by the Office of Postdoctoral Services and The Graduate School.

Thurs Aug 27, 11-11:45 am

WHAT: What Can I Be with an Advanced Degree? Identifying My Transferable Skills
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3atktXeYaFche3s

This workshop will help you identify the transferable skills you’ve already developed in graduate school or your postdoc experience, brainstorm opportunities to continue growing your skills, and connect you with tools to help you plan for further development. Our workshop facilitator is Dr. Melissa Bostrom, Senior Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Professional Development. The workshop will not be recorded.

Mon Aug 31, 11-11:45 am

WHAT: Research Tools for Exploring Your PhD Career Options
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0j6mFGd5luvudLg

Turn your research acumen to the task of exploring your career options. This workshop will introduce key tools that help you identify potential career alignment opportunities and learn about them in depth. Our facilitator will be Melissa Bostrom PhD, Senior Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Professional Development. The workshop will not be recorded.

Weds Sept 2, 12 – 12:45 pm

WHAT: How to Use the PhD Career Training Platform in Your Job Search
REGISTER: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/webinar-how-to-use-platform/

Starting a job search as a PhD can feel overwhelming—especially when most job searches take 6+ months to explore career options, build a network, and apply strategically to positions. Knowing where to begin makes a significant difference in how prepared and focused you are throughout the process.

So what can you do today to set yourself up for a successful job search?

In this webinar, you will learn how to make the most of the PhD Career Training Platform. Access to this platform means you have a research-informed toolkit designed specifically to support doctoral students and postdocs in both academic and nonacademic job searches—so you can move forward with a clear strategy from day one.

This webinar is designed for doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs who are wondering

How do I get started on the PhD Career Training Platform?
What resources are available to support my academic or nonacademic job search?
How long does a job search typically take, and what should I be doing right now?

Graduate students and postdocs can attend this workshop series for free, including access to replays of events when available, through Duke’s subscription to Beyond the Professoriate, sponsored by the Office of Postdoctoral Services and the Graduate School. Advance registration is required.

Wed Sept 2, 4-5 pm

WHAT: What is Management Consulting? An Introduction with the Members of Duke Advanced-degree Consulting Club
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6hbxo6Sw9jPKUK2

Are you curious about how you can apply your research skills in a consulting career? Join us for this workshop offered by the Duke Advanced-degree Consulting Club (DACC) to learn about careers in management consulting. Past DACC members have landed positions at Big Three firms (McKinsey, BCG, and Bain) as well as IQVIA, Accenture, LEK, ZA, EY, and Oliver Wyman. Our speakers will be DACC co-president Emily Warren (Ph.D. candidate, biomedical engineering) and DACC director of training Evelyn Chen (Ph.D. student, cell biology). The workshop will not be recorded.

Thurs Sept 10, 11 am -12 pm

WHAT: From Vision to Reality: 4 Steps to Creating & Executing Your Individual Development Plan
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1RNFbxdaQOKpUou

For better or for worse, your experiences and the training you receive as postdoctoral researchers and graduate students can greatly shape the rest of your career. However, there are strategies and resources that can increase your chances of getting what you came for. During this program, participants will learn how to develop clear and specific goals and objectives, along with a plan for executing them in an Individual Development Plan (IDP).

You’ll learn:

An approach to setting meaningful, achievable goals aligned with your long-term vision.
A structured planning routine to manage your time effectively.
How to speak with your mentor about your goals and strategies to address any misalignments in expectations and needs.

Speaker: Dara Wilson-Grant is Director of Postdoctoral Career and Professional Development at the UNC-Chapel Hill Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. With over fifteen years experience providing career management education and counseling, Dara’s mission is to help individuals develop a framework for choosing a meaningful and rewarding career path, plus develop the skills necessary for a lifetime of career success.

Weds Sept 16, 12-1 pm

WHAT: An Introduction to PhD Career Opportunities in Patent Law
WHERE: Medical Sciences Research Building I, Room 001 (ground floor)
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1LeWnTewkdkeMIe

Have you considered a career in patent law? Join this lunch and learn event featuring Briana Erin Mittleman, JD, PhD (T’16) to gain an overview of the field, including the types of roles available to scientists and scholars with doctoral training, the skills these careers require, and possible pathways into the profession. Dr. Mittleman’s firm Morrison Foerster hires graduate students for internships and PhDs in a variety of fields for scientific specialist and patent agent roles. Lunch provided!

Thurs Sept 17, 11 am – 12:15 pm

WHAT: Communicating Your Strengths: A CliftonStrengths Workshop
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6RN72q3X9p6DbvM

How do you describe your five greatest strengths? You can leverage this information to communicate your capabilities to colleagues and potential employers, just in time for the fall all-industry career fair and other network-building opportunities. Using the CliftonStrengths assessment, this workshop will help you explore a new way to talk about your skills. We will investigate strategies for communicating your strengths to others, the challenges that your strengths might pose for you, and ways you can use information about your strengths to thrive in a team setting. Our facilitator is Melissa Bostrom PhD, Senior Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Professional Development.

The online CliftonStrengths assessment is offered free to all registered participants in this limited-enrollment workshop open exclusively to Graduate School students and postdocs. If you have not yet taken the assessment, please request your code by Wednesday, September 9. This workshop will not be recorded.

Tues Sept 22, 11 am – 12 pm

WHAT: Careers in Science Communication and Writing
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_43emm1ellfd7cNw

In this panel discussion, we’ll hear from professionals who have crafted careers in science communication and writing. They will discuss their paths, how to locate job opportunities, how to apply for these types of jobs, and the kinds of career trajectories that are possible in this field.

Panelists:

Korrina Duffy PhD’17 (Duke Psychology and Neuroscience), Senior Medical Writer-Scientific Communications, Penumbra
Fedor Kossakovski, Director, Research Communications, Duke University
J. Dora Levin PhD’00 (Duke Mechanical Engineering & Material Sciences and Cellular & Biosurface Engineering), Senior Science Writer/Editor, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Amanda Rossillo PhD’23 (Duke Evolutionary Anthropology), Assistant Editorial Director, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Jory Weintraub PhD (UNC-Chapel Hill Immunology), Director of Science Engagement and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Communication at North Carolina State University

Thurs Sept 24, 12-1 pm

WHAT: What Makes a Great Medical Science Liaison (MSL)?
WHERE: Snyderman Genome Science Research Building (GSRB 1), Room 4002, or via Zoom
REGISTER: https://duke.campusgroups.com/dmslc/rsvp_boot?id=2284007

Are you interested in a career as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL)? Learn the skills and experiences that can make you stand out in the profession. Our speaker this month is Steven Johnson, PharmD, a senior medical science liaison in immunology at AstraZeneca. This event is co-sponsored with the Duke Advanced Degree Medical Affairs Club.

Speaker: For the past three years, Steven Johnson has focused on supporting the lupus disease state, collaborating with healthcare professionals and advancing scientific exchange in this therapeutic area. Before joining AstraZeneca, Dr. Johnson spent 13 years in academia, serving as a faculty member at the Campbell University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, where he taught across multiple health professions programs and contributed to the education and development of future healthcare providers. Dr. Johnson earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Colorado and completed postgraduate training at UCLA Medical Center and Duke University Medical Center.

WHAT: Postdoc Research Communication Series: The Art of Research Communication
WHEN: Tues Sept 29, Tues Oct 6, and Tues Oct 13, 11 am – 12 pm
REGISTER: Details below

Sure, your research on fill-in-the-blank is fascinating and important, but in order to help the public understand why it matters (and why they should support it!), you need to be able to communicate what you do in ways that are clear and engaging. In this 3-part series, noted Research Communication expert Jory Weintraub PhD will teach you how to communicate your research effectively, no matter what field you are in.

The workshops will be participatory and include interactive exercises to provide opportunities to practice your research communication skills, so please have your audio and video enabled. For maximum benefit, participants are encouraged to attend all events in the series.

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Session 1: Research Communication Fundamentals
When: Tues Sept 29, 11 am-12 pm
Register for Session 1: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bQo65pp31SOHSVU

This activity-based session will introduce the fundamentals of research communication, including concepts such as:

Your message: What is it, why does it matter, and how do you craft it?
Your audience: Why is it so important to “know your audience”, and how do you frame your message for your them?
Avoiding jargon and other essential skills for engaging your audience and communicating clearly

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Session 2: Communicating Your Research Through Storytelling
When: Tues Oct 6, 11 am-12 pm
Register for Session 2: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_804cDvl4oBPztEa

Research demonstrates that people learn new information more effectively, understand it better and remember it longer when it is delivered in the form of a story. In this session, we’ll dig more deeply into this and discuss the elements of great storytelling. You will then be introduced to a fun and simple method for telling the story of your research in three sentences, and get the opportunity to try it yourself (and receive facilitatory and peer feedback).

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Session 3: Engaging the Public in Your Research Through Outreach
When: Tues Oct 13, 11 am-12 pm
Register for Session 3: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d5VagDNZ7c59Rcy

Once you’ve learned the fundamentals of research communication and how to tell the story of your work, it’s time to apply these skills by engaging the public through outreach. This session will introduce and explore strategies for doing this, and participants will develop their own outreach plan.

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Speaker: Jory Weintraub, PhD is the Director of Science Engagement at North Carolina State University. From 2015-2022 he was the Science Communication Director with the Duke Initiative for Science & Society, and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in science communication at Duke. He received a PhD in Immunology, did a postdoc in STEM education, and has spent the last 25 years doing, teaching and coaching science communication and science outreach.

Thurs Oct 1, 1-2 pm

WHAT: Building a Professional Life in Publishing: A Panel Discussion
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6mwIML8jONymuwu

In this panel discussion, we’ll hear from speakers who have built successful professional lives in publishing. They will discuss their paths, how to locate job opportunities, how to apply for these types of jobs, and the kinds of career trajectories that are possible in this field.

Panelists:

Alejandra Mejía, Assistant Editor, Duke University Press
Matthew Somoroff, PhD’14 (Music), Project Editor, The University of North Carolina Press
Erika Stevens, AM’05 (German), Editorial Consultant, Coffee House Press
Meredith Wadkins-Stabel, PhD (Trinity ’15), Acquisitions Editor, University of Iowa Press

Weds Oct 7, 12-12:45 pm

WHAT: The Key Difference Between Academic and Nonacademic Hiring—and What It Means for Your Job Search
REGISTER: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/webinar-academic-nonacademic-hiring/

As a postdoc or PhD student exploring your career options, one of the most important things to understand is that academic and nonacademic employers value very different aspects of your PhD training and experience. This means that to job search effectively—in academia or beyond—you need to understand what each type of employer is looking for and adopt a strategy accordingly.

This webinar is designed for doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs from all academic disciplines who are wondering

How is academic hiring different from nonacademic hiring?
What do nonacademic employers look for in a candidate, and how will that affect my job search?
Why do I need to focus my job search on a specific career pathway?

Thurs Oct 8, 11 am – 12 pm

WHAT: Alum Zoom: Six Career Questions with Kelli Luginbuhl PhD (Duke BME), Lecturing Fellow in Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Co-Founder of Isolere Bio, and Director of the Duke PhD Innovators Program
WHEN: Thurs Oct 8 from 11-11:30 am, followed by optional PhD Innovators Program overview and Q&A from 11:30-12 pm
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cZTVRMjtyeDJBZ4

As part of a series of short, focused career conversations with former Duke postdocs and PhD students, we’ll feature Kelli Luginbuhl PhD. Kelli earned her PhD from Duke Biomedical Engineering, and was co-founder of Isolere Bio, a Duke spin-out she helped launch in 2017. She led Isolere as CSO and then CEO through launch, growth, and finally successful acquisition by Donaldson Company in 2023. She then stayed on at Donaldson as General Manager until returning to Duke in late 2025. She is now a Lecturing Fellow in Duke Innovation &Entrepreneurship and Director of the Duke PhD Innovators Program.

Kelli will tell us how she transitioned from academic lab research to entrepreneurship, and then back to academia to direct the Duke PhD Innovators Program, a training and development program designed to equip postdocs and PhD students with the skills and confidence needed to translate research into real-world impact. Fellows use their own technologies as the primary learning vehicle, working directly with their research to build commercialization capability through hands-on experience and to develop as potential founders. In addition to her career path, Kelli will discuss the benefits of the PhD Innovators Program and how to apply.

We will ask Kelli six career questions:

Can you tell us about your background?
How did you get your job?
What’s a typical day like at your organization?
What can grad students and postdocs who would like to work in this field or explore it further do to prepare?
What is the employment outlook for this field?
Can you describe the PhD Innovators Program and how it can help postdocs and PhD students advance their careers?

Thurs Oct 15, 11 am – 12:30 pm

WHAT: From CV to Résumé: Repackaging Your Academic Experience for Industry Employers
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ba4jQPmZcXdvdLo

Are you considering a career outside academia? If so, you will need to convert your curriculum vitae (CV) into a résumé, and this session will show you how. In addition to learning the differences between an academic CV and a résumé, you will learn specific steps and strategies to help you craft a résumé that effectively promotes your qualifications in a way that appeals to a broad audience.

In this session, you’ll learn:

Key differences between an academic CV and an industry résumé.
How to assess job requirements and demonstrate your qualifications effectively.
Strategies for brainstorming and repackaging your experiences, including how AI tools can help to highlight relevant skills for the job.

We’ll also discuss cover letters:

How a cover letter’s purpose differs from your résumé’s.
Structuring your letter so it complements your résumé instead of repeating it.

Speaker: Dara Wilson-Grant is Director of Postdoctoral Career and Professional Development at the UNC-Chapel Hill Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and a Licensed Professional Counselor. With over fifteen years experience providing career management education and counseling, Dara’s mission is to help individuals develop a framework for choosing a meaningful and rewarding career path, plus develop the skills necessary for a lifetime of career success.

Weds Oct 21, 12-12:45 pm

WHAT: Going Beyond Subject Matter: How to Identify Skills Employers Want
REGISTER: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/webinar-going-beyond-subject-matter/

Graduate education and postdoctoral training give PhDs the opportunity to develop deep expertise in a specific subject area. But for most PhDs who pursue nonacademic careers, what connects their graduate training to their professional life is not their subject matter—it is the skills, values, and interests they developed along the way.

When starting a nonacademic job search, many doctoral students and postdocs ask: “What can I do with my PhD?” But that is often not the most useful place to start. A more productive question is: “What skills have I developed, and where can I apply them?” In this webinar, you will learn how to reflect on your graduate training, identify the transferable skills you’ve developed, and communicate your value clearly to nonacademic employers—in your job documents and in interviews.

This webinar is designed for doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs from all academic disciplines who are wondering:

How do I identify the skills I’ve developed in my graduate training?
What do nonacademic employers look for in a candidate—and how does my background align?
How do I communicate my value to employers when my expertise is highly specialized?

Thurs Oct 29, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

WHAT: Project Management Careers: A Panel Discussion
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8qRM96EPT92JVki

In this panel discussion, we’ll hear from speakers who use project management skills and principles in their positions. They will discuss their paths, the P.M.P. credential, ways that trainees can begin building their project management portfolios, and the kinds of career trajectories that are possible in this field.

Panelists:

J. Spencer Hauck, PhD (former Duke postdoc, Pathology), Project Planner, Duke Office of Physician-Scientist Development
Marcus Johnson, MPH, MBA, MHA, Associate Director, US Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Studies Program (NODES)
Meredith Schmehl, PhD’24 (Neurobiology), PMP, Open Science Strategy Program Coordinator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Weds Nov 4, 12-12:45 pm

WHAT: How to Research Career Options in Industry
REGISTER: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/webinar-research-career-options-in-industry/

One of the most common struggles PhDs face early in their job search is identifying nonacademic career options that feel like a genuine fit. With a highly specialized background, it can be difficult to know where to begin—or how to evaluate whether a career path aligns with your skills, values, and goals.

But career exploration does not have to be an overwhelming process. With the right framework, you can identify career pathways that make sense for your background and take concrete steps toward your job search. Join the Beyond Prof team for this webinar where you’ll learn how to begin identifying and researching nonacademic career options that align with your background and professional goals.

This webinar is designed for postdocs, doctoral students, and PhDs from all disciplines who are wondering:

Why is it so difficult to identify career options that align with my background and expertise?
How do I research career options that fit my skills, values, and personal goals?
Once I have identified career options, where do I begin my job search?

Thurs Nov 12, 11 am – 12 pm

WHAT: Interviewing in the Real World: What to Expect and How to Prepare
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bwHCceBbFg13SS2

Are you planning to pursue a non-academic career path? If so, you will need to prepare for a style of interviewing that is quite different than the academic interview process – from the interview structure to the types of questions asked. Special attention will be given to a common HR/industry method of interviewing called behavior-based interviewing.

Weds Nov 18, 12-12:45 pm

WHAT: Building a Network to Help You in Academia and Beyond
REGISTER: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/network-in-academia-and-beyond/

Networking is one of the most overlooked skills in a PhD job search. It is often seen as awkward, transactional, or evidence of “nepotism.” But in practice, networking is how academics and professionals build community.

It is through community that academics and professionals find mentors, learn from others in their field, and stay informed about opportunities and areas of growth. Networking is also standard practice outside of academia, and an essential part of an effective job search—academic or nonacademic. The earlier you start building your network, the more it will work in your favor when opportunities arise. Join the Beyond Prof team for this webinar where we’ll walk you through how to build and grow a network that supports your career goals, whether you are exploring careers in academia or beyond.

This webinar is designed for postdocs, doctoral students, and PhDs from all disciplines who are wondering:

How can networking help me in an academic or nonacademic job search?
Where do I find people to connect with?
How do I start if I have never done anything like this before?

Thurs Nov 19, 12-1:15 pm

WHAT: The Non-Tenure Track Option: Other Faculty Positions in Higher Education
REGISTER: go.ncsu.edu/professional-development-registration Under ‘Workshop Name’ scroll down to The PREPP 2026 Fall Series.

One does not always have to pursue a tenure track faculty position in academia to remain in higher education. Hear from those who are not on the tenure track path to learn more about their positions, how they got them, and what they like about them.

Panelists:

Joseph Burclaff PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, NC State University & UNC-Chapel Hill
Audrey Fikes PhD, Assistant Teaching Professor, Chemistry, NC State University
Devjanee (Devi) Swain Lenz PhD, Director, Sequencing and Genomics Technologies Core Facility; Assistant Research Professor, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine
Bita Nickkholgh PhD, Senior Staff Scientist, Institute for Regenerative Medicine- Regulatory Initiatives; Adjunct Faculty, Graduate School Biomedical Programs, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

The Postdoctoral Readiness to Enter the Professorship Program (PREPP) is a Zoom series designed to help postdocs successfully transition into faculty positions. PREPP was established by the NCSU Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and is co-sponsored by Duke Postdoctoral Services, UNC-Chapel Hill Postdoctoral Affairs, and other area universities. PREPP features panel discussions with faculty and administrators from local institutions, thereby providing diverse perspectives and advice on preparing for the professoriate.

Mon Dec 7 through Thurs Dec 10, 12-12:45 pm

WHAT: How to Decide Between An Academic and Nonacademic Career: A Week of Webinars
REGISTER: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/webinar-series-how-to-decide-2026/

PhDs build careers in every part of the economy—industry, nonprofits, higher education, and government. A faculty career is only one of many paths available to PhDs seeking meaningful and intellectually engaging work.

But how do you determine which career pathway is right for you?

This special workshop series is designed to walk doctoral students, PhDs, and postdocs through the key questions, frameworks, and strategies you need to clarify your values, identify your most marketable skills, and evaluate your options—so you can make an informed decision about whether a faculty career or a nonacademic path is the right fit for you.

Prerecorded: How to decide and what you will need to consider
Dec 7: How to identify your values
Dec 8: How to identify your most marketable skills
Dec 9: How to build your network using on-campus resources
Dec 10: Practical considerations and your decision rubric